Ethics Full Review

Question 1

What is Ethics?

Answer 1

Study of morality; tries to determine what things in life are morally good, and which things in life are morally wrong

Question 2

Difference between ethics and morality

Answer 2

Morality: standards that a person has that in his/her mind determines what is wright or wrong
Ethics: investigation of moral standards; wether morally good or wrong actions can be justified.

Question 3

Two kinds of relativism

Answer 3

Descriptive relativism

Ethical relativism

Question 4

Descriptive relativism

Answer 4

Different societies and cultures have different system of beliefs, in which each one have a different set of rules that determines right from wrong
Only tries to describe one culture’s system of beliefs and morals, and does not really express the idea of living right or wrong.
Only expresses the system of beliefs in each culture. Each culture is separate from one another’s beliefs.

Question 5

Ethical relativism

Answer 5

Melville J. Herskovits: ethical relativism states there there are no true moral standards to live by; what a person things is right or wrong truly depends on a persons society or culture.
Moral standards of a person are acquired through “enculturation”
No moral standards but only determined what is wight and wrong through specific cultures.

Question 6

What are the problems of ethical relativism?

Answer 6

Moral standards cannot be criticized, falsely claims that since there are different cultures, there is no ideal set of what is right or wrong
Wrong to claim that no universal law of right and wrong exists.

Question 7

James Rachels’ response to ethical relativism

Answer 7

The fact that different societies have different moral codes proves nothing. We conclude that ethical relativism is based on the culture that the majority agrees upon the most; disagreement in ethics is determined by different levels of enligenment.

Question 8

The Value of Tolerence

Answer 8

Appreciation and tolerance does not rule out thoughtful and informed critisism.

Question 9

What is the consequentialist theory?

Answer 9

Defines the morality of an action by its good or bad consequences.
The morally right action is the action that produces the most good.

Question 10

Two kinds of goods

Answer 10

Intrinsic: is good in itself

Instrumental good: is good for something else.

Question 11

Hedonism

Answer 11

Life is a sensory moderation; (from Epicurus)

Good consequences produce the most pleasure, while bad consequences produce the most pain

Question 12

Ethical Egoism vs. psychological egoism

Answer 12

Limits our attention to the consequences that affect us personally. Moral decisions are based upon how to better the individual personally.
Argument: Harry Brown argues that the belief to put happiness before others is false.
Ethical Egosim: we act out of self interest based on what will produces the best outcome in the long run.
Psychological egoism: people always act out of self interest regardless of the best outcome.

Question 13

Criticism of ethical egoism

Answer 13

James Rachels: because we are doing what we want, it does not follow is to advance our own interest. If we do things that help others, then we are not acting selfishly.
Kurt Baier: ethical egoism implies ethical prescriptions that are contradictory.

Question 14

What is Utilitarianism

Answer 14

Standards of morality is for the better of all.

The morally right action produces more goods than bad consequences.

Question 15

Bentham’s Utilitarianism

Answer 15

Actions are morally right if they produces happiness or pleasure. Moral actions are bad if they produces sadness.

Question 16

MIll’s Utilitarianism in response to Bentham’s

Answer 16

We naturally tend towards the morally right action that will produce the greatest pleasures.
We value a specific kind of pleasure by what most people have experienced was the greatest pleasure.

Question 17

MIll’s Utilitarianism in response to Bentham’s

Answer 17

We naturally tend towards the morally right action that will produce the greatest pleasures.
We value a specific kind of pleasure by what most people have experienced was the greatest pleasure.

Question 18

Act Utilitarianism and it’s problems

Answer 18

The morally right action is the one that will produce the greatest good in a specific situation. This specific situation is personal and local, and the morally right action in act utilitarianism is the one that will produce the most pleasures personally.
Problems: Gives us wrong answers to moral questions. Can make joy to us by selfish acts, but not to the greater good.

Question 19

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 19

Served as moral rules. An action is morally right if it produces a greater good for all.
Supposed to not have the wrong implications.
Mill was apart of rule while Bentham was apart of act.

Question 20

What are the three types of nonconsequentionalist theories?

Answer 20

1. Divine Command Theory
2. Natural Law Ethics
3. Kantian Ethics
   The morally right action is not always determined by consequences, but on one’s duty and responsibilities.

Question 21

The Divine Command Theory

Answer 21

God establishes moral laws; they are eternally true regardless if one believes in them or not.
Interested into different cultures (ie. Catholic Ten Commandments)
This leans towards descriptive relativism; as every culture has a different command theory they follow.

Question 22

Two types of divine command theories with the dilemma

Answer 22

God’s commands are found in human scriptures.
God’s commands are found in human nature.
Dilemma: Are right actions good because God commands them, or does God command good actions because they are right?

Question 23

Natural Law Ethics

Answer 23

Humans have natural tendencies to human nature. The morally right action is found in the “gut” and what human nature has to offer.
Since God created human nature and these tendencies, then the morally right action is found in these tendencies and is what God is telling us to do.

Question 24

How did Epictetus view natural law ethics?

Answer 24

By human nature, we have a natural tendency to accept and reject moral actions.
Moral actions are from “gut feeling” and through natural tendencies.

Question 25

Stoic Natural Law (Zeno 300 BCE)

Answer 25

A universal order placed by God that the human mind can discover the morally good actions.
If humans live according to this universal order, humans will flourish and be happy.
Used through reason.

Question 26

Thomas Aquinas Natural Law Ethics

Answer 26

Use reason to reflect on God’s commands through human nature.
Since God created the universe, we should the natural laws created by it.
These natural laws were created by God, so that humans can have a natural inclination towards the morally right action.

Question 27

Criticism of Natural Law Ethics

Answer 27

What if we are naturally inclined to go towards the bad actions? Did God create bad actions and bad natural laws as well?

Question 28

Kantian Ethical Theory

Answer 28

The morally right action is determined by the individual. The person creates a set of moral principles that are comfortable to them.
Used their own “will”
Heteronomy: both divine command and natural law ethics are this term, in which we do not think for ourselves.

Question 29

The “good will” according to Kant

Answer 29

The ability of what we want to do ourselves.
The good will is not formed from consequences and to satisfy his happiness, but the good will is that tendency that it is our moral duty to complete the action. We all have different duties on earth, and Kant believes that everyone has a job to fulfill, and that is the “good will”

Question 30

The Categorial Imperative (1 & 2)

Answer 30

1. If I can perform an action because it is my moral duty (personally), then I should help out another person who is struggling to reach the same action that I am performing.
   I should be able to help out others if we are doing the same thing.
2. We should not use others as steppingstones to reach out own personal goals. This forces out rules and manipulation. They can only be steppingstones and objects if they are willing to help out on your journey.

Question 31

Four Scenarios of the Categorial Imperative

Answer 31

Perfect Duty to oneself
Perfect Duty to others
Imperfect duty to oneself
Imperfect duty to others

Question 32

Buddhist Ethics (Two Generalizations)

Answer 32

This type of ethics does not look at happiness, but how to free humans from suffering and to reach enlightenment, and ways to end suffering and achieve this bliss.
Voluntary actions determine our destiny. These are actions out of our own free will.

Question 33

Virtue Ethics

Answer 33

Moral virtues serve as achieving ultimate happiness.

Question 34

Aristotle’s Theory of Virtue

Answer 34

Humans can only be happy if they fulfill their roles in human nature.
Humans will only be happy if they act in reason and by developing their virtues.
Virtue= to reason our actions and emotions and act in moderation. Virtues allow how humans were supposed to act.