Ethics Flashcards
Absolutism
The view that certain actions are inherently good or bad
Altruism
Selfless actions done without thought or expectation of a reward
Artificial intelligence
Computer systems that are able to carry out tasks normally done by humans.
Artificial superintelligence
The name given to a possible future invention that is more intelligent than humans and can outperform us in everything.
Dualism
The belief that humans have both a body and another separate, immaterial part, such as a mind or soul
Ethics
The philosophical study of right and wrong
Hedonic calculus
Jeremy Bentham’s way of calculating which actions are right and wrong
Holocaust
The killing of six million Jews in Germany between 1933 and 1945
Materialism
The belief that the only things that exists is physical matter and the movement of this matter.
Morality
Ideas or principles about what is right and wrong
Relativism
The view that whether an action is good or bad depends on the situation
Speciesism
A term popularised by Peter Singer to describe prejudice or discrimination towards animals
The banality of evil
A phrase used by Hannah Arendt to describe how evil can result from ordinary, thoughtless behaviour
Thought experiment
An imaginary scenario invented to examine the consequences of a philosophical idea
Turing test
A test created by Alan Turing to try and show if a computer can think
Utilitarianism
The theory that the best action in any situation is the one which creates the greatest amount of good for the greatest number
