Moral Egoism & Religious Ethics Flashcards
Do we have a duty to help people in crisis?
We have an unwavering moral obligation to help (moral duties)
What is psychological/ Ethical Altruism?
SELFLESSNESS: Humans are sometimes altruistic (Kant)
Human Nature is inherently good?
Rousseau, Kant, Locke
What is psychological/ Ethical Egoism?
SELFISHNESS: Humans are always selfish (Hobbes)
Human nature is inherently bad or evil?
Thomas Hobbes
Human nature is neither inherently good nor evil?
Aristotle
Descriptive Egoism
Ones ultimate aim is his/her own welfare, interests, desires, etc.
Prescriptive Egoism
Claims about what one ought to do, rather than describing what one really does
Why is Altruism incompatible with Darwinism?
Darwin believes animals behave in ways that increases their own chance of survival
Rachel’s Thesis
Humans are not always selfish. He concludes that we must act altruistically (ethical altruism)
What are the two worldviews in religious ethics?
Theistic: God is related to the world in several ways
Atheistic: the existence has no unity, no value, no purpose
Selfish Origins of Pity (Hobbes)
Pity & Charity
What is the DCT?
Divine command theory; an action is morally right is it is commanded by God & an action is morally wrong if God forbids it
What is Euthyphro’s Dilemma?
Is conduct right because god commands it, or does God command it because it is right?
Two interpretations of religious ethics
Independence thesis: moral law and principles are independent of God’s will
Dependency thesis: God’s will can change, he can make lying right and the truth wrong.
