1/2 first Flashcards
The view that some moral duties are absolute-binding in all circumstances without exception, such as the duty not to lie or to kill the innocent
Absolutism
Theories that evaluate the morality of individual acts based o principles, rules, or outcomes. EX: Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Natural Law theory
Act-Centered Moral Theories
Theories that focus on the moral character of the agent rather than the moral status of particular actions- EX: Virtue Ethics emphasizes becoming a good person
Agent-Centered Moral Theories
A framework used to classify moral
theories based on where they place moral emphasis. The elements are:
Motive – what moves a person to act; Intention – the aim or purpose behind the act (emphasized in Kantian ethics); Act Itself – the nature of the deed performed (central in Natural Law Theory); and Consequences –
the outcomes of the action (the focus of Utilitarianism). Different moral theories prioritize different elements in evaluating right and wrong
Four Elements of Human Acts
Theories that hold that the moral rightness of an action depends solely on its consequences—specifically, the amount of good it produces. Examples include Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism
Consequentialist Moral Theories
Theories that determine rightness not by consequences but by whether an action fulfills a moral duty, rule, or principle. Examples include Kant’s theory, Natural Law Theory, and Divine Command Theory.
Non consequentialist Moral Theories
The moral theory that to determine right action, you must
apply the egoistic principle to individual acts
Act egoism
Acting for the benefit of others, often contrasted with egoism
Altruism
The idea that, in order to achieve the goals of egoism (e.g., happiness), one must give up egoism—because happiness requires deep, genuine relationships which depend on altruistic concern for others
Paradox of Egoism
The morally right action is the one that produces the
most favorable balance of good over evil for oneself
Ethical Egoism
A descriptive theory claiming that all human
actions are motivated by self-interest
Psychological Egoism
The theory that to determine right action, you must see if
an act falls under a rule that, if consistently followed, would maximize
your self-interest
Rule Egoism
Ethical Egoism seems to require that its adherents keep their moral views secret, since publicizing egoism would reduce trust and cooperation—yet a good moral theory should be one we can teach and share
Publicity Problem for Ethical Egoism
A psychologist and ethicist who criticized Kohlberg’s model for being male-centered and proposed an alternative, care-focused approach to moral development rooted in relationships and empathy
Carol Gilligan
A distinction emphasized in feminist ethics that separates biological characteristics (“natural facts”) from the meanings and roles assigned to them by society (“social norms”). This contrast highlights how gender roles are not biologically determined but socially constructed and maintained
Contrast between Natural Fact and Societal Norm
A strategy in feminist ethics aimed at exposing how traditional moral theories reflect and perpetuate male-centered biases, particularly those that prioritize abstract rules over care and relationships
Debunking Project (Feminist Ethics)
A model of moral growth that emphasizes care, connection, and relationships over abstract principles, progressing through stages of selfishness, care for others, and a balance of self-care and care for others
Gilligan’s Stages of Moral Development
A thought experiment used by Kohlberg in which a man must decide whether to steal a drug he cannot afford in order to save his wife’s life; used by Kohlberg and Gilligan to evaluate levels of moral reasoning
Heinz Dilemma
A developmental psychologist whose early work on
children’s moral reasoning influenced later theories of moral
development, including Kohlberg’s stage model
Jean Piaget
A six-stage theory divided
into three levels—Preconventional (obedience and self-interest),
Conventional (social approval and law/order), and Postconventional (social
contract and universal ethical principles)—used to assess moral maturity
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
A moral psychologist who proposed a six-stage theory of moral development, emphasizing justice, rights, and the role of moral reasoning in progressing through increasingly sophisticated ethical stages
Lawrence Kohlberg
Lindemann argues that gender is
fundamentally about power—specifically, the ways in which society structures relationships of power and privilege between men and women. For Lindemann, feminist ethics is less about sex differences and more about addressing the political and moral significance of gendered power dynamics
Lindemann’s View re Gender
A feminist ethical critique of rigid dualisms (e.g., male/female, reason/emotion, mind/body), which have historically been used to devalue traits associated with women. Rejecting binarism challenges these simplistic and hierarchical oppositions
Rejection of Binarism
“Act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”
1st Formulation of the Categorical Imperative
