Moral Theories

Question 1

Moral Theory:

Answer 1

explains why an action is right or wrong or why a person or person’s character is good or bad

Question 2

Moral Theorizing:

Answer 2

devising, using, or assessing moral theories or parts of theories

Question 3

Obligation/Duty Theories:

Answer 3

theories or right action

Question 4

Virtue Theories

Answer 4

theories that focus on good or bad persons or character/s

Question 5

Consequentialist Theories

Answer 5

Insist that the rightness of actions depends solely on their consequences or results

Question 6

Types of Consequentialist Theories

Answer 6

Utilitarianism
Ethical Egoism
Psychological Egoism

Question 7

Utilitarianism

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Act-Utilitarianism

Answer 8

the idea that the rightness of actions depends solely on the relative good produced by individual actions

Question 9

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 9

focuses on rules governing categories of acts
■
We adhere to the rules because they maintain the good for all

Question 10

Ethical Egosim

Answer 10

the view that right actions are those that further one’s own best interest (maximize happiness for oneself)
○
“People always and only act out of self-interest”
○
Altruism is never a motive for action

Question 11

Psychological Egoism

Answer 11

An empirical theory: the claim that people do what they think is in their best interest, about human motives

Question 12

Deontological Theories:

Answer 12

-the rightness of actions is determined not solely by their consequences, but partly or entirely by their intrinsic nature

Question 13

Types of Deontological Theories

Answer 13

Kantian Ethic’s
Natural Law Theory
Contractarianism

Question 14

Kantian Ethics

Answer 14

right actions follow a rational and universally applicable moral rule
○
Doing out of duty
○
Expressed in categorical imperatives

Question 15

The categorical imperative

Answer 15

“Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”
●
What if everyone did this?

Question 16

Hypothetical Imperative:

Answer 16

“Do so to achieve particular aims”

Question 17

2nd Categorical Imperative:

Answer 17

“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
●
People have an absolute moral worth

Question 18

Natural Law Theory:

Answer 18

Presented by Aquinas: the outlines of moral law are written large and true in nature itself

Question 19

Doctrine of Double Effect:

Answer 19

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)

Question 20

Contractarianism:

Answer 20

How does one decide the answer to moral questions?
○
The Social Contract
○
Presented by Locke, Hobbes, and Ruseau
○
Expanded by Rawl’s

Question 21

Behind the Veil of Ignorance:

Answer 21

Rawls’ Contractarianism: behind a veil of ignorance, only then can the perfect social contract for justice be presented

Question 22

Robert Nozick on Contractarianism

Answer 22

“Who gets to say what the good is?”
○
Nobody has the power to tell you what is in your best interest

Question 23

Virtue Ethics:

Answer 23

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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

Question 24

Aristotles Nichomacean Ethics: (virtue ethics)

Answer 24

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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
■
Famous Example: Cowardice——–Bravery(midpoint)——–Foolhardiness

Question 25

Ethics of Care: (virtue ethics)

Answer 25

focuses on the unique demands of specific situations and the virtues and feelings that are central to close personal relationships
○
Empathy, compassion, love, sympathy and fidelity
○
Arose out of feminist concerns

Question 26

Feminist Ethics: (virtue ethics)

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Desmond Tutu: Arch Bishop of South Africa Church

Answer 27

The Art of Forgiveness
○
“Without forgiveness there is no hope”

Question 28

Nel Noddings:

Answer 28

We should rid of rule based morality

Question 29

Virginia Held:

Answer 29

Ethics is not not rational, and women are better than men innately

Question 30

Hilda Linniman

Answer 30

feminism is only about power

Question 31

The Divine Command Theory

Answer 31

Right and wrong is dictated by God

Question 32

The problems with Divine Command Theory

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Thomas Aquinas

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Abbot presented the flatlander theory for Divine Command/Natural Law ideas

Answer 34

They can, but there is a way it is shown in their world, such as charity showing as God

Question 35

Socrates and Eutheyphro discuss what is right and what is wrong. What is the argument?

Answer 35

Eutheyphro said the Gods make right and wrong.

Question 36

The Ring of Gyges by Plato

Answer 36

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,
●
Would it be better to be just, but seen as unjust?

Question 37

1st Argument presented by Glaucon: (Ring of Gyges)

Answer 37

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

Question 38

2nd Argument presented by Plato: (Ring of Gyges)

Answer 38

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