Midtern Terms Flashcards
Moral realism
OBJECTIVE moral facts & moral truths independent of time/culture/location
Moral realism Grounding problem
It’s untestable bc we can’t test every single person / sentient being
Moral absolutism
There are true objective moral standards that moral questions can be judged against
Cultural relativism
Moral standards are held against what is currently acceptable in society
Moral anti realism
No moral facts of objective moral truth. Everything is subjective.
SUBJECTIVE TRUTH
Moral anti realism ex.
Trolly problem.
Nothing is stopping you from doing wrong
What is wrong?
Moral relativism
There are no moral absolutes
More than one position can be correct
Is ought distinction / Humes Fork
Can’t go from descriptive (objective) claim to prescriptive (subjective) claim.
You can’t validly derive what you think ought to be from what actually is.
Reasoning is required to fill the gap.
Is ought counter arguments
No standard for right & wrong
Easily manipulated by language
(Ex. Terminate control vs. kill the general)
Moral philosophy
Attempts to achieve systemic understanding of morality & what is required of us
Moral philosophy requirements
Credence (strength of believability)
(True facts lead to true conclusions)
Impartial consideration of each persons interests (all welfare equally important)
Divine command theory
Morality has authority over us bc. It’s god’s command
Divine command theory grounding problem
No objectivity
What/which god
Who’s rules (they contradict)
Euthyphro Dilemma (Plato)
What is the origin of piety.
Right/wrong determines god’s command OR god’s command determines right/wrong?
Piety / Pious
Holiness/moral rightness
Impiety / impious
Not holy, not morally right
If H >gl vs. GL >H
If it’s pious god commands it
If god commands it, it’s pious
Natural Law theory
All of creation is ordered by god according to god driven natural systems where each thing functions according to its god given design
Teleology
The laws of the universe were designed w/ a goal in mind
God given instincts
Life, reproduction, education offspring, seek god, live in society, avoid offense, shun ignorance
Why break natural law
Emotions & ignorance over power reason
Natural law objectiveness
Law of what is created & what is good for creation
Distributive justice
Doing right
Just is fair, give what’s owed, be honest
Distributive justice objection
What if what is owed does more harm than good
Retributive justice
Friends owe friends
Just is helping friends & hurting enemies
Retributive justice objection
What if someone stole to help a friend
Reformative justice
“Giving their due”
Just is helping friends & hurting enemies with respect to what they’ve done
Reformative justice objection
Harming the unjust only makes them worse off
Might beats right
Those who make the law have the power, we must obey.
Might beats right objection
More benefit comes from being just (don’t want to break harmony)
Socrates definition of justice
People act justly out of fear of punishment / consequences
W/o fear we are slaves to desires
Function argument
An unjust soul can’t achieve happiness seven if not caught acting unjustly
Disharmony fractures soul
Argument against egoism
Each part needs to do it’s part in order for the whole to function
Argument for moral realism
Objectively nothing would function if balance was off (soul /society)
Tripartite nature of soul
Governed by reason, spirit, and appetites/desires
Must maintain balance
