Exam 1 Flashcards
meta-ethics
most theoretical, general form of ethics; deals with precondition of other categories, deals with whether it is or it is not
normative ethics
medium theoretical; claims of way of life, of how one should or should not live
applied ethics
least theoretical; relies on the conceptions generated by other ethics to generate specific rules for a certain situation
The Socratic Method
discussion or dialogue between a number of interlocutors in which they question a number of points of view to find the precise definition of a concept; ends in aporia (uncertainty)
Divine Command Theory
the doctrine that an act that is commanded by God/ The Gods is morally right, while any act forbidden is morally wrong
Virtue Ethics
virtue of the soul/human beings; any moral theory that focuses on the character of the agents who commits an action rather than on the action itself or its consequences
The Soul (Plato)
that part of a person that makes decisions and is capable of rational thought/wisdom; it is different from the body as it is immortal
The Soul (Aristotle)
the life principle of a thing; it is divided into the nutritive part, the perceptive part, and the rational part; most important trait is states of character
Moral Virtue (Aristotle)
a disposition to choose the Golden Mean
The Golden Mean
the point between the excess and deficiency of a certain moral character trait
Natural Law Theory
normative ethical theory in which ethical claims are justified by reference to the nature of the universe and humanity generally
Stoicism
the doctrine that virtue is sufficient for happiness and that virtuous man (sage) is immune to misfortune
Nature (Epictetus)
Everything is the universe has an ultimate purpose, the fulfillment of which is its nature; it is the ultimate end of things, and it is out of control
Intellect (Aquinas)
power of the human soul; that part of humans that thinks and perceives; “highest” part of mankind
Happiness (Aquinas)
the contemplation of God and trying to get as close to our nature as possible which entails trying to be like God (ultimate intellect, pure intellect)
Contemplation (Aquinas)
Trying to understand God in order to try to be like him; it is a necessary step in order to achieve happiness
Dao
How things should live/how things live; how the universe is or ought to be
Wu Wei
without action, natural way of being
Euthyphro Dilemma
is something pious because it is loved by the Gods or is it loved by the Gods because it is pious? (Socrates)
