Lecture 1: Philosophy & Ethics

Question 1

Philosophy’s 6 Main Areas

Answer 1

Metaphysics/Ontology
Logic
Epistemology 
Ethics
Political Philosophy
Aesthetics

Question 2

Metaphysics/Ontology

Answer 2

study of the nature of being, what does it meant to exist, what is the difference between real and imaginary

Question 3

Logic

Answer 3

the study of reasoning

Question 4

Epistemology

Answer 4

study of the theory of knowledge, you think you know something, what does it mean to know something, how do we create knowledge

Question 5

Ethics

Answer 5

study of right and wrong (right as a duty), creating more goodness in the world, more ethicalness and being virtuous

Question 6

Political

Answer 6

study of what is good in society and what is the best form of government, how we should govern ourselves

Question 7

Aesthetics

Answer 7

study of beauty and art, how to judge things

Question 8

What 2 things are important about ethics?

Answer 8

1. knowing what you think should be done in any particular situation (needed for good argument)
2. knowing why you think/believe/feel that and defending your position/solution

Question 9

Why is ethics not equal to the law?

Answer 9

• things can be illegal and people argue they are ethical and vice versa
• something could be ethically neutral but still illegal
• something can be legal but unethical; something can be illegal and ethical (not equal)

Question 10

Ethics

Answer 10

morals, morality, what is the right thing to do

Question 11

Morality

Answer 11

ethics

Question 12

Ethical Theory

Answer 12

moral philosophy, about clarifying our thinking when making moral/ethical judgements (gives us rules, approaches and principles to do so)

Question 13

3 Types/Levels of Ethics

Answer 13

Meta-Ethics, Normative Ethics, Applied Ethics

Question 14

Meta-Ethics

Answer 14

deals with large abstract questions, is the highest level of ethics (ie. what is the best ethical framework and why?)

Question 15

Normative Ethics

Answer 15

the 6 ethical frameworks, systematic way of thinking about what is right, only hypothetical situations

Question 16

Applied Ethics

Answer 16

deals with real situations (but we can only really approximate what is happening)

Question 17

Bad Ethical Arguments: Characteristics

Answer 17

• arbitrariness
• over-reliance on feelings
• partisan behaviour
• because a respected authority tells you
• self-interest
• whataboutism
• bothsideism

Question 18

Arbitrariness

Answer 18

• having no reasons for the position you take

- tautological is a specific form where the reason given is also the conclusion

Question 19

Over-reliance on feelings

Answer 19

feeling something is wrong is often the sign that it is wrong, but your feeling alone doesn’t prove it

Question 20

Partisan behaviour

Answer 20

taking preferential treatment for your friends and family, biased argument (playing favourites)

Question 21

Because a respected authority tells you

Answer 21

respected authorities can guide you, but cannot think for you (need to think for yourself)

Question 22

Self-interest

Answer 22

• AKA moral egoism
• looking out for number one is the ethical thing to do
• easily misused when people really want something then they do whatever they can to protect themselves
• inherently selfish if not applied correctly
• this is what I believe and everyone else should agree

Question 23

Whataboutism

Answer 23

sidestepping having to answer by shifting focus to something bad someone else did (not actually addressing the issue but looks like you are)

Question 24

Bothsidesism

Answer 24

falsely equating both sides of an issue when clearly one side bears more/most/all responsibility

Question 25

Cultural (Ethical) Relativism

Answer 25

• the idea that value changes from society to society
• ethics are relative to the cultural context
• there are no overarching, always right/wrong answers

Question 26

Cultural Relativism: Tolerance or Anything Goes?

Answer 26

• guard against ethnocentrism (idea that your culture and values are the centre - right thing)
• respects diversity
• bad the idea that anything goes

Question 27

Proper Moral Reasoning

Answer 27

• takes some time
• get all the relevant facts you can
• be able to articulate why something is right
• set ground rules for listening and discussing with others