why_be_moral_2008. 12.1. The Ring of Gyges. What would YOU do with a ring like this?. What Gyges did.... In Book . I . of Plato. '. s Republic, Glaucon uses this story to illustrate how immoral behavior can sometimes work to one. '. s advantage.. Chapter Conclusion:. It all depends on what we take morality . to be. and what we think is the . source. of moral requirements.. Chapter Challenge:. Can we show that living morally IS in our own best interest?. Glaucon thinks we. '. d all behave like Gyges if we thought we could get away with it. . Glaucon wonders, why should we be moral if being moral doesn. '. t serve our needs?. Further developed by:. Jeremy Bentham. John Stuart Mill. Social Contract:. Mutually cooperative societies can exist only if we adopt certain rules of behavior.. To obtain the benefits of social living, we should all agree to obey basic rules.. Evaluation. Reasons why SC theory appealing: (1) makes ethics practical, (2) clarifies what our ethical duties are, (3) doesn. '. t assume humans are natually altruistic, (4) answer. '. s Glaucon. '. s question by saying that it is to our advantage to live in a cooperative society.. The problem of the Free Rider: People who benefit from living in cooperative society, yet do not respect its norms. (Solution: Rules and laws help to some extent.). Questions. What does social cooperation make possible?. Would you be OK without these things?. What makes mutually cooperative societies possible?. David Hume. ". We measure right . &. wrong by true interests of mankind. ". 12.4. Morality and Benevolence. Feelings of benevolence for mankind are t. he source of morality. 12.3. The Social Contract. Cooperative societies are the source of ethics. Utilitarianism. / . Principle of Utility:. What. '. s moral is that which produces greatest possible benefit for everyone affected by actions. 1. We should be guided by the consequences of our actions. 2. Do whatever causes greate. st benefits . &. least significant harms. 3. Each person. '. s welfare is as important as the next person. '. s. Thomas Hobbes. (1588 - 1679). ". We. '. re better off in cooperative societies than we are alone. ". Evaluation. Either God . has good reasons. for his commands...and there. '. s a standard of rightness independent of his commands. Or He . doesn. '. t have good reasons. ...and his commands are arbitrary.. Divine Command Theory. :. Being moral = obedience to God. '. s commands. The Euthyphro Dilemma. (From one of Plato. '. s early dialogues). Is something right because God commands it?. Or does God command something because it is right?. 12.2. Ethics and Religion. God is the source of ethics. Questions. How are we supposed to know what God commands?. Why should we trust these sources?. Are they consistent?. Evaluation. Turned many traditional moral theories upside down: Saw criminal justice system as reformative, believed everyone. '. s happiness counts equally (offended superiority claims). . Utilitarianism has no use for . ". absolute. ". moral rules--if breaking a rule will have better results for everyone, rules should be broken.. Impartiality:. Do we have a moral duty to help strangers?. Utilitarians say our duty is to help others. Social Contract theory says only help those who are in a position to help us.. 2008.. Created by Karla Pierce for PHI 1603. ". Problems from Philosophy. ". . by James and Stuart Rachels. Problems From Philosophy. Chapter 12. ". Why Should We Be Moral?.