Lecture 3: Basic Ethics

GOVT 2305: Federal Government

Instructor: Tom Hanna

2026-08-24

Today

  • Basic ethics
  • Discussion: personal standards and violence

Why This Matters

Why This Matters

By the end of today you will be able to state your own standard for when force is ethically acceptable — and apply it to government.

Bridge from last time

  • Government is the organized coercive use of physical force commonly accepted as legitimate.

  • So ethics is not optional. It is the point.

Purpose

  • Explore together — not a lecture of final answers
  • A few terms you should know
  • Your disagreement is welcome

The Trolley Problem

The Trolley Problem

Trolley Problem

Utility

Utility

Omission vs Commission

Omission vs Commission

Ends and Means

Ends and Means

Discussion

Would you pull the lever? Why?

Does the ratio matter — 5 to 1, 500 to 1, billions to 1?

Reciprocity

Reciprocity

The Golden Rule

Buddha

Gandhara Buddha

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

— Attributed to the Buddha

Hillel

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole of the Torah. All else is commentary. Go and contemplate it.

— Hillel the Elder

Jesus of Nazareth

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

— Jesus of Nazareth

Muhammad

None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

— Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad

Confucius

Confucius

己所不欲，勿施於人

Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you.

— Confucius 孔子

Yoruba

One who is going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.

— Yoruba proverb

Mahabharata

One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self. This, in brief, is the rule of Righteousness [Dharma].

— Mahabharata Anusasana Parva (trans. K.M. Ganguly)

Two basic guidelines

Thoughtfulness and reciprocity

Theories of Ethics

Duty-based (deontology)

Right is based on the action — rules and duties

Consequentialist

Right is based on the consequence

Utilitarianism

Greatest good for the greatest number

Utilitarianism — issue

Are some actions wrong even if the outcome is good?

Ethical nihilism

No right or wrong — no standards

Ethical relativism

Right and wrong = only the norms of a culture

Ethical relativism — minor issue

How do you condemn past wrongs in your own society?

Ethical relativism — major issue

How do you work to improve your own society?

Judging acts vs judging persons

Judging acts vs judging persons

Government as Trustee

Trustees of the people

Officials as trustees of the people

Private fiduciaries

Lawyers, physicians, directors, advisors, agents — set aside self-interest; act for the client.

Duty of Loyalty

Loyalty

Duty of Care

Care

Duty of Good Faith

Good Faith

Duty of Confidentiality

Confidentiality

Full Disclosure

Disclosure

Record Keeping

Records

Informing Clients

Inform Clients

The force question

If private fiduciaries face this standard with money and voluntary clients, what standard fits people who command force?

Delegated Violence

Who is responsible?

John Wick

Who is responsible?

The hired force — or the one who hires it?

Discussion

Personal ethics

  • What are your personal ethical standards?
  • Rules and duties, consequences, or both — and how do you balance them?

Violence

  • Is violence ever justified?
  • If so, when?
  • How do you weigh means against consequences?

Next

Next class (August 26): Values of the Founding

Come ready to connect ethics → founding values → limits on power.

Reminders

  • Module 0 substantially complete by August 30 (avoid drop)
  • Module 1 Study Guide and Connect due September 18

Authorship and License

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