ethics Flashcards
Benthams ethical theory
- what motivates humans
- principle of utility
- hedonic calculus
Jeremy Bentham
- teleological, normative ethical theorist
- his theory was Act utilitarian
- he was a hedonist
utilitarianism
teleologically, naturalistic, normative ethical theory that argues the best result is the one that brings the most happiness to the most people
motivation of human beings
pain and pleasure are what we base our actions and morals on, and pleasure is the same as goodness
principle of utility
an action should be done if it maximises the happiness for the most amount of people
the hedonic calculus
Intensity Duration Certainty Remoteness (propinquity) Fruitfulness (fecundity) Purity Extent
act based ethics
deontological
end based ethics
teleological
person based ethics
virtue
normative absolutism
- morals are fixed regardless of the context
- treats people with equality
normative relativism
- nothing can be defined as right or wrong
- variety in culture effects ethics
rule utilitarian
adopts general rules about the kinds of actions that tend to produce happiness to make decision making easier
Mill
- the harm principle
- we should be able to do whatever we want as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else
- free speech is offensive but not a harm
Roger Crisp
- offered the life of Joseph Hayden or an Oyster
- but the oysters life is infinite
- oysters life becomes worthy and pleasurable over time
Robert Nozick
- experience machine
- would you plug into alternate reality to only live a life of pleasures
- proves pleasure isn’t the ultimate motivation
Mills pleasures
higher pleasures - intellectual, social, culture, science
lower pleasures - eating, drinking, sex, resting
Kant
an absolutist, deontologist, ethical realist
phenomenal realm
- physical world
- empirical knowledge
- heteronomy
- consequential
- changing
- instrumental
noumenal realm
- metaphysical
- reason
- autonomy
- intrinsic
- unchanging
hypothetical imperative
focuses on the outcome and is used when making a decision not to do with morals