Key Terms Flashcards
What is moral evil?
Evil caused by human action/choices
What is natural evil?
Evil from natural events beyond human control
What is hard determinism?
No free will- all actions are the product of previous causes
Define soft determinism
We have some free will, but we are always influenced by external events
Define Hedonism
Happiness is maximising pleasure and avoiding pain
Define Virtue Ethics
Developing good character through adopting higher pleasures
Explain the Free Will Defense
It is more loving for God to create us fully free and avoid the possibility of evil
Explain the soul making defense
Good karma is attained when we protect life, bad karma results from violence which then leads to a bad rebirth or more harm when coming back.
Explain Existentialism
A rejection of any god, religion and any external constraints. We create our own choices by making choices
Genetic Determinism:
Our lives are determined by our DNA. We are programmed by our genes to act in certain ways
Explain the experience machine thought experiment
Robert Nozick- We can imagine being plugged into a machine that perfectly mimics the ideal life
What is the difference between higher and lower pleasures
Higher pleasures- Uniquely human and self improving
Lower pleasures- Short term and can be assessed without intelligence
State 2 attributes of God related to why he would stop suffering
Omnipotent- All powerful
Omnibenevolent- All loving
2 Examples of Natural Evil
Genetic diseases
Cancer
Earthquakes
Floods
Hurricanes
3 Poisons of Buddhism
Ignorance
Hatred
Greed
2 Impacts of the Warrior Gene
-More impulsive
-Less empathetic
-More violent/agressive
State 2 Parts of the Hedonic Calculus
Intensity, duration, extent, certainty, purity…
Examples of Higher Pleasures
Reading, Music, Religion, Nature, Art…
Explain the Holocaust and Antisemitism
The attempted extermination of the Jewish people by the nazis in WW2.
Antisemitism- Hatred towards Jews
Explain the book of Job
Job endured great suffering from Satan despite being good, he keeps his faith and God shows him the whole of creation to show him how bad can be the part of greater good.
What is the humanist view on freedom?
We are free to create our own live but must act with responsibility towards others.
What is the Islamic’s view on predestination
Allah knows what will happen, so while we are free, our actions are known by Allah.
The Christian path to happiness:
Happiness is only possible when we love God and avoid sin.
Buddhist path to happiness:
We must overcome desire and attachment, including to ourselves. The middle way and the eightfold path.
