Midterm Exam Study Guide Flashcards
The definition of “ethics.”
Ethics (Comes from the word ethos: Customs or Habits): Ethics is about analyzing our customs, habits, how we live, and determining which ways we live would be best.
Weston on “false forms” of philosophizing, such as dogmatism, rationalization, and ethical relativism.
Dogmatist: Everything is cut and dry, or black and white. They tend to believe that any belief that opposes their own is absurd. They lay down their beliefs as incontrovertibly true, without the consideration of the evidence or the opinions of others.
• They try to make every problem, an “easy problem”
Rationalizer: As soon as their position is critiqued, they make an excuse to end the conversation. They try to justify their position; or attack yours, looking for a way to end the conversation.
• They don’t care about truth, or reason, or making progress in their thinking; they just want to “WIN”
• Willing to participate in a conversation, as long as they win
◦ If they lose, they find a way to invalidate the conversation; or your opinion.
Relativist: The heart of the relativist is that there aren’t any shared values, and most conversations aren’t worth having — because at the end of the day; ill do what I want, and you will “do you.”
Plato’s Theory of Forms (Divided Line and Allegory of the Cave)
*Two Forms:
Realm of Being: The physical interpretation of the way that things are, right know
Realm of Becoming: The Realm of knowledge
Plato’s Theory of Forms asserts that the physical realm is only a shadow, or image, of the true reality of the Realm of Forms. So what are these Forms, according to Plato? The Forms are abstract, perfect, unchanging concepts or ideals that transcend time and space; they exist in the Realm of Forms.
Features of the Socratic method (ti esti questions, cross-examination, etc.)
The Socratic method is a form of argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions. The goal is to really get a good understanding at the discussion at hand, and focus’s on defining things.
Socrates’ (Plato’s) arguments against pleasure being the Good (Gorgias)
• Socrates argues against pleasure being the Good, contending that while each man should pursue his own good, that good is not identical with pleasure but lies elsewhere.
◦ Socrates believes that the pleasures that result from pursuing virtue and knowledge are of a higher quality than the pleasures resulting from satisfying mere animal desires. Pleasure is not the goal of existence, however, but rather an integral aspect of the exercise of virtue in a fully human life.
Socrates on the importance of an ordered soul.
◦ Knowledge is reflected in some sort of order. Those who truly do have knowledge; is capable to have Order.
Order: Reflected in the four Cardinal (main) Virtues (excellences of character, good traits too have). (Greek Idea)
1. Justice: Order to social achievements.
2. Courage: Not backing down when the situation calls for it
3. Temperance: Knowing when having too much pleasure is bad, or not enough is bad.
4. Wisdom: Good Judgement.
Epicurus on the nature and divisions of pleasure.
The 3 Epicurean pleasures
- Natural and Necessary
A. Cry of the flesh; not to be thirsty, not to be hungry, not to be cold, and not to be alone. - Natural but Unnecessary:
A. You can enjoy these when they come your way, but you cannot allow yourself to make them into “needs.”
a. Examples: A nice Breeze, a perfect climate, well-seasoned food. - Unnatural and Unnecessary
A. Groundless pleasures (always more trouble than they are worth): Power, Status, Wealth,
Epicurus on ataraxia and the good life.
For Epicurus: Pleasure is the lack of Pain.
The ethical “good” and goal of life is to obtain Ataraxia
Ataraxia: Lack of pain in the body & Lack of Disturbance in the Soul.
◦ Must be based on Sober Calculation.
• lots of pleasures are not bad in and of them selves, but we ought to focus on the long-term avoidance of pain and suffering in both the body and the soul; kinda like Buddhism.
Epicurus’ Tetrapharmakon
- Don’t Fear the gods
- Don’t worry about death
- What is good is easy to get
- What is terrible is easy to endure.
Epicurean and Stoic versions of the cradle argument
Epicurus: Look at Babies, what do they want: not to be hungry, thirsty, alone, etc.
• Pleasure was dubbed the “absence of pain”
Stoics: It’s a natural tendency for us to do that which is comfortable
• We don’t crawl for our entire lives, we learn to walk, run, bike, swim, etc.
◦ Knowledge can always be pursued, and its seen as a “good
Stoics (such as Epictetus) on the nature of passion.
• Stoic Meaning of Passion: Passions are misjudgements, they are misuses of Reason.
‣ Only things that are good in the world: Virtue and Knowledge.
‣ Only things that are bad in the world: Vice and Ignorance
• Everything else is Indifferent: Neither Good, Nor Bad.
◦ Is it in your control; control it. If it’s not, don’t worry about it — it is Indifferent.
Stoics on apatheia and keeping judgments in line with nature.
\
- Stoic “Good Life:” Achieving “Apatheia”: Living Without Passion.
Stoic action theory (good of the organism; playing one’s God-given role; oikeiosis)
Appropriate Actions; Play your role, perform your duties, and do it well
- Roles would be determined by family relations, your job, your talents/interests
• Appropriate actins are often defined by Relationships.
◦ We all have a multitude of roles, and how we behave in those roles is determined by the relationship that comes with it.
Oikeiosis —>Greek work Oikos; which is the Greek word for “home”
• A way of expanding your sphere of concerns; metaphorically Expanding your “home”
Lao Tzu on the Tao:
Tao: The DAO that can be named, is not the true DAO. It is ineffable, unexplainable, Cannot be Expressed.
- Resists our abilities to conceptualize it
Images we use to understand the DAO:
• Water
• The Womb (emptiness that does provide something).
- The DAO treats everything as a Straw Dog. Something that was supposed to be sacrificed, if you didn’t want to sacrifice a real dog.
Lao Tzu on wu wei:
Non-action against the DAO; not doing anything that contradicts the DAO.
◦ Act by not acting, practice by not doing.
‣ Doing less can be doing more
“People get too focused on figuring out the rules, and determining what they’re supposed to be doing — that they ignore the things that they humanely ought to do. They don’t trust that things would come, and that the rules would become more obvious as we go on.”
