Praxis Public Dialogue Series: Session #1

DISCUSSION TOPIC: Ethical theories in philosophy and the principles of Modern Free-Masonry

PRESENTATION: Download
WHERE: Thomas Hammer Coffee, 298 N 8th St, Boise
WHEN: 7 - 9pm

SUMMARY
The study of ethics is a fascinating discipline and branch of philosophy. We will attempt to do the impossible, which is to summarize the major ethical theories in the history of philosophy in plain language and in less than 2 hours; then we will have an open dialogue on how the conclusions of these theories relate to and impact the key principles of Modern Free-Masonry, our purpose, etc.

OUTLINE of DISCUSSION

Normative Ethics: What is it?
Is normative ethics possible? (key challenges)
- Psychological egoism
- Determinism
- Cultural relativism
Normative ethical theories
- Deontological (rule, act, conscience theory, ethical intuitionism, divine command theory)
-Teleological (act and rule utilitarianism, ethical egoism, self-realization, pragmaticism)
Meta-Ethics
- Is normative ethics meaningful and/or knowable?
- Cognitivism, Non-Cognitivism, Naturalism, and Non-Naturalism, ethical emotivism, etc)
Application to the principles of Modern Free-Masonry