Moral Philosophy notes

Question 1

What is the difference between descriptive and normative ?

Answer 1

Descriptive is how the world really is, while normative is how the world should be.

Question 2

What are S.A.P.S?

Answer 2

When someone morally wrongs another, they’re worthy of blame, owing an apology, owing a duty of repair, also the one who is wronged can forgive them.

Question 3

If I murder someone, is it a wrong action?

Answer 3

Yes

Question 4

Is eating meat right, wrong or permissible?

Answer 4

Permissible

Question 5

Is giving money to a poor person the right thing to do?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

What is the difference between Moral Beliefs and Moral Truths?

Answer 6

The truths are what really is right wrong or permissible, while beliefs are what we think is right wrong or permissible

Question 7

What is a valid argument?

Answer 7

If accepting the premises forces you to accept the conclusion

Question 8

What is a Sound Argument?

Answer 8

Sound argument is if it’s valid and its premises are true.

Question 9

Give an example of a Modus Tollens argument

Answer 9

If being honest is true, then it’s wrong to lie to someone.
But it’s not wrong to lie to protect them
So, being honest is false

Question 10

What is the difference between Moral relativism and a moral code?

Answer 10

Moral code is when the moral belief is held by the majority

moral relativism simply means a culture’s moral code that determines the moral code from the location in where that culture lives.

Question 11

What is nihilism?

Answer 11

There’s no right and wrong, instead everything’s permissible

Question 12

What is a subjectivist/Simple subjectivism

Answer 12

Someone who gives their feelings of approval or disapproval towards actions

Question 13

Give an example of simple subjectivism and explain why both claims are true

Answer 13

Eating meat is right and eating meat is wrong
When speaker A says eating meat is right, they really mean i speaker a approve of earing meat, while speaker b says the opposite “i speaker b disapprove of eating meat”. Both claims are true, because there is not one contradictory statement that goes against their argument.

Question 14

What is Divine Command Theory?

Answer 14

Actions are right or wrong because God said so.

Question 15

Give a definition on Arbitrary

Answer 15

Doing something like a decision that is not based on reason.

Question 16

What are 2 factors that are part of NLT?

Answer 16

God created everything with a purpose or a function and it’s wrong to act contrary to one’s purposes

Question 17

Explain why the catholic church believes that wearing a condom is wrong.

Answer 17

The church believes that wearing it is wrong because according to NLT it’s wrong to act contrary to one’s purposes. Sex organs are used to make a baby. Wearing a condom goes against that purpose and according to NLT, it’s wrong to act contrary to one’s purposes.

Question 18

What is the difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism?

Answer 18

E.E is what we should always do what really is in our best interest while Psychological egoism is we do what we think is in our best interest.

Question 19

What is Akrasia and give an example of Akrasia.

Answer 19

Akrasia is that someone experiences it when they think it’s in their best interest but they fail to do it. I know that i have to pay for my university application fees, but I fail to do it.

Question 20

What are role obligations?

Answer 20

Duties that we owe to particular people in virtue of our relationship with them (friends, family).

Question 21

Why is E.E not a moral theory?

Answer 21

It doesn’t implicate social accountability practices

Question 22

Why is E.E inconsistent with role obligations

Answer 22

Because it denies that we owe others moral obligations because of our special relationship.

Question 23

What is Moral Progress

Answer 23

When you change false beliefs with true moral beliefs

Question 24

What is an Arbitrariness Objection to DCT?

Answer 24

If DCT is true, then God can’t seem to provide a reason for his divine commands. If someone asks why, he will say because i said so. However they will say why did you say so, and god can’t reply because killing’s really wrong or because killing causes pain and suffering therefore it’s wrong. Then the dialog repeats.

Question 25

What is Ockham’s razor?

Answer 25

If a hypothesis isn’t a necessary part of an explanation, leave it out.

Question 26

What makes NLT False?

Answer 26

A teleological world view which means everything has a purpose.

Question 27

What are the arguments against Moral codes if realitivism is true?

Answer 27

Different cultures have different moral beliefs so therefore, moral relativism is false. If MR is true then moral progress is impossible and if MR is true then cultures misunderstand their own practices- in particular why their moral beliefs are true.

Question 28

Why does psychological egoism make morality pointless?

Answer 28

If P.E. is true, then we’re incapable of making sacrifices (we sacrifice our interests for others) If we’re incapable of it then it’s not true we should sacrifice ourselves
If it’s not true that we should take sacrifices then morality is pointless, because it’s all about sacrifice that’s why it’s hard to be a good person, if psychological egoism makes morality pointless

Question 29

Why is there a problem of disagreement in simple subjectivism

Answer 29

Because there has to be one contradiction in an argument.

Question 30

Why does ought imply can?

Answer 30

Because it’s the second premise. If you should do this action then you’re capable of doing that action , but you’re incapable of doing this action, thus this means it’s not true you should do it. If you can’t do it, you shouldn’t do it.