REASON AND

IMPARTIALITY
 WHAT IS FEELINGS?

IT IS AN EMOTIONAL STATE OR REACTION.

 OUR FEELINGS AND DESIRES, AND
PREFERENCES NEED TO BE EVALUATED AND
JUDGED. THEY NEED TO BE MEASURED
AGAINST SOME IMPARTIAL STANDARD THAT
WILL REVEAL THEIR QUALITY.
 MORAL JUDGEMENT

ARE EVALUATIONS OR OPINIONS FORMED AS TO

WHETHER SOME ACTION OR INACTION,
INTENTION, MOTIVE, CHARACTER TRAIT, OR A
PERSON AS A WHOLE IS (MORE OR LESS) GOOD OR
BAD AS MEASURED AGAINST SOME STANDARD OF
GOOD.
 3 TYPES OF MORAL JUDGEMENT

1. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE LOGICAL

2. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON
FACTS
3. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON
VALID MORAL PRINCIPLES.
 1. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE LOGICAL

THIS IMPLIES SEVERAL THINGS.

FIRST, OUR JUDGEMENT SHOULD FOLLOW FROM THE
EVIDENCE.
THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN 1) THE STANDARD, 2)
THE BEHAVIOR AND POLICY, AND 3) THE M.J SHOULD
BE SUCH THAT 1 AND 2 LOGICALLY ENTAILS.
2. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE BASED
ON FACTS
ADEQUATE MORAL JUDGMENT CANNOT BE
MADE IN A VACUUM. WE MUST GATHER AS
MUCH RELEVANT INFORMATION AS
POSSIBLE BEFORE MAKING THEM.
 THE INFORMATION SUPPORTING THE MORAL
JUDGEMENT, THE FACTS, SHOULD BE
RELEVANT, THAT IS, ACTUALLY RELATE TO THE
JUDGEMENT; COMPLETE, OR INCLUSIVE OF ALL
SIGNIFICANT DATA; AND THE ACCURATE OR
TRUE.
3. MORAL JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE BASED
ON VALID MORAL PRINCIPLES
WE KNOW THE MORAL JUDGEMENT ARE
BASED ON MORAL STANDARDS. AT THE
HIGHEST LEVEL OF MORAL REASONING,
THESE STANDARDS EMBODY AND EXPRESS
GLOBAL MORAL PRINCIPLES.
 SOUND MORAL JUDGEMENTS ARE BASED
ON VALID MORAL PRINCIPLES. VALID HERE
REFERS TO QUALITIES THAT GIVE THE
PRINCIPLE INNER STRENGTH AND A
CAPACITY TO RESIST CHALLENGE OR
ATTACK
 WHAT MAKES AN ACT COURAGOUS?

IN BOOK OF JAMES D. WALLACE (1986)

DEFINES COURAGOUS ACTS BY USING SIX
CONDITIONS.
1. THE PERSON BELIEVES THAT IT IS
DANGEROUS TO DO THE ACT.
 2. THE PERSON BELIEVES THAT HIS
DOING THE ACT IS WORTH THE RISK IT
INVOLVES.
 3. THE PERSON BELIEVES THAT IT IS
POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO DO OR NOT TO DO
THE ACT
 4. THE DANGER THE PERSON SEES IN
DOING THE ACT IS SUFFICIENTLY
FORMIDABLE THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD
FIND IT DIFFICULT IN THE CIRCUMTANCES
TO DO IT.
5. THE PERSON IS NOT COERCED INTO
DOING THE ACT BY THREATS OF
PUNISHMENT.
 6. THE PERSON IS UNDER THE SELF-
CONTROL, AT LEAST IN THE SENSE OF
NOT BEING IN A FRENZY, STUPOR, OR
INTOXICATION.
 JAMES DONALD WALLACE

“My study of virtues and vices was begun in the hope of

circumventing certain vexing problems in moral philosophy. I had
thought that if I concentrated upon character traits, the idea of moral
rules or laws could be dispensed with, and the familiar problems
about the origin, nature, and authority of such rules avoided.”
 MIKE W. MARTIN

EVERYDAY MORALITY (2007)

 HE ADDED ANOTHER ONE CONDITION
7. THE PERSON AT LEAST BELIEVED HE
WAS DOING GOOD, AND WE ADMIRE HIM
FOR HIS EFFORT TO PURSUE WHAT IS
GOOD.
IT’S EASY TO STAND WITH THE
CROWD, IT TAKES COURAGE TO
STAND ALONE.