Ethics and philosophy Flashcards
What did Freud believe were the three main parts of the mind?
The ID
Super-ego
Ego
What did Freud believe was the purpose of the superego?
It is unconscious, controls our morals and helps us live in society
What did Freud believe was the purpose of the ID?
It is the oldest part of the mind, seeks pleasure and avoids pain and has no judgement of value
What did Freud believe was the purpose of the ego?
It represents logic and reason and is viewed as the “go between” for the ID and the superego
What is the meaning of philosophy?
The study of big questions about knowledge, reality and general existence
What is the meaning of the ethics?
the study of what is right and wrong, guidance for how people should behave based off principals of morality and fairness
Who is Plato?
A Greek philosopher of the classical period, best known for his theories surrounding reality and truth
What is plato’s allegory of the cave?
Plato describes a group of men who have been brought up as prisoners in a dark cave, and whose only glimpse of reality are the shadows of puppets held by their captors being cast on the wall in front of them by a fire. One day, the people holding them captive, let one of the men go. The man takes a while to adjust to the bright daylight and is shocked to find that the shadows he saw were inaccurate representations of the real world. Eventually, he adjusts to his new surroundings and realises this reality is much better than his previous one. Excited to share his new discoveries with his friends, he returns to the cave and tries to explain that the shadows are not accurate and the real world is a good place, but they think he’s gone crazy and ridicule him.
What is Utilitarianism?
An ideology developed by Bentham that examines how to respond in a moral dilemma. Bentham believed that you should look at the consequences of your actions and do whatever makes the most people happy
What are 2 criticisms of utilitarianism?
- Tyranny of the majority: basing a decision off what the most people want invalidates the perspectives of the minority and can lead to one group feeling superior to the other, leading to discrimination and inequality
- Just because a large group of people want something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that thing is moral. For example, if 50 people wanted to kill someone just because they don’t like them, it doesn’t justify it and could have a long term negative impact
What did Descartes think about reality?
He questioned whether we truly existed in the reality we thought we did and suggested that our senses can betray us or that we could be dreaming. However, he also said that the only thing we can truly depend on to prove that we are real and living, is our mind.
“I think therefore I am”
What is Kant’s ideology surrounding morality?
Deontology - the idea that we should live by categorical imperatives and have a responsibility to always do the moral thing, no matter the scenario. He disregarded the consequences and looked only at the maxim, saying that we should always ask ourselves “would society function if everyone did this?”
For example: I will lie to save my friend
I will lie is the maxim and we should focus on that, not thinking about the impact. If everyone lied, society would not function, therefore, this action is immoral.
What are 2 criticisms of deontology?
- It is not realistic - humans are emotional creatures and can often lack rationality when making overwhelming decisions. There can be many factors that go into decision making and expecting humans to completely switch off and forget about those factors is unrealistic. For example, “I will lie to save my friends life:” a normal person most likely would, as most humans would feel guilty about letting someone else die and would want to avoid the pain of losing someone close to them
- Dismissing consequences can have detrimental effects - many people argue that when making a decision, consequences have to be considered and by dismissing them, there can be many long term negative impacts. For example, if telling the truth results in someone dying, it can be easily argued that the consequence is very significant and deems the decision immoral. The consequence ( someone dying ) is unarguably more upsetting and severe than the action that could have been done to save them ( lying ).
Give 2 interpretations of the allegory of the cave:
- Some people interpret the allegory of the cave in a religious way. They may see the prisoners as atheists or people with different beliefs who have not yet been exposed to their God’s teachings. The prisoner who escapes and is exposed to the real world, is somebody who has finally accepted religion into their life and the puppeteers are those who don’t agree with religion and create lies to make people view it in a negative light.
- Others might interpret Plato’s allegory of the cave as a representation of the lies of people in power. They might see the prisoners as people who are ignorant, do not question what they’re told and blindly follow what people in positions of power say. The freed prisoner is somebody who has discovered the truth of the world, and is trying to convince others to rebel against the people lying to them. The puppeteers are authority figures such as the government, presidents etc. who create illusions and manipulate those lower than them for their own gain.
What would Bentham do in this situation:
A girl is hosting a party and doesn’t want to spend too much money, so can only buy one flavour of ice cream. 5 of the guests want chocolate and 10 want vanilla
Bentham would buy chocolate, as more people want it, meaning more people are made happy
What would Kant do in this situation?
You’re hanging out with your friend when the door rings. You open it and man with an axe demands to know if your friend is here, as they’re going to murder them.
Kant would tell the truth and say that the friend is here, as telling the truth can be applied to everyone and still allow society to function well, however lying can’t. He would argue that you’ve done your moral duty, so anything that happens after isn’t your fault
What would the ID, the ego, and the superego each suggest in this situation?
You’re revising for a big maths test the next day and are really struggling. Your friend messages, saying they have concert tickets for your favourite artist tonight. If you go, you will miss out on a lot of revision, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity
ID - go to the concert, it is much more enjoyable than revising
Superego - don’t go, this is an important test and you need to pass it and have more discipline
Ego - try and come to a compromise or weigh up all the factors of each
