Logical Reasoning

PT152 · S2 · Q21 Ethicist: It is morally right

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Ethicist: It is morally right to reveal a secret only if one has a legal obligation to do so and will not harm oneself by doing so.

Principles

if = put it on the left / only if = put it on the right

morally right --> legal obligation and won't harm oneself

(we want the judgy term on the right, so contrapose)

~Legal obligation or → not morally right to reveal secret

Will harm oneself

promised not to reveal and → morally wrong revealing likely to harm others

Evaluate

We don't want to think of morally right / morally wrong as a binary. There is such a thing as amoral -- not having anything to do with morality.

Giving to charity is morally right. Stealing from charity is morally wrong. Laying down in a hammock is neither morally right nor morally wrong.

Usually, if we're provided with two rules, and one of them has an AND in the trigger, whereas the other one has an OR, the correct answer will make use of the OR rule. It's easier to trigger those rules, since you only need to establish one fact to trigger them. You can't trigger an AND rule unless you establish two facts.

Also, we usually had to contrapose in order to even see the OR rule properly, so they're rewarding us for doing the harder thing.

Goal

We never need to use both rules. When we look at an answer, we'll start by seeing what it's concluding. If it's saying "not morally right" we'll use Rule 1. If it's saying "morally wrong" we'll use rule 2.

If it says "morally right" or "not morally wrong", we'll immediately get rid of it, since our rules only allow us to derive "not morally right" or "morally wrong". (We can only use a rule to prove/conclude/derive the idea that's on the right hand side)

21.

The principles cited by the ethicist most help to justify the reasoning in which one of the following?

  1. Correct

    Kathryn revealed a secret entrusted

    Why this is right

    Since this is concluding "not morally right", we'll look to rule 1. Do we establish either that "there was no legal obligation to reveal" or "revealing will harm the revealer"? Yes! It says "she was under no legal obligation to reveal". That's all we need to hear. It was not morally right. ~Legal obligation or ? not morally right to reveal secret Will harm oneself

    Skill tested: Principle-Conform · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    50% picked this

  2. Jae admitted in confidence to

    Impossible Conclusion

    The conclusion here says "was morally right", so we can throw this one out without reading it. Our rules only have the power to prove "not morally right" or "was morally wrong". ~Legal obligation or ? not morally right to reveal secret Will harm oneself promised not to reveal and ? morally wrong revealing likely to harm others

    5% picked this

  3. A doctor informed Judy that

    Incomplete Trigger Match

    The conclusion here is "morally wrong", so we look to Rule 2. Do we establish both that someone "promised not to reveal a secret" and that "revealing this secret is likely to harm others"? Nope, we don't establish either. Revealing this secret is said to "sometimes" lead to harm, but we don't have likely harm. And there's nothing that says Judy promised not to reveal a secret. promised not to reveal and ? morally wrong revealing likely to harm others

    18% picked this

  4. Phil was arrested for bank

    Impossible Conclusion

    The conclusion here says "was morally right", so we can throw this one out without reading it. Our rules only have the power to prove "not morally right" or "was morally wrong". ~Legal obligation or ? not morally right to reveal secret Will harm oneself promised not to reveal and ? morally wrong revealing likely to harm others

    10% picked this

  5. After writing a story about

    Impossible Conclusion

    The conclusion here says "was morally right", so we can throw this one out without reading it. Our rules only have the power to prove "not morally right" or "was morally wrong". ~Legal obligation or ? not morally right Will harm oneself to reveal secret promised not to reveal and ? morally wrong revealing likely to harm others

    17% picked this

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