A consequentialist, a deontologist, and a virtue ethicist are walking back into town after a hunting trip (and all armed to the teeth) discussing the fundamental nature of morality. They come across a group of angry citizens about to lynch a man for rape and murder of a young girl. The man pleads that he didnt mean to kill her...
Having made the above comment, I find myself struggling with my own approaches to it. Suppose in addition, the jurisdiction of the events has abolished the death penalty. A deontologist would want (a system 2 level) to stop the lynch mob. Stopping a lynch mob would also appeal to Virtue ethicist. So what would a Consequentialist do? What is the System 1 response of the person or persons who started the lynch mob? I feel that long term, a consequentialist would say rule of law is Good. In short term, it is easy to say the law is an ass and let’s have proper justice (I am pretty sure that would be my System 1 response if I was the girls father), despite being intellectually opposed to death penalties.
Saving a drowning child is no test for ethical theories.
But do we all have same System 1 instincts?
A consequentialist, a deontologist, and a virtue ethicist are walking back into town after a hunting trip (and all armed to the teeth) discussing the fundamental nature of morality. They come across a group of angry citizens about to lynch a man for rape and murder of a young girl. The man pleads that he didnt mean to kill her...
Having made the above comment, I find myself struggling with my own approaches to it. Suppose in addition, the jurisdiction of the events has abolished the death penalty. A deontologist would want (a system 2 level) to stop the lynch mob. Stopping a lynch mob would also appeal to Virtue ethicist. So what would a Consequentialist do? What is the System 1 response of the person or persons who started the lynch mob? I feel that long term, a consequentialist would say rule of law is Good. In short term, it is easy to say the law is an ass and let’s have proper justice (I am pretty sure that would be my System 1 response if I was the girls father), despite being intellectually opposed to death penalties.
Saving a drowning child is no test for ethical theories.