Midterm Review Flashcards
premise
a statement or idea that is used as evidence to support a conclusion
conclusion
what the arguer wants people to believe
valid
if both premises were true, the conclusion would also have to be true, conclusion logically follows from them
invalid
conclusion does not logically follow from the premises, even if the premises are true, the conclusion might not necessarily be true
sound
if it is premises and argument is valid and all the premises are actually true. The conclusion is guaranteed to be true
unsound
An argument is unsound if it’s either invalid or has one or more false premises.
deductive argument
a type of logical argument that connects a set of premises to a conclusion
Singer’s argument in “Famine,
Affluence, and Morality”?
If I can prevent suffering and death from lack of food, shelter, and medical care without causing anything comparably bad to happen, then I have a moral obligation to do so.
Cultural Relativism
A kind of moral subjection. Kant would reject it.
What is the Cultural Differences Argument?
An idea that Arguments introducing differences in moral beliefs bring conclusions that are not always rational because a disagreement doesn’t show limited objective truth. DIfferent cultures also have different beliefs, ideas, traditions, etc. This can cause different norms.
Why does the author Kant reject the cultural relativism argument?
Arguments show that the uniqueness in practices doesn’t show major differences in values but rather varying belief systems.
the negative consequences of believing in cultural relativism
If this was generally acceptable, then it would stop moral assessments for different societies and violate human rights
To view wages for housework as a thing rather than a perspective is to detach the end result of our struggle from the struggle itself and to miss its significance in demystifying and subverting the role to which women have been confined in capitalist society. (“Wages Against Housework,” p. 15)
- lack of meaning
- explotation
- housework is only seen as just getting it done because we naturally just have to unlike an “actual” job which diminishes it’s recognition.
Good will
is a will that does things because they are the right thing to do, even if this mean’s going against one’s self-interest
Maxim
why we do something and a rule we follow. (rule that the power of choice itself produces for the exercise of its freedom) (ex: giving 10% of paycheck to charity everytime)
Categorical imperative
- Unconditional
- Moral law influences it
- Obligation
Hypothetical imperative
- Do this if…
- Don’t have to do it
- Not binding on anything
- If someone tells you what to do, it is always hypothetical
autonomy
the ability to make your own decisions, laws you give to yourself
heteronism
doing what others tell u do to
acting out of duty
you are doing it because it is morally right thing to do regardless of personal interest
acting in conformity with duty
you generally are acting out of general interest while it also being morally right.
Why does Kant think that the moral law must be a law we give to ourselves rather
than a law that is given to us by someone/something else?
We know, understand, and agree it is the right thing to do which s why we are dong something over someone telling us to.
The Principle of Sufficient Reason
everything need to have a reason or cause
Libertarianism
view of free will (being of abe to do what you want to do regardless of the causes of the will).
Determinism
all of our actions are predetermined by factors outside of individual control, such as biology, genetics, hormones, and life circumstances.
What is Robert Sapolsky’s position on free will?
- our past and our biology impacts our actions.
- Free will is like a myth, although it does feel like we are making the decisions, the factors behind the decisions we make are often not in our control.
- Therefore, our actions are predetermined over freely picked.
