History of Ethics

Question 1

Metaethics

Answer 1

The foundation of modern ethics

Question 2

Moral Realism

Answer 2

Belief that there are moral facts that are like scientific facts

Question 3

Moral Absolutism

Answer 3

The belief in moral standards that don’t change

Question 4

Moral Relativism

Answer 4

More than one moral position on a given topic can be correct

Question 5

Cultural Relativism

Answer 5

Belief that everyones moral beliefs change depending on culture

Question 6

Moral Antirealism

Answer 6

Belief that there are no moral facts

Question 7

Moral Subjectivism

Answer 7

Moral facts can be both right and wrong but they refer to people’s attitudes rather than their actions

Question 8

Unexamined Life - Scorates

Answer 8

Not having a fulfilling life/not reaching someone’s full potential. To question everything, to reflect and to take several steps back to see where you are and where you’ve been.

Question 9

Inductive Reasoning

Answer 9

Making a general statement based on a number of observations (looking for a pattern)

Question 10

Deductive Reasoning

Answer 10

Using known facts, definitions and accepted properties in logical order to reach a conclusion or to show that a statement is true (proving makes a rule)

Question 11

Good Life - Plato

Answer 11

Plato’s idea for living a fulfilled life was to think more and be aware of the popular opinion (doxa), let your lover/friends change you, they should have qualities that you lack ‘true love is admiration’. Decode the message, beautiful objects can be therapeutic, and make us live better lives. He wanted to reform society to make more people fulfilled with their life.

Question 12

Doxa

Answer 12

Doxa is the popular opinion or the consensus

Question 13

The Enlightenment

Answer 13

An intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries with global influences and effects.

Question 14

Induction

Answer 14

Using past experience to make future predictions

Question 15

Abduction

Answer 15

Drawing a conclusion based on the explanation that best explains a state of events, rather than from evidence provided by the premises

Question 16

Ubermensch/Superhuman

Answer 16

Ubermensche is according to Nietzsche - the best person you can be.

Question 17

How did Nietzsche affect WWII/Hitler?

Answer 17

Nietzsche had ideas of the master and slave morality that are ‘possessed by noble persons’, which is where you believe that you are great, which Hitler used to justify his genocide of lesser races (non-Aryan). Slave morality needs a violent and hostile world to work.

Question 18

What is Eudaimonia?

Answer 18

Eudaimonia is a term relating to the state you live in, normally in a state of happiness or satisfaction.

Question 19

What is an Echochamber?

Answer 19

An environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own

Question 20

How does the Allegory of the Cave reflect modern life?

Answer 20

Social media. Echo chambers affect society as people will be very divided with their opinions, as all they listen to or see is information confirming their already existing biases.

Question 21

The good life - Plato

Answer 21

• Valued virtue rather than material wealth
• Happiness can be achieved
• Being happy means becoming an excellent human being
• A good person enjoys an inner harmony

Question 22

The good life - Aristotle

Answer 22

• Valued virtue rather than material wealth
• Happiness can be achieved
• Being happy means becoming an excellent human being
• A good life is a happy life
• To live a good life one must be a morally good person
• Objectivist rather than subjectivist

Question 23

The good life - Nietzsche

Answer 23

• Live authentically and powerfully
• Create one’s own values and goals
• Live without fear of gods or a higher power
• Face life and the universe with courage
• ‘Life is suffering, but love it’
• Amor fati - love your fate