Lesson 1 Terminology

Question 1

Aesthetics

Answer 1

study of beauty

Question 2

epistemology

Answer 2

study of human knowledge

Question 3

ethics

Answer 3

study of morality/conduct

Question 4

logic

Answer 4

study of reasoning/formal argumentation

Question 5

metaphysics

Answer 5

study of nature and structure of being

Question 6

soci-political philosophy

Answer 6

study of political ideology and its impact on society

Question 7

philosophy of religion

Answer 7

study of religious theory; faith and reason

Question 8

bioethics

Answer 8

division of applied ethics involving the moral implications in medicine, science and technology (aka medical ethics, biomedical ethics, health care ethics)

Question 9

legal ethics

Answer 9

division of applied ethics concerned with the moral implications in law and legislative process

Question 10

moral

Answer 10

practice of ethical doctrine; examination of conduct as it pertains to right/wrong, good/bad.

Question 11

immoral

Answer 11

inconsistent with good morals; deliberate breaking of moral rules

Question 12

amoral

Answer 12

neither moral or immoral; being outside of the sphere to which moral judgements apply; living without concern for moral rules.

Question 13

teleology

Answer 13

purpose or “end-based” ethics; actions considered good by examining the consequences; moral value determined by results

Question 14

deontology

Answer 14

‘duty-based’ ethics; examination of obligation, duty and intent; rightness/wrongness in duty (v. ends) is the main ethical concern.

Question 15

absolutism

Answer 15

assertion that there exists fundamental, objective, unchanging ethical truths/ principles applicable to everyone at any/ all times.

Question 16

relativism

Answer 16

assertion that there are no absolute ethical truths, rather that truth is different for each individual, society, culture, or historic period and is thus relative to the circumstances of the knowing subject.

Question 17

utilitarianism

Answer 17

greatest good for the greatest number of people by Betham

Question 18

universalizability

Answer 18

the “do unto others” principle by Kant

Question 19

quality of life

Answer 19

patient-centered moral criterion, emphasizing the worth/value of the patient’s own life to his/herself

Question 20

sanctity of life/quantity of life

Answer 20

assumes that moral and religious value of life transcends judgments about its quality; associated with conservative, life-prolonging positions in moral debate (suicide, end of life issues, abortion, etc)

Question 21

advance directives

Answer 21

legal documents (living will, health care POA)

Question 22

normative ethics

Answer 22

norms or standards

Question 23

conduct

Answer 23

voluntary action

Question 24

intrinsic good

Answer 24

good in itself as an end

Question 25

extrinsic good

Answer 25

means to an end

Question 26

slippery slope

Answer 26

societal decline resulting from accepting previously unacceptable conduct/ practices

Question 27

judgement v. evaluation

Answer 27

unilateral/subjective v bilateral/objective

Question 28

the value of questioning

Answer 28

significance of asking ‘why’

Question 29

perspective

Answer 29

may change your thinking

Question 30

obstacles to reasoning

Answer 30

fallacies