Argument & Philosophical Methodology Flashcards
Reflective equilibrium
A state of coherence or consistency between accepted moral principles and considered moral beliefs, arrived at by considering different principles and their implications in different cases. Often the endpoint of philosophical discussion.
tl;dr: Point where moral principles and judgments agree
Valid argument
Argument for which the conclusion MUST be true if all the premises are true
Moral argument
An argument in support of a substantive moral claim; must have at least one moral principle as a premise in order to be valid
Descriptive ethics
Ethics concerned with what is the case (what people believe, why they believe it, and how these beliefs developed)
Unsound argument
An argument which is invalid and/or does not have all true premises
Conclusion
Claim which one is trying to prove
Substantive moral claim
Claim directly about the moral status of an act, policy, person, etc.
Normative Ethics
Ethics mostly concerned with general questions, primarily concerning how one ought to live. Prescriptive (regards what one ought to do)
Premise
Claim intended to support the conclusion
Thought experiment
An example meant to prove or disprove a claim or argument, or to demonstrate the plausibility of a thesis
Circular Argument (Fallacy)
Truth of conclusion is presupposed by one or more premises; problematic when the conclusion IS a premise, or is used as the reason to accept a premise
Argument
Set of 2 or more claims. One is the conclusion, the rest are premises.
Straw Man (Fallacy)
Misrepresenting an opponent’s argument or view so that it is easier to refute
Sound argument
A valid argument with all true premises
Counter example
An example meant to counter a given claim or argument
