Meta ethics - right and wrong

Question 1

descriptive ethics

Answer 1

describes and compares ethical standards in different societies

Question 2

normative ethics

Answer 2

asks questions about what ethical standards people should follow

Question 3

applied ethics

Answer 3

concerned with how principles of normative ethics are applied to particular areas of ethical concern

Question 4

meta ethics

Answer 4

concerned with nature and purpose of morality what is meant by right and wrong

Question 5

cognitive ethical theories

Answer 5

fall into 2 catorgories ethical naturalism and ethical non naturalism

Question 6

cognitive

Answer 6

ethical judgements state facts either true or false

Question 7

non cognitive

Answer 7

ethical judgements are not statements of facts no objectively true

Question 8

ethical naturalism

Answer 8

ethical views stem from facts about nature

Question 9

ethical non naturalism

Answer 9

moral knowledge is factual property known by intuition or by God’s command

Question 10

name the person for naturalism- utilitarianism

Answer 10

Bentham

Question 11

name the person for utilitarianism

Answer 11

John stuart Mill

Question 12

what is Benthams theory - 5

Answer 12

1. Starts from observation of human lives focusing on maximisation of pleasure and minimum pain
2. he assumes all happiness is good
3. assumes all happiness outweighs pain causes action to be good
4. all human action should aim to fill greatest happiness and greatest good for greatest number - hedonic calculus
5. there are no difference in types of pain or pleasure

Question 13

what is John Stuart Mills utilitarianism idea

Answer 13

1. consequential idea
2. rule over act
3. Mill didn’t agree with Bentham
   distinguished between higher pleasures and lower pleasures. quality of life rather than amount of pleasure
4. this assumption of higher and lower pain can’t be established by ultity alone

Question 14

what does G E Moore say about Benthams idea?

Answer 14

‘How does Bentham know goodness should be defined this way?’

Question 15

strengths ultilarianism - 1

Answer 15

1. objective right or wrong enables us to assess our actions. gives guidelines and punishment for those who break

Question 16

weaknesses - 2

Answer 16

1. ethical non cognitivists reject the basis of moral judgement
2. Moore accused naturalist theories of committing the naturalistic fallacy ‘is’ doesn’t lead to ‘ought’

Question 17

name people for non naturalism -2

Answer 17

G E Moores
Ross

Question 18

what is G E Moores argument - 2

Answer 18

1 good is an irreducible term
can only be recognised and understood
2. human knowledge of right or wrong comes from our fundamental morel intuitions our moral sense tells us if something is right or wrong without any appeal to consequences or reasoned argument

Question 19

what does ross think about G E Moores argument

Answer 19

people disagree about what is right or wrong

Question 20

what was ross’ 6 prima facie duties

Answer 20

1. keeping promises
2. paying back harm when done to others
3. not injuring others
4. returning favours
5. not harming innocent people
6. looking after parent

Question 21

strengths to non - naturalism -2

Answer 21

1. objective right or wrong enables us to asses or actions and gives us guidelines
2. overcomes problem of ethical naturalise as what underlaying problem of right or wrong

Question 22

weaknesses to non - naturalism - 2

Answer 22

1. possible that we are unconsciously influenced by our upbringing good is a cultural subjective construct
2. we don’t know where to locate intuition so maybe it doesn’t exist

Question 23

people involved in divine command - 2

Answer 23

John Calvin
Karl Barth

Question 24

what type of theory is divine command

Answer 24

1. cognitive
2. non naturalistic as it does not base on facts or natural experiences
   moral commands come from God

Question 25

what branch of christianity is dive command theory found in

Answer 25

Proteststant
humans created in image of God
nature corrupted from the fall so reliant on God to say right from wrong

Question 26

how will god tell us right from wrong divine command - 2

Answer 26

1 through revelation
2. through conscience

Question 27

Calvin - divine- 1

Answer 27

1. humans are incapable of doing good without Gods help. shows divine command to take priority over all human thinking

Question 28

Barth - divine

Answer 28

1. human nature and reasoning has corrupted since fall. dive command takes priority over humans

Question 29

strengths

Answer 29

1. makes sense to religious believers as need to believe in an omnipotent God
2. clear cut - God says its right or wrong
3. promise of life after death gives purpose to morality

Question 30

weaknesses - 3

Answer 30

1. some rules seem out of date and immoral - difficult understand which commands should be obeyed
2. limits human as anyone with any sense would obey God to ensure going to heaven - self interested
3. is it right cause God said so or could God command something that is immoral