Intuitionism Flashcards
1
Q
define moral
A
- action is moral if it conforms to the ethical norms of the person performing it
- personal, religious, established by a group or profession
2
Q
define immoral
A
- goes against ethical norms of the person performing it
- depends on ethical norms
3
Q
define amoral
A
- done without reference to morality, or values that imply moral perspectives
4
Q
moral realism
A
- some things are always right/wrong
- belief that there are moral facts in the same way that there scientific facts
5
Q
what is the grounding problem with moral realism
A
- a search for a foundation of our moral beliefs
- clear, objective, unmoving
6
Q
weaknesses of moral realism
A
- where do they come from?
- different opinions on facts?
7
Q
moral absolutism
A
- there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged
- no matter culture, circumstance
- DCT and NML, shar’iah law
8
Q
moral relativism
A
- more than one moral position on a given topic can be correct
9
Q
cultural relativism (two types)
A
- descriptive: peoples moral beliefs differ from culture to culture
- normative: its not your beliefs, but moral facts themselves that differ from culture to culture
10
Q
what issues does normative cultural relativism raise
A
- no right/wrong in a culture
- moral progress has no meaning, no need to change it if everyone is right
11
Q
moral antirealism
A
- belief that moral propositions dont refer to objective features of the world at all
- no moral facts
- morality is an opinion
12
Q
moral subjectivism
A
- moral statements can be true and false but refer to peoples attitudes, rather than actions
13
Q
what is ethical naturalism
A
- goodness is something that exists and can be described
- good is found in particular qualities (principle of utility)
- ethical statements can be empirically tested with experience –> right and wrong can be arrived through discovery of natural world and human nature, defined in scientific terms
- rise of scientific thought + naturalism tried to link in morals and scientific knowledge
- logic and senses can be used to conclude ethical truths
- ‘stalin was an evil man’ true or false by examining his actions or behaviours
14
Q
how is utilitarianism naturalism
A
- defines upholding principle of utility as goodness (it is defined)
15
Q
how is natural moral law naturalism
A
- good is deontological actions that align with the natural law
16
Q
how is virtue ethics naturalism
A
- Aristotle said that achieving eudaimonia is goodness, as it is the end goals
17
Q
strengths of naturalism
A
- can experience right or wrong
- appeals to human reason
- relates to our experience of the world
18
Q
what are objections relating to naturalism
A
- ‘is’ and ‘ought to be’ is confused –> ethical statements cannot be reduced to non ethical ones (NATURALISTIC FALLACY)
- benthams Principle of U (pain and pleasure) –> hume says it is an assumption
- reductionist: reduced an argument into its basic form
- everyone defines goodness different dependent on the ethical theory
- lack of all evidence needed to decide right/wrong, we dont know every fact that contribute to a decision, only recorded ones
- logic is not scientific + morality is not fully defined, can we be dealing with ethical facts?/
19
Q
what is ethical naturalism (empirical aspects)
A
- goodness is something that exists and can be described
- good has particular qualities (like the principle of utility, things that promote pleasure and hinder pain)
- can be empirically tested with experience, right and wrong can be arrived through a discovery of the natural world and human nature (defined in scientific terms)
- rise of scientific thought and naturalism tried to link morals and scientific knowledge
- logic and senses can be used to conclude ethical truths
- eg ‘stalin was an evil man’ can be proved true or false by examining his actions or behaviours
20
Q
how are utilitarianism, VE and NML naturalism
A
- Util: defines upholding the PofU as goodness
- NML: defines good as deontological actions that align with the natural law
- VE: defines good as achieving eudaimonia according to aristotle, as it is the end goal
21
Q
what are strengths of ethical naturalism
A
- can experience good/bad
- appeals to human reason
- relates to our experience of the world
22
Q
what are objections relating to naturalism
A
- is and ought to be is confused –> NATURALISTIC FALLACY, ethical statements cannot be reduced to nonethical ones
- benthams principle of utility (pain and pleasure) –> hume says this is an assumption
- reductionist: reduced an argument to its very basic form
- everyone defines goodness differently dependent on the ethical theory
- lack of all evidence needed to decide good and bad
- logic is not scientific and morality is not fully defined, can we be dealing with ethical FACTS
23
Q
what is intuitionism (how does it see good)
A
you can see good and bad using your intuition
- good is self evident, it is a fact (moral realism), different to all other things and reducible
24
Q
features of intuitionism
A
- moral realism: morality is a fact in the world we can perceive and see it
- cognitivist: moral language/statements can be true or false
- ethical non naturalist: goodness cannot be described or reduced to non ethical state,ments
25
Q
what does GE moore say concerning intuitionism (naturalism, good, what is intuitionism)
A
- ethical naturalists commit naturalistic fallacy as good cannot be defined
- good is self evident, perceive through other means, intuition –> any ethical disagreements are about actions that might bring about good, not good itself
- describes it as describing yellow to a blind man
- intuition is another sense to detect the good
- we work out what is right/produces the most good –> established through reason
- he is CONSEQUENTIALIST: good and bad is determined by outcome
26
Q
what does WD Ross say on intuitionism (prima facie, what is intuitionism)
A
- intuition is discovering the morally relevant thing, examining the situation and determining what is good/bad (intuitive induction)
- compare situations and find rules for those collections of situations
- deontological, acts on those rules and the prima facie
- should follow the prima facie until a higher duty compels us
1. promise-keeping
2. reparation
3. gratitude
4. justice
5. beneficence
6. self-improvement
7. non maleficence - rejected utilitarianism, as choice of action is due to judgement through our experience and knowledge of moral decisions
- right to do vs good to do
27
Q
what does HA Pritchard say about intuitonism
A
- morally correct is determined by intuitionism
- intuition and reasoning, two ways of thinking used together
- reason: facts relevant to a situation collected
- intuition: determine action taken from this fact
- determines obligations, some have clearer moral intuition than other people
28
Q
strengths of intuitionism
A
- no absolutes, takes into account situation
- Secular, while having religious compatibility
- Develop as a moral agent
- Does not commit the naturalistic fallacy
- WD Ross gives guidelines with prima facie duties
29
Q
weaknesses of intuitionism
A
- too subjective, can justify anything
- Society is based on absolutes
- Can cause conflict if compatible with ALL religions, conflicts between them
- Indefinable nature of goodness
- No fixed ideas between all the intuitionists (deontological vs teleological)
