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Philosophy > Morals/Ethics > Flashcards

Morals/Ethics Flashcards

1
Q

A lose definition of ethics

A

The philosophical inquiry into the nature of morality

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2
Q

What dictates morality

A

The required actions humans must take e.g legally, etiquettes, professionally, rationally, socially (norms)

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3
Q

The difference between descriptive and evaluative remarks

A

Descriptive discuss the facts or observations while evaluative includes the beliefs and reasoning of a statement

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4
Q

What types of morally right actions are there

A

morally obligatory: required of a person, morally permissible: allowed acts and similarly there’s morally optional: you are allowed to do but not required

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5
Q

what is the difference between morally permissible and morally optional

A

morally permissible means it is an allowed act, while morally optional means it is available but not mandatory. Often permissible acts are the less morally valuable acts but are still morally acceptable while morally optional are often above and beyond. In a fire hostage scenario, morally permissible act is to stay out of danger, while the morally optional act is to help the person inside

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6
Q

What must a morally right act consist of

A

the moral action and moral characteristics (e.g intent and reasonings)

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7
Q

The main question in Normative Ethics of Behaviour

A

what characteristics that make actions morally right or wrong

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8
Q

What are the main aims of Moral Theory

A

Practical (to discover a decision procedure that guides evaluating and practicing moral reasoning) and theoretical (to uncover the underlying features and characteristics of morally right and wrong actions)

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9
Q

What are moral principles

A

concepts that precedent what actions are morally right or wrong in a particular situation (like more specific moral rules)

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10
Q

What moral categories are there

A

deontic evaluation and value

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11
Q

What is deontic evaluation

A

the types of morally right and wrong acts, as a guide for one’s actions

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12
Q

What are the categories of value

A

intrinsic (the reward) and extrinsic (the token for rewards)

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13
Q

Types of intrinsic rewards

A

intrinsically good (food), intrinsically bad (bad smell) and intrinsically value-neutral (memories from a photo; has good or bad memories)

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14
Q

What is moral value

A

the indicator of goodness that impact people

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15
Q

what is nonmoral value

A

nonphysical contributors to human moods and emotions

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16
Q

What are 6 standards when evaluating arguments

A

consistency, explanatory power, internal support, external support, intuitive appeal and determinate (ceieid)

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17
Q

What does Divine Command Theory (DCT) believe

A

the validity and rules of morality based on God’s commands

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18
Q

What are some theories of morality

A

DCT, relativism, consequentialism, utilitarian, kants moral theory (FUL (respect) & FH (humanity)), virtue ethics

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19
Q

What is a premise

A

the statement providing support to a claim

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20
Q

What types of arguments are there

A

deductive, enumerative induction, analogical induction, explanation/inference, moduc tollens

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21
Q

In DCT what are the critisms of the belief that ‘acts are morally valuable because they’re commanded by God’

A

Moral rules can be arbritary

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22
Q

In DCT what are the critisms of the belief that ‘god commands certain acts because they’re morally valuable’

A

god’s omnipotence is undermined, the theory loses explanatory power

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23
Q

What are positives of DCT

A

that moral rules are defined and ‘objective’, they are always being ‘enforced’ (because god is always watching)

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24
Q

Critisms of DCT

A

Euthyphro dilemma, based on several assumptions/faith, many incorrect interpretations of the moral code are enforced, cruel commands argument

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25
Q

What is the cruel commands argument

A

god can command humans to harm each other (for their own sake), then there could be a universe in which it is morally wrong to avoid making others suffer but that goes against
our logical understanding of morals

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26
Q

what is moral absolutism

A

there is one moral code that is true that applies to all agents

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27
Q

what is moral relativism

A

a denial of moral absolutism or a privileged moral code,
as moral rules change and differ among the context of the group e.g cultural and historical factors

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28
Q

what is a moral code

A

a system of rules for behaviour that a person or group might or might not accept at a given time, they often prescribe conditions where it is appropriate to feel guilt, shame, etc particularly when not complying with the rules

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29
Q

what is an agent

A

a body capable of condoning which actions to perform in given situations

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30
Q

what is an act-token

A

single agent that perform a specific action at a specific time

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31
Q

what is an act-type

A

kind of action

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32
Q

what is cultural relativism

A

‘there is no measure of right and wrong other than the standards of ones society’

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33
Q

what is a moral reformer

A

someone who disagrees with and tries to change some aspect of their society’s moral code

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34
Q

what are the main issues with cultural relativism

A

cultures with violence (that is unjust and unbeneficial) cannot be condemned

35
Q

main reason that ‘prove’ cultural relativisms invalