Moral Philosophy Notes final

Question 1

What is Kant’s Categorical Command

Answer 1

Absolute Command

Question 2

What is social contract theory

Answer 2

Having a moral duty to follow society’s rules whenever and because we’re better off given that everyone follows the rules

Question 3

What is Utilitarianism

Answer 3

to maximize utility that produces a great balance of pleasure minus pain

Question 4

what’s the difference between instrinsic and instrumental goods?

Answer 4

Instrumental are things that’re good that lead to something else, intrinsic is things that’re good for their own sake.

Question 5

give a definition for hedonism, universalism and maximalism

Answer 5

H: pleasure is only instrinsic good, pain is instrinsic bad
U:Everyones pleasure and pain is equally important
M: We have a duty to maximize good in the world.

Question 6

what’s ethical egoism?

Answer 6

We should always do what’s in your best interest.

Question 7

Why is E.E. not a moral theory?

Answer 7

Its judgments about what we should do don’t implicate S.A.P.S

Question 8

What is Ockham’s razor?

Answer 8

If hypothesis isn’t necessary part of explanation, remove it

Question 9

What’s NLT?

Answer 9

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

Question 10

what are two objections to Utilitarianism

Answer 10

Too demanding and the second is can’t make sense of moral rights

Question 11

What’s the first and second formulation of categorical imperative

Answer 11

Act only according to a maxim that it should become a universal law
act so that you treat humanity always as an end and never as a means only.

Question 12

what is paternalism?

Answer 12

Forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do for their own good

Question 13

what is the difference between utilitarianism and retributivism in terms of punishment

Answer 13

U: punishment’s justified so long as it maximizes utility
R: punishment’s justified so long as the person deserves it.

Question 14

What is aristotle’s virtue ethics

Answer 14

something flourishes when it performs its function excellently. Purpose of human is to reason so human flourishes when they reason excellently. To reason excellently is to act in accordance with the virtues according to Aristotle.

Question 15

what are the two incompleteness objections for Aristotle virtue ethics

Answer 15

What counts as a desirable trait can depend on a culture and virtue ethics is incomplete in the sense that it can’t always guide our behavior.

Question 16

What’s the difference between descriptive and normative?

Answer 16

D: how the world really is
N: not how the world is but how the world should be.

Question 17

What are social accountability practices

Answer 17

When someone morally wrongs another they’re worthy of blame owing an apology, they owe a dirt of repair, the one who’s wronged can forgive.

Question 18

Is “killing is always wrong” a descriptive or a normative claim and why?

Answer 18

Killing is always wrong is a normative claim because it’s arguing what you should not do.

Question 19

What are right wrong and permissible actions?

Answer 19

R: should be done if not you’re to blame
W: should not be done if done you’re blame worthy
P: neither right nor wrong, they’re optional

Question 20

Why is E.E. inconsistent with role obligations

Answer 20

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

Question 21

What are role obligations?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What is the difference to treat someone as a means, an end or a means only

Answer 22

Means is using them to get what you want
An end is to respect what they want
Means only to get what you want without also helping them get what they want

Question 23

What would be considered an informal rule?

Answer 23

An informal rule would be if a stranger dates a young adult and the punishment by the public is looking at you in disgust

Question 24

What did you do that produced more utility and why?

Answer 24

I helped my team on doing an event. My actions right because there’s nothing else I could’ve done that produced more utility

Question 25

What’s the action you’ve done according to 1.F.C.I and why?

Answer 25

I helped someone because they’re stressed out. According to 1.F.C.I. I helped a friend in need. The maxim behind my action is to help a friend that needs help. I want it to become a universal law because its the right thing to do

Question 26

What’s an action that violates 2.F.C.I and why?

Answer 26

Lying to the killer about my friend violates the 2.F.C.I because I treated the killer as a means only. I used them to get what I want (protect my friend) without helping them get what they want (kill my friend)

Question 27

What are the two answers for “when should I follow the law”

Answer 27

System: you should follow the law when you’re better off under the legal system (compared to no legal system)

Case by case(rule by rule) : you should follow that particular law when everyone follows that law (compared to living under the same legal system without that law)

Question 28

What is bilateral nature?

Answer 28

If one has a right, then another has a corresponding duty.

Question 29

Why is paternalism justified for children even though it violates the 2FCI

Answer 29

It’s permissible towards kids, since they’re not fully rational.

Question 30

Why is NLT inconsistent with science?

Answer 30

We can explain how the world works without including their purposes

Question 31

What makes NLT false?

Answer 31

A teleological world view which means everything has a purpose.

Question 32

Why is a teleological world view inconsistent with science

Answer 32

We can explain how the natural world works (rain makes plants grow) without hypothesizing puposes

Question 33

Why can you not derive ought from an is

Answer 33

Arguments that do so commit naturalistic fallacy.

Question 34

What is descriptive and normative for ought and is and what is ought to mean?

Answer 34

Ought is normative, is is descriptive, ought to is should or shalt.

Question 35

Why can’t utilitarianism make sense of what moral rights are

Answer 35

Because it is at odds with justice and individual rights.

Question 36

Why is NLT inconsistent with our view of the world?

Answer 36

Because it doesn’t account that different cultures view the world differently. and it’s also because God made the animals for human use.

Question 37

What are virtues

Answer 37

Character traits that lie at the golden mean between the vices of defect and excess (not too much or not too little)
One who acts (reasoning excellently) is said to be in a state of eudaimonia (a human in the state of flourishing)