Every Key Term

Question 1

Act-based theory

Answer 1

A normative ethical theory is act-based if it focuses on what makes an action right or wrong.
E.g. Utilitarianism, Deontology

Question 1

Agent-based theory

Answer 1

A moral theory that focuses on what makes a person good or bad
e.g. Virtue ethics

Question 2

Moral Anti- Realism Overview and defences

Answer 2

The meta-ethical theory that there is no such thing as objective goodness, badness, rightness or wrongness.
- Error theorists think that it means we should stop talking or thinking about morality altogether
- Prescriptivists and Emotivists think that moral language serves a different, useful function in our lives

Question 3

Moral Anti-Realism Definition

Answer 3

The view that ‘There are no mind-independent moral properties/facts’

Question 4

Autonomy

Answer 4

Essentially Greek for self-law
We act autonomously when we follow a command we have given ourselves, rather than our inclination or rule given to us by someone else

Question 5

Axe murder example

Answer 5

• An issue for Kant’s deontology
• Kant argues that lying is always wrong because it violates the categorical imperative
• The axe-murderer example shows how extreme this view is as following Kant’s logic, it would be wrong to lie even if someone with an axe was asking where your friend is.

Question 6

Utilitarianism problem of calculation

Answer 6

• The argument that it is practically impossible to calculate whether an action will maximise utility or not as it is extremely hard to predict the future, not all good things and bad things can be measured on the same scale and Utilitarianism doesn’t give clear guidance about whose happiness/suffering/preferences matter
  e.g. do animals or robots count