Ethics Flashcards
What are absolute ethics?
The idea that there is a fixed view of right and wrong
People are governed by the same rules
What does deontological mean?
Rule following or duty based
What are relative ethics?
The idea that there is no fixed view of right and wrong. It changes depending upon the situation or the person
What does teleological mean?
To work towards a desired outcome. You look at the situation then act
Name some characteristics of absolute ethics
Believes that there are moral commands that are true for all time, in all places and in all situations
Things are right and wrong and cannot change
Torturing children, rape and murder are always wrong. They don’t change change according to the culture you live in
Immoral acts are intrinsically wrong, which means wrong in themselves
Name some characteristics of relative ethics
Things are good or bad depending on the circumstances of the situation
There are no values that cut across all cultures and peoples
There is no objective knowledge because all knowledge depends on the perception of the person. Similarly there is no objective truth; truth is only truth for you or truth for me.
There isn’t just one set of morals that everyone agrees with or follows
What is a universal rule?
A rule that is applicable to all
What is cultural relativism?
Each culture has its own set of values
Who is the source of absolute laws for a theist?
God
What are ethics?
The study of moral behaviour. It looks at how we make decisions about right and wrong
