Ethical Thought 1 Flashcards
What are 3 challenges to ethical egoism?
- Destruction of a community ethos
- Social injustice
- Form of bigotry
How could ethical egoism destroy the community ethos?
We would only do things in our own interest and so limit charitable and kind acts
How could Union of Egoists encourage bigotry and injustice?
Encourages cooperation only with those who serve our own self interest
How could ethical egoism cause social injustice?
Prioritises needs of individual over needs of the many
What were Max Stirner’s dates?
1806-56
What did Stirner write?
Ego and its Own
What did Stirner believe about religion?
It requires an individual to be restrained by their faith, and people only obey God for their own benefit
What did Stirner consider freedom promised by religion to be?
A spook
What is Eigenheit?
Owness - Stirner’s world for complete moral control over one’s decisions
What is Eigenheit incompatible with?
Any obligation
How can a Union of Egoists form?
Via an agreement with no duty only self-serving enjoyment
What is hedonism?
Valuing or seeking pleasure as the highest good
What is a spook?
An illusion or abstract idea that people treat as reality
What is psychological egoism?
A descriptive theory that states people always act in their own self interest
What is the myth of Gyges?
Platonic story told by the character of Glaucon, a shepherd uses the power of invisibility to kill the king and seize the throne
What does Plato/Glaucon argue in the myth of Gyges?
Any person would act in their own self interest and against conventional right
What is ethical egoism?
The theory that people ought only to act and pursue their own self interest
What is altruism?
Actions motivated by the desire for the well being of another person
How is ethical egoism different from hedonism?
Egoism seeks a balance between long and short term pleasure whereas hedonism only focuses on the present
How would an ethical egoist abide to the Golden Rule?
Treating others kindly and not harming them as this is likely in their long term interest
What are 3 challenges to virtue theory?
- Impractical guide for behaviour
- Cultural relativism
- Can be used for immoral acts
How is virtue theory impractical?
Assumes people know what is virtuous, no way of learning virtue or knowing how to act situationally
How is cultural relativism an issue for virtue theory?
Different cultures consider different things to be virtuous, there is no way to differentiate
How can virtue theory lead to immorality?
Virtues may conflict and there is no guide on which ones to prioritise - e.g. the virtue of courage could lead to crime
Give 5 examples of moral virtues?
- Courage
- Generosity
- Truthfulness
- Modesty
- Proper ambition
What is the excess and deficiency of the virtue of courage?
Excess - rashness
Deficiency - Cowardice
What is the excess and deficiency of the virtue of truthfulness?
Excess - boastfulness
Deficiency - understatement
What are the 5 intellectual virtues?
- science (episteme)
- art (techne)
- prudence (phronesis)
- intuition (nous)
- wisdom (sophia)
What is phronesis?
Prudence - using practical wisdom to work out how to be virtues
What is techne?
Art - the ability to use reason to plan and produce
What does St Paul list as the most important human virtues?
Faith, love and hope
When did Jesus recount the Beatitudes?
In the Sermon on the Mount
What is eudaimonia?
Human flourishing
Give 3 examples of Beatitudes.
- meekness
- mercy
- peacemaking
What is the main focus of virtue theory?
The role of character
Where does the word ‘virtue’ come from?
‘arete’ meaning excellence
When is eudaimonia achieved?
Across a journey of life rather than individual instances
How is eudaimonia achieved?
Fulfilling functions in life and practising virtue
Who was the main proposer of Virtue Theory?
Aristotle
How many moral virtues are there?
12
What are Aristotle’s 4 groups of people?
- Virtuous - face no moral dilemma
- Continent - have to fight moral dilemma
- Incontinent - usually choose vice
- Vicious - do not attempt virtue
Who proposed the Euthyphro dilemma?
Plato
Euthyphro:
‘piety is that which is dear to the Gods’
Socrates:
‘is holy beloved by the Gods because it is holy or holy because it is beloved by the Gods?’
What are the 2 horns of the Euthyphro dilemma?
- External standard
- Arbitrariness
What is the arbitrariness objection?
Suggests goodness is based on God’s approval so is arbitrary and can change on a whim
What is the pluralism objection?
Different religions have different divine commands which may contradict each other
What 2 possible solutions did John Hick propose to the arbitrariness objection?
- Logically impossible for God to command cruelty for its own sake
- If God did command cruelty we would be obliged to obey
What does Adams argue about DCT?
It is only acceptable if God is benevolent
Who is Robert Adams?
American analytic philosopher, born 1957
What is the omnipotence objection?
God’s omnipotence is inconsistent with the implication that God cannot command cruelty
What does Aquinas argue about God’s omnipotence?
That it only extends to what is possible to God, cruelty is not possible for God’s character
What is the autonomy objection?
DCT limits free will as it sets out absolutist principles in life
How does Adams respond to the autonomy objection?
We have free will over our responsibility for obeying God’s commands
How does the pluralism objection show that DCT is pointless?
Gives a DC theorist as much choice and autonomy over which divine commands to follow as an atheist
What is divine command theory?
The theory that morality is directed by God’s commands and so goodness is linked to the existence of a divine being
What is the meta-ethical claim of DCT?
What God commands is the same as what is good
What is the normative claim of DCT?
We ought to obey what God commands as rules for human behaviour
What is deontological ethics concerned with?
Obligation or duty, the actions themselves rather than the consequences
What is teleological ethics concerned with?
An action’s purpose and outcome
Virtue theory is useful:
- Jesus
- Agent-focussed
- Altruistic
Virtue theory is not useful:
- No sense of duty
- Interpretation
- Hard to learn
Being a good person is better than just doing good deeds:
- Act vs. intention
- Developing virtues
- Independence
Being a good person is not better than just doing good deeds:
- Product is same
- Detracts from action
- Good deeds = good person
All moral actions are self motivated:
- Psychological egoism
- Not necessarily bad
- Ethical egoism
What does Richard Norman believe about ethics?
We only do good because we think it will make our lives happier
Not all moral actions are self-motivated:
- Religious duty
- Cave - environmentalists and beached whale
- True vision of the self
Ethical egoism leads to moral evil:
- Bigotry
- Conflicts of interest
- No moral absolutes
Ethical egoism does not lead to moral evil:
- Virtuous self-interest
- Interest vs. selfishness
- Golden Rule
DCT is superior to VE and EE:
- Absolutist and universal
- Independent from humanity
- Religious consistency
DCT is not superior to VE and EE:
- Inflexible
- Jesus and virtue
- Outdated
Morality is what God commands:
- Omnibenevolence
- Consistent with religion
- Logical
Morality is not what God commands:
- Arbitrariness
- External standard
- Pluralism
Doctrine of the mean - Aristotle
‘virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean between 2 vices’
Mathew 5:48
‘be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect’
Practice - Aristotle
‘for one swallow doesn’t make a summer, so it is not one day or short time that makes a man blessed and holy’
Universality - Baggini
‘God’s rules apply to all, irrespective of time and place’
Arbitrariness objection - Baggini
‘The idea that God could just decree that all we thought evil was in fact good and vice versa seems to make a mockery of the seriousness of ethics’
Altruism - Stirner
‘A race of altruists is necessarily a race of slaves. A race of free men is necessarily a race of egoists’
Psychological egoism - Driver
‘it concerns how people actually behave, not how they ought to behave’
No such thing as altruism - Driver
‘Altruistic actions are those that are purely for the sake of others. The psychological egoist denies that there are such acts’
