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PY1011 > Moral Theory > Flashcards

Moral Theory Flashcards

1
Q

What are two of the most important characteristics that make us human?

A

Sentience & Rationality

The ability to critically reflect on actions is what makes us moral

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2
Q

What are the differences between voluntarism and intellectualism?

A

X is good because God loves it, morality depends on God’s will

God loves X because it is good, moral standards independent of God

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3
Q

Look over pros and cons of Voluntarism and Intellectualism

A

Good job

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4
Q

What are the key features of Ethical Egoism?

A

Morality is determined by self-interest
Morality is the set of principles that self-interested people would agree to

Moral duty is to ourselves and not to others

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5
Q

WHat is sentience?

A

Beings able to experience pleasure and pain

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6
Q

What is the fundamental principle of Utilitarianism and what did John Mill say about this?

A

What matters morally is (only) the pleasure and pain od sentient beings

“Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness”
“Each person’s happiness is a good to that person, and general happiness, therefore, a good to the aggregate of persons”

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7
Q

What are the main elements of Utilitarianism?

A
  1. Consequentialism - Right action produces the best consequences
  2. Welfarism - Use happiness to evaluate consequences
  3. (Hedonism - Happiness/well-being is pleasure (and absence of pain))
  • Value determines rightness
  • The good is prior to the right
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8
Q

What are the three main types of Utilitarianism?

A
  1. Act Utilitarianism: - Always choose the act with the best consequences
    - can be self-defeating (time-consuming, spontaneity, friendship)
  2. Indirect Utilitarianism: - Follow the decision procedure with the best consequences (more longterm happiness)
    - Act Utilitarianism isn’t the best decision procedure
    - Can be collectively self defeating (collectively might not have produced so much happiness overall - think grass)
  3. Rule Utilitarianism: - Follow the set of rules with the best consequences if everyone follows them
    - ‘What if everyone did that?’ (closer to common sense morality then act or indirect; is it close enough?)
    - Self defeating if everyone was impartial
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9
Q

How does Hare’s universalizability argument fit into Utilitarianism?

A

Moral point of view is universal and impartial

Moral judgements must count everyone’s preferences equally

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10
Q

State the Hedonistic view on pleasure

A

It is the only thing that has intrinsic value

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11
Q

What are three possibilities that pleasure could be?

A
  1. Desirable mental state
  2. Desirable sensation
  3. Desirable consciousness
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12
Q

What are some problems with Utilitarianism, and Hedonism in particular?

A
  • Does sadistic pleasure out weigh suffering (Christians and lions)?
  • Crisp: Choose the Oyster life of a little bit of happiness for hundred years –> Mill: Some kinds of pleasure are more desirable than others, appeal to competent judges (best guide we have), might not be as pleasurable but still a better experience
  • Nozick’s experience machine: People want real lives not artificial, want to actually do things not merely love experiances, want to be a certain type of person not just a series of experiances
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13
Q

What are some objections and rebuttals to the impracticality of Utilitarianism?

A
  • Requires impossible calculations, save a child that grows up to build a doomsday machine, would say its wrong to save
    Dunno what consequences are always gonna be

+They are expected results not actual results (saving was likely to produce the best consequences)
- Still too hard to calculate
+ Tendencies of action types, not results of particular actions (saving is generally good)
Why assume it is easy to decide what to do?

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14
Q

Elaborate on the injustice objection to Utilitarianism

A

Sheriff hangs bob (who he knows is innocent) to stop people dying in a riot

  • Ut says you should hang bob but doing that is very wrong
  • Hanging is direct, riot is indirect
    +Real-life is more complicated, hanging bob may not actually produce the best results
  • But what if hanging did produce the best results?
    + Expected tendencies, not actual results; hangin innocent is generally a bad thing
    +Rule Ut: what is the best code for society? it is better for sheriffs to follow code of not hanging innocent people
    + Bite the bullet: If hanging really is best policy then accept it
    What is the alternative criterion?
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15
Q

Indulge in the arguments for and against the alienating objection to Ut

A

Buy toy for daughters birthday but give it to child who’d enjoy ti more
Scotland play india in world cup final, winning country will be very happy

  • Utilitarianism demands absolute impartiality; give toy to stranger and let india win
  • Morality does not demand absolute impartiality; you should take your relationships and goals into account
  • Therefore: Ut is implausible

+ Real life is more complicated: what will really max happiness? better to have a present for child
+ What is best decision procedure: cannot judge individual happiness, should follow rules of thumb; ‘give toys to your kids’, ‘try to win in sporting events’
+ Bite the bullet: Morality is absolutely impartial, You should adopt the moral point of view
+ Rule Ut: what is the best code for society? Things go better if people are not impartial

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16
Q

What are some key features of Kantian Ethics?

