Book Chapter 1 Flashcards
What questions do ethics try to answer?
1, Are there reasons for doing what is morally right?
- Can we know what is morally right? How?
- What makes something good or right in the first place?
What is ethics?
The systematic and reasoned study of moral right and wrong, good and bad, together with the claims that employ these concepts.
It is the philosophical study of morality.
“Good” and “Bad” are examples of?
Values
“Right” and Wrong” and examples of?
Actions
What does it mean that values are “normative”?
It means they appeal to some standard or norm by which other things are to be evaluated.
Saying that a road is “no good” appeals to a standard about what roads should be like.
(They can be Prudential, Legal, and Moral)
What are Prescriptive claims?
These say how we should act. They prescribe or prohibit certain things. “Should” and “Ought” claims.
“People shouldn’t lie” prohibits lying.
“You ought to attend that lecture” tells you to do something.
->Value claims support prescriptive claims
What are Value Claims?
Statements that ascribe values (positive or negative) to things. It refers to some standard and evaluates the thing relative to that standard.
They are normative claims.
“Jeff has a poor heart”
What are Descriptive Claims?
These say how the world is (was or will be) and even how the world could be, but not how it should be.
What’s a Moral Standard?
A comprehensive set of moral values, along with the prescriptive claims these values support.
Moral claims (whether prescriptive or value) appeal to this standard.
(You should tell the truth because honesty is a morally virtuous)
What’s the Moral Realm?
This realm includes everything that relates to people’s moral beliefs and practices.
What is the realm of etiquette?
Based in practical considerations and social convention, etiquette typically varies from culture to culture.
It is what is acceptable social behavior.
What is the realm of law?
Created by civil authority, laws exist and apply at definite times and places. Many, but not all, laws reflect moral claims.
What is the Prudential Realm?
Prudential values include what is in our own self-interest and what contributes to our well-being. “Health, personal safety, and a decent education” are all good for us.
Brushing your teeth -> Health
Prudential claims are best expressed in an “if/then” (conditional) form: If some value or goal is important and relevant to your circumstances, then you ought to act in a certain way.
“People should brush their teeth daily” - Supports health
Prudential claims usually hold for all, but apply depending on one’s circumstances.
“What is in our own self-interest and what contributes to our well-being”
What are foundational and instrumental values?
- Foundational values are things that are intrinsically valuable in and of themselves. (Pleasure happiness and love are often cited)
- Instrumental values are things that are useful for attaining something else of value. A purely instrumental value has no genuine worth in and of itself. (Money)
All instrumental values derive their worth from foundational values.
What are ethical theories?
Ethical theories typically attempt to explain every claim of morality by just one or a few foundational values
