Ethics Midterm Flashcards
Philosophy
the attempt to think carefully and critically about some of life’s most important questions
3 Main Areas of Philosophy:
Applied Ethics (miss A)
are actions MORALLY PERMISSIBLE?
3 Main Areas of Philosophy:
Normative Ethics
what makes RIGHT ACTIONS RIGHT & WRONG ACTIONS WRONG
3 Main Areas of Philosophy:
Meta Ethics (meta is fun!)
what is the FUNDAMENTAL NATURE of morality?
Argument
a set of claims which are used to provide rational support for another claim
Parts of an Argument:
Premises
reasons in support of one’s conclusion
Parts of an Argument:
Conclusion
the claim one aims to defend
Normative Ethics –> Mill Utilitarianism ( U = happy)
an act is right if it promotes happiness and wrong if it promotes pain (opposite of happiness)
Normative Ethics –> Duty Ethics Kant (Kant duty)
an act is right if it is done from duty and wrong if it violates the categorical imperative
Normative Ethics –>
Virtue Ethics Aristotle (aRistotle - viRtuous)
an act is right is it is virtuous and wrong if it is vicious
Normative Ethics –> Natural Law Ethics Aquinas (Aqua = Natural)
an act is right if it follows the natural law & wrong if it violates the natural law
Normative Ethics –> Value Pluralism W.D. Ross (ross is important!)
an act is right when it accords with the most important duty and wrong when it violates that duty
Mill Utilitarianism Method
ask lots of people and rely on their collective judgement
Kant Duty Ethics Method
analyze what is ‘good’ and what is our ‘duty’
Aristotle Virtue Ethics Method (how does this thing work?
determine the function of that thing and how well it performs it’s function
Aquinas Natural Law Ethics Method ( a ver natural things)
apply proper reasoning to facts about human nature/examine natural inclinations