aristotle keywords

Question 1

Agency

Answer 1

The capacity of an agent to act in any given environment

Question 2

Agent

Answer 2

A being that is capable of action, usually restricted to humans due to our ability to reason between courses of action

Question 3

Applied ethics

Answer 3

The practical application of ethical theories to moral dilemmas that people encounter such as abortion, euthanasia, the treatment of animals etc

Question 4

Argument from analogy

Answer 4

Arguments which compare two things and draw a conclusion about one of them on the basis of their similarities (also known as analogical arguments)

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

A statement that comes at the end of an argument, supported by the reasons(premises) given in the argument. If the premises are true, then the conclusion will be as well

Question 6

Autonomy

Answer 6

The ability to self-govern (to make your own decisions, based on reason and freedom)

Question 7

Consequentialist ethics

Answer 7

A normative moral theory which views the moral value of an action as lying in its consequences. An action can be judged as good if it brings about beneficial consequences and bad if it brings about harmful ones

Question 8

Deontological ethics

Answer 8

A normative moral theory that views the moral value of an action as lying in its dutifulmotives. A contrast to consequentialism that gives us rules

Question 9

Descriptive

Answer 9

A descriptive statement tells us the way things are

Question 10

Disposition

Answer 10

Our tendency to behave in certain ways / our character traits

Question 11

Divine command ethics

Answer 11

A type of deontological ethical theory that claims that an action is good if it follows one of God’s commands

Question 12

Empiricist

Answer 12

An approach to philosophy which states that our beliefs and knowledge should be based on our experiences

Question 13

Ethics

Answer 13

The philosophical study of our ideas of moral good, of how to live and of the status of moral judgements

Question 14

Eudaimonia

Answer 14

Ancient Greek term meaning the goal or ‘good’ that we are striving for. A similar meaning to ‘flourishing’

Question 15

Fallacy

Answer 15

When an argument has gone wrong because of a mistake or a problem with the structure of it

Question 16

Free will

Answer 16

The idea that humans control their lives and are capable of making decisions

Question 17

Good

Answer 17

Actions that bring about positive outcomes. It can also have a functional meaning similar to ‘fulfilling your function / purpose well’

Question 18

Judgement

Answer 18

A decision made about the rightness / goodness of a course of action

Question 19

Liberty

Answer 19

The freedom you have to perform actions which are not restricted / prohibited by the state / government

Question 20

Moral dilemmas

Answer 20

A situation where an agent will have difficulty choosing between two or more courses of action. Usually there are moral reasons both in favour and against choosing each option

Question 21

Moral philosophy

Answer 21

The philosophical study of moral good, of how to live and of the status of moral judgements

Question 22

Morality

Answer 22

Standards or principles taken from any given moral theory e.g. what is right and wrong according to utilitarianism

Question 23

Naturalism

Answer 23

The belief that we can explain moral concepts, such as good, in naturalistic terms like happiness and pleasure

Question 24

Nihilism

Answer 24

Extreme scepticism about moral values – the state of having no values, or the belief that all values are groundless / an illusion

Question 25

Normative ethics

Answer 25

Also known as ‘first-order ethics’ – this covers moral theories that offer action guides.They give us rules or principles, through which we make moral judgements which then direct our behaviour

Question 26

Partiality

Answer 26

When humans tend to value something or someone higher than other things or people e.g. friends and family. Some moral theories require that you don’t do this(impartiality)

Question 27

Person

Answer 27

Generally refers to humans, although some philosophers will discuss the nature of people and what sets us apart from other animals

Question 28

Premise

Answer 28

A statement / claim / reason that supports the conclusion of an argument

Question 29

Prescriptive

Answer 29

The belief that moral language has a special use. The purpose of moral judgements isto urge others to act in a certain way

Question 30

Rationalist

Answer 30

The belief that reason is the primary source of our knowledge

Question 31

Summum bonum

Answer 31

A Latin phrase meaning ‘the highest good’, or ‘the Good’. The goal of all human life for Aristotle, he said that it was found in Eudaimonia, although other philosophers disagreed

Question 32

Teleological

Answer 32

Purpose, goal or end. A teleological theory suggests that we should aim at certain moral goals – for Aristotle, this is virtue

Question 33

Vices

Answer 33

A characteristic which is be avoided or is seen as a flaw e.g. dishonesty

Question 34

Virtues

Answer 34

A characteristic which is valued e.g. honesty, wisdom

Question 35

World of forms

Answer 35

Plato’s theory that universal concepts such as beauty and justice exist independently of human minds in another realm. These concepts are called ‘forms’