Moral Theories Flashcards
Moral Theory:
explains why an action is right or wrong or why a person or person’s character is good or bad
Moral Theorizing:
devising, using, or assessing moral theories or parts of theories
Obligation/Duty Theories:
theories or right action
Virtue Theories
theories that focus on good or bad persons or character/s
Consequentialist Theories
Insist that the rightness of actions depends solely on their consequences or results
Types of Consequentialist Theories
Utilitarianism
Ethical Egoism
Psychological Egoism
Utilitarianism
A right action produces more net happiness than nay alternative action, everyone considered
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Utilitarianism was devised by Jeremy Bentham and furthered by John Stuart Mill
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Bentham thought that happiness is one-dimensional: pleasure, pure and simple
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Mill believed that pleasure is divided: lower pleasure like gluttony, and higher like experience. Happiness differs by quality and quantity
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“The greatest happiness for the greatest number”
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Problem: believes only in majority rights, not minority rights
Act-Utilitarianism
the idea that the rightness of actions depends solely on the relative good produced by individual actions
Rule Utilitarianism
focuses on rules governing categories of acts
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We adhere to the rules because they maintain the good for all
Ethical Egosim
the view that right actions are those that further one’s own best interest (maximize happiness for oneself)
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“People always and only act out of self-interest”
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Altruism is never a motive for action
Psychological Egoism
An empirical theory: the claim that people do what they think is in their best interest, about human motives
Deontological Theories:
-the rightness of actions is determined not solely by their consequences, but partly or entirely by their intrinsic nature
Types of Deontological Theories
Kantian Ethic’s
Natural Law Theory
Contractarianism
Kantian Ethics
right actions follow a rational and universally applicable moral rule
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Doing out of duty
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Expressed in categorical imperatives
The categorical imperative
“Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”
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What if everyone did this?
Hypothetical Imperative:
“Do so to achieve particular aims”
2nd Categorical Imperative:
“Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, as an end and never as a mere means”
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We are not mere objects that exist to be used by others/ourselves
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Recognize humanity in people
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People have an absolute moral worth
Natural Law Theory:
Presented by Aquinas: the outlines of moral law are written large and true in nature itself
Doctrine of Double Effect:
affirms that performing a bad action to bring good effect is never right, but a good action with a bad effect may be permissible (used by/with natural law theory)
Contractarianism:
How does one decide the answer to moral questions?
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The Social Contract
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Presented by Locke, Hobbes, and Ruseau
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Expanded by Rawl’s
Behind the Veil of Ignorance:
Rawls’ Contractarianism: behind a veil of ignorance, only then can the perfect social contract for justice be presented
Robert Nozick on Contractarianism
“Who gets to say what the good is?”
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Nobody has the power to tell you what is in your best interest
Virtue Ethics:
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focuses on the development of moral character
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Insists that we aspire to moral excellence by cultivating virtues that will make us better persons
Aristotles Nichomacean Ethics: (virtue ethics)
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We aspire to moral excellence
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“acrete” -excellence
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Virtuoso: someone who has achieved excellence
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Ethice: habit
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You get better morally by practice
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The mean is between the two extremes
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Famous Example: Cowardice——–Bravery(midpoint)——–Foolhardiness
Ethics of Care: (virtue ethics)
focuses on the unique demands of specific situations and the virtues and feelings that are central to close personal relationships
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Empathy, compassion, love, sympathy and fidelity
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Arose out of feminist concerns
Feminist Ethics: (virtue ethics)
approach aimed at advancing women’s interests and correcting injustices inflicted on women through social oppression and inequality. Women have been oppressed and need power to overcome
Desmond Tutu: Arch Bishop of South Africa Church
The Art of Forgiveness
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“Without forgiveness there is no hope”
Nel Noddings:
We should rid of rule based morality
Virginia Held:
Ethics is not not rational, and women are better than men innately
Hilda Linniman
feminism is only about power
The Divine Command Theory
Right and wrong is dictated by God
The problems with Divine Command Theory
The problem is that gods cannot agree
1.
The Gods agree they like something, but then is it because that thing is good? Or is it good because the Gods say it is? This is arbitrary
2.
How would we know that that thing is truly good or bad?
3.
If the god changes their mind, where is the reasoning?
4.
Can that reasoning be questioned?
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The alternative is: If the god/s like something because it is good, then god/s is irrelevant
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God would have to be to a moral code outside of himself
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Then, morals are above God, making him irrelevant
Thomas Aquinas
presented a third theory: that God actually has a nature
Therefore one could argue something is good because it is good according to God’s nature
Abbot presented the flatlander theory for Divine Command/Natural Law ideas
They can, but there is a way it is shown in their world, such as charity showing as God
Socrates and Eutheyphro discuss what is right and what is wrong. What is the argument?
Eutheyphro said the Gods make right and wrong.
The Ring of Gyges by Plato
If there were a ring that allowed you money/fame/personal gain, without consequence, logically, most men if not all would choose to wear the ring (such as Gyges)
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It asks: Is it then better to suffer injustice than to be unjust?
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Would it be better to be known as just, but to act unjust
or,
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Would it be better to be just, but seen as unjust?
1st Argument presented by Glaucon: (Ring of Gyges)
1.
Men are selfishly motivated
2.
Determined moral unjust actions have consequences men do not want to face
3.
Therefore, there is no intrinsic reason to be just, men only are avoiding consequences of determined unjust actions
2nd Argument presented by Plato: (Ring of Gyges)
There is harm to the soul with injustice
2.
Humans are fulfilled by being virtuous
3.
It is fundamentally good to teach/practice justice
4.
Therefore, justice is intrinsically preferred by man
