Reading report 1
In chapter four “I Couldn’t Help Myself,” the most outstanding concept is behaviorism, which has been linked to aspects such as free will, determinism, and ethics. The most important aspect of the chapter is human behavior is controlled by cause and effect emerging from reinforces within the surrounding environment. The most helpful concept is the introduction of reinforcement to an individual surrounding environment to enhance their behavior change. The most surprising is the coining of ethical statements as tools of modifying individuals’ behavior thus limiting the application of free will. To understand behaviorism, it is important to categorize it into either methodological or metaphysical. Methodological entails human behavior understanding and change while metaphysical entails the understanding of reality.
In chapter five “Survival of the (ethical) fittest,” the most outstanding is evolutionary ethics. In the chapter, the most important concept is the ethical infrastructure that utilizes evolutionary ethics in terms of descriptive and normative ethics. The most helpful concept is the relation of ethics and evolution which documents the evolution of right and wrong. The most surprising is how the mind’s capacity form ideas for culture emergence that later transfigures to social structures of doctrines acceptance. Moral decisions are taken by humans fully relies on gathered data, communicating channels of nervous systems to the brains and brain data processing. Additionally, individuals, the ethical process fails to work without the ethical infrastructure though it does not constitute ethics.
In Fluehr-Lobban, “Cultural Relativism and Universal Rights,” the most outstanding concept is cultural differences that anthropologists hold in cultural relativism. The most important aspect of this reading is the intercultural exchange that upholds cultural differences while accepting the universal human rights doctrines. The most helpful is that the article elaborates on respecting cultural relativism while promoting the rights of the people. The surprising concept is that while the article talks about respecting cultural differences, it fails to condemn cultural practices that go against human rights. Although it is ethical to safeguard cultural differences, it is better one defend human rights that protect human lives and dignity.
In Lengbeyer, “An Alternative to Moral Relativism,” the most outstanding concept is how most students are attracted to ethical relativism despite knowing its shortcoming. The most important concept of the article is understanding that ethical pluralism is better alternative ethical relativism. The acknowledgment of multiple correct answers in ethical pluralism was helpful. What was surprising is despite the student’s knowing shortcoming of ethical relativism they still preferred ethical relativism to ethical pluralism. Despite the advantages of ethical pluralism, most students preferred ethical relativism due to fear of being portrayed as intolerant and judgmental.