Ethics Full Review Flashcards
What is Ethics?
Study of morality; tries to determine what things in life are morally good, and which things in life are morally wrong
Difference between ethics and morality
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.
Two kinds of relativism
Descriptive relativism
Ethical relativism
Descriptive relativism
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.
Ethical relativism
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.
What are the problems of ethical relativism?
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.
James Rachels’ response to ethical relativism
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.
The Value of Tolerence
Appreciation and tolerance does not rule out thoughtful and informed critisism.
What is the consequentialist theory?
Defines the morality of an action by its good or bad consequences.
The morally right action is the action that produces the most good.
Two kinds of goods
Intrinsic: is good in itself
Instrumental good: is good for something else.
Hedonism
Life is a sensory moderation; (from Epicurus)
Good consequences produce the most pleasure, while bad consequences produce the most pain
Ethical Egoism vs. psychological egoism
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.
Criticism of ethical egoism
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.
What is Utilitarianism
Standards of morality is for the better of all.
The morally right action produces more goods than bad consequences.
Bentham’s Utilitarianism
Actions are morally right if they produces happiness or pleasure. Moral actions are bad if they produces sadness.
MIll’s Utilitarianism in response to Bentham’s
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.
MIll’s Utilitarianism in response to Bentham’s
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.
Act Utilitarianism and it’s problems
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.
Rule Utilitarianism
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.
What are the three types of nonconsequentionalist theories?
- Divine Command Theory
- Natural Law Ethics
- Kantian Ethics
The morally right action is not always determined by consequences, but on one’s duty and responsibilities.
The Divine Command Theory
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.
Two types of divine command theories with the dilemma
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?
Natural Law Ethics
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.
How did Epictetus view natural law ethics?
By human nature, we have a natural tendency to accept and reject moral actions.
Moral actions are from “gut feeling” and through natural tendencies.
