Moral principles, thanks to Don Berkich:
The Principle of Nonmaleficence: We should avoid causing needless harm to others by our actions.
What does “needless” mean?
How do we define harm?
If there are degrees of harm, how do we rank them?
How do determine magnitude of harm?
How do we determine certainty of harm?
If harm is inevitable no matter what we do or don't do, how do we determine which harm is a necessary price of our action/non-action?
The Principle of Beneficence: We should promote the welfare of others by our actions.
What constitutes the “welfare of others”?
- Their happiness?
- Their comfort?
- Their self-esteem?
- Their physical health and longevity?
- Their success in a status competition?
- Their social belongingness?
- The strength of their characters?
- Their ability to live with the truth?
How do we prioritize moral principles when they’re in conflict with each other? Why that way and not another way?
Next: the Principle of Autonomy