A
  • Believe in categorical right and not consequentialism; we ought to do things no matter what and based purely on what’s morally right
  • Things don’t depend on your intentions, it is more about your fundamental attitudes towards beings that are morally relevant
  • Ought to act from duty and not inclination (sympathetic people are not morally good)
  • Only duties to beings of your kind/’level’, not to God or animals but should still treat animals right cos otherwise you are damaging your own moral self
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17
Q

What is goodwill?

A

The will to do the right thing

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18
Q

What are Kant’s views on happiness?

A
  • What we ought to do and what we want to do can be valued in ‘moral goodness’
  • ‘Commands’ (imperative) are primary while judgemetns of good and bad are secondary, the third thing is moral goodness (goodwill)
  • Happiness and good will, one is conditionally good the other is not (eg winning and cheating)
  • Morally good people deserve to be happy, happiness is earned
  • Both happiness and moral goodness are pursued for their own ends, Instrumental goodness is not morally value, even pursuing happiness isn’t justifiable in instrumental goodness as happiness is instrumental
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19
Q

Kant on sympathy?

A

Ought to act from duty and not inclination (sympathetic people are not morally good)
Other people’s pleasure and pain may effect your own (if you are a sympathetic person), as such, it is not morally unreasonable for it to be valid but it isn’t approved by Kant as it is largely a selfish act
It is an inclination as it makes helping dependent on sympathy and selfishness

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20
Q

How can actions be motivated?

A

Action as means to something else

21
Q

According to Kant, showing actions of righteousness…

A

…will make others want to be morally good

22
Q

State the categorical imperative

A

“Act only according to that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law”

It is effectively the golden rule of treating neighbours and so should accept that your actions are your agreement to other people treating you likewise - is that the heart of goodwill?

23
Q

What contradiction is there in the CI?

A

Negatives do not follow as, if everyone made false promises eg, then there would be no advantage in making them so no one would do them - could not fulfil actions by making false promises

24
Q

How does Kant view each individual

A

Merely as a moral agent

Every entity is either person or thing
Person has personality, part of moral community
Animals are things and don’t have moral capacity

25
Q

What is individual immorality according to Kant?

A

Suicided and laziness/not using your talents

26
Q

What are two other ways to re-present CI?

A

Natural law & Don’t use people as means, only ends in themselves

27
Q

Explain further Kant’s idea of not using others merely as means

A
  • It is inevitable that we will use others as mean (eg lecturers for degree), however, we should reduce the moral standing of others or ourselves as mere means, don’t blur objects and persons together for your own purposes
  • Don’t disregard other’s rights, feelings, thoughts etc - they cannot rationally agree with you if you are being immoral (eg lying to get money)
  • Not helping someone isn’t using others as means (unless its a false promise etc), but you aren’t helping them achieve ends in same way you have ends, therefore, helping is morally good
28
Q

For Kant, What is morality based on?

A 
Dignity = Moral status
Autonomy = self-legislation/freedom
  • We have a will and should be considered morally as our autonomy allows us to act morally
  • Moral laws are given by the moral self - laws given by the will and not by any exterior body, object you desire determines what you act on
29
Q

What does Kant believe stops unconditional moral law and how can this be fixed?

A

If you believe in a higher body (God, nature, society etc) then they impose the moral law
Your following of this law is compliance with external body - doesn’t take away free will
Morally doesn’t tell you to do something with compliance of conceding to something else - can be externally manipulated

Only way to have unconditional law is for it to be imposed by oneself, source of moral actinos is only from oneself/the moral agent
Will is autonomous (and person by extension) - Autonomy; you either have or you don’t, you either follow law or not
Free will to choose law but only one law to follow

Just having a maxim doesn’t make you moral (like you are not obliged to follow law)

30
Q

What is Kant’s view on children and vegetables?

A

Goodwill which isn’t in evidence

They are just like animals - should still treat them well though

31
Q

What is the main difference between Modern Ethics and Virtue Ethics?

