Moral Theory Flashcards
what is the aim of moral theory?
to supply a fundamental, fully general ethical principle
to find one big rule that explains what makes actions right or wrong in all situations.
What is a fundamental ethical principle?
there is no further ethical principle that explains it.
I.e.,: Principle A is more fundamental than principle B if A explains the justificatory force of B and not the other way around
what is a fully general ethical principle?
it explains all the other ethical principles and particular ethical judgments: it can explain the rightness or wrongness of any action
how can you distinguish, from a set of moral principles, which one is fundamental?
ask: what does it seem like I should do?
Begin with mid-level moral principles, and use these intutiions to reason about a particular case
how are we able to derive particular moral judgments using fundamental moral principles?
our intuitions determine fundamental moral principles
what is reflective equilibrium and how does it work?
we use moral theories to think about moral judgments, and then our intuitions about particular judgments to inform/evaluate our moral theories.
what is consequentialism?
Any moral theory according to whcih the rightness of an action is dtermined by its consequences
what is axiology?
Why things are good/bad in themselves and what things are worth caring about
The evaluation of things: value, disvalue, good, bad, well, better, best, etc. the evaluation of the world
what is intrinsic value?
something that is valuable in itself, which determines instrumental value
what is instrumental value?
it’s valuable insofar as it produces something of intrinsic value
what is the relationship between consequentialism and axiology?
consequentialism presumes a theory of axioloy
what’s attractive about maximizing consequentialism?
who would choose the worst thing over the better
psychological egoism is a version of maximizing consequentialism
what is a normative concept?
tells us how things should be, rather than just describing how things are. It’s about what is good, bad, right, or wrong.
For example:
Fairness – We say things should be fair.
Honesty – People ought to tell the truth.
Courage – Being brave is seen as a good thing.
what’s an axiological concept?
the evluation of things; value, disvalue, good, bad, better, well, best
what are moral/ethical concepts?
a type of normative concept. Concnerning what one has moral reason to do, or morally should do or morally ought to do, or is morally obligated to do, etc.
what is utilitarianism?
the best action is the one that brings the most happiness (net well-being) to the most people.The righness of an action depends on whether the value fo the consequence is maximized
It’s based on a simple idea:
👉 The more happiness (or pleasure) an action creates, the better it is.
👉 The more pain or suffering it causes, the worse it is.
what is attractive about utilitarianism?
everything that’s attractive about consequentialism, bc utilitarianism is a version of consequentialism
what is an agent neutral theory?
what is right or wrong applies to everyone in the same way, no matter who they are.
For example:
“Saving a life is good.” It doesn’t matter who is doing the saving—anyone should do it if they can.
“Lying is wrong.” This applies to everyone, not just certain people.
what is an agent relative theory?
a way of thinking about what is right or wrong based on who you are. It means that some moral rules depend on your specific relationships, goals, or roles in life.
what is ethical egoism?
an action is right iff it maximizes the well being of an agent who acts
what’s agent neutrality?
a moral theory or principle that applies the same set of rules and aims to everyone, regardless of their personal relationships or special circumstances
what’s the argument for ethical egoism?
p1: ought implies can (applied): if people can only act self-interestedly then they ought to act self-interestedly
P2: Psychological egoism: people can only act in their self interest
C: people ought to act self-interestedly
what is the argument against ethical egoism
is it ok to punch somebody because it benefits you? no
what is the ought implies can principle?
if you ought to do something you can do it. If you can’t do it, it’s not true that you ought to
what’s psychological egoism?
people can only act in their self interest
what are the arguments for psychological egoism
the joey argument and the typical argument
pretty much, people only ever act in their own self-interest
what are the arguments against psychological egoisM?
- even if we get seem benefit for getting what we want, that does not mean our actions are self-interested and the benefit may be a mere byproduct of an action
- intuitie implausibility: psycholgoical egoism seems to get the psychological data wrong
intuitively false
very complex