A

Modern Ethics: Deals with specific dilemmas, focusses on ‘rules’, often negative dealing with constraints

Virtue Ethics: Deals with entire life, focusses on character, encouraging us to aspire to excellence

32
Q

According to VE (and Nicomachaen Ethics in particular), what is a human being and what should a good human being strive toward?

A

Rational & practical beings - decisions and actions
Social beings - lives with others for themselves, not as a means

Goods lead up to chief good (Eudaimonia) - best life is excellent human activity

33
Q

What are the Virtues and how is it measured?

A

Virtues are the qualities that allow us to best fulfil being rational, practical and social
It is feeling and action whose qualities are shown in reliably good and appropriate behaviour abd action in all departents of life

Appropriate behaviour = Mean between defect and excess (Vice/Virtue/Vice)

34
Q

How does VE differ from other schools of thought in how it deals with situations?

A

Attention is paid to the nuonces of the situation

Virtues are used as a tendency to act in certain ways, for certain reasons, with certain feelings
Exercise the mean relative to us - it isn’t mathematical

35
Q

How does one acquire virtues?

A
  • Not born with virtues, they are learned and initially acquired of habituation
  • Habituation makes it easier to acquire but rue virtue requires choice, understanding and recognition of virtue
  • Having virtue requires wisdom
36
Q

According the VE, what is wisdom?

A

Wisdom is unlike any other virtue, it cant have excess

Not merely intelligence, but also good judgement and will
It is an intellectual virtue not a moral one, but it is required for attaining virtues

37
Q

What does Phillipa foot believe Virtues are?

A

Beneficial: Distinguished from other beneficial traits such as health or physique - virtue involves will

Corrective: Help us resist temptation and compensate for our difficulties

38
Q

How are villains a worry for VE?

A

Can courage be a virtue when a murderer shows courage?

Responses: - Courage isn’t a virtue if being used as bad end lacking wisdom

  • Conflict with other virtues or person is lacking others, virtues are complex and multitrack - don’t work on their own
  • Not having complete disposition (eg feeling or intention)
39
Q

How might utilitarian principles be a worry for VE?

A

Virtues promote human happiness which ‘characterises’ utilitarianism

Response: Virtues are not just instrumental to achieving happiness; rather, they are constitutive of it; Eudaimonia is the life of virtue

40
Q

What does virtuous action always depend on?

A

Always dependent on the particularities of a situation

41
Q

In what ways can one fail to be virtuous?

A
  • Lacking wisdom
  • Lacking judgement or sensitivity
  • Not having a complete disposition of right thing for right reason with right feeling
  • Akrasia
42
Q

What is a weakness of will according to Aristotle?

A

Akrasia

43
Q

What are the three distinctions Aristotle gives to people?

A
  1. Temperate person: Will do what they should without struggle with desires
  2. Continent (strong-willed) person: Has to struggle to control their desire in order to do the right thing
  3. Akraties (in-continent - weak-willed): Fails to act virtuously, despite knowing, rationally what is the right thing
44
Q

Outline the arguments for and against the objection of Egoism to VE

A
  • Virtue Ethics’ prime concern is with agent’s own character but morality is supposed to be about other people
    + Assumption is only one person will benefit from exercise of Virtue - but that’s wrong
    + Virtues are not merely self regarding, but others-regarding too
    + Those who have dealings with us benefit cos of virtue
  • According to VE, Virtuous person is most praiseworthy even though they simply want to do it
    + Shouldn’t we praise moral effort?
    Why doesn’t virtuous get first place, which do we aspire to; Temp or Continent?
45
Q

Outline the arguments for and against the Action-guiding problem to VE

A
  • Can’t tell us what to do, VE asks how we should live, not what we should do; being, not doing

+ Hursthouse reply: VE give ‘V-rules’
Ut & Deont don’t give Act-Guid simply from the first premise, same for VE:
An action is right if it is what a virtuous agent would characteristically do in circumstances

46
Q

What is a Virtuous Agent?

A

An agent who acts virtuously, that is, one who has and exercises the virtues
Virtue is character that….

^ premises for how to act in VE in same way Ut and Deont do

47
Q

Is VE normative?

A

Should be as it is closest to our own experiances

48
Q

Spend 5 minutes looking through lecture 16

A

Good job

PY1011 (3 decks)

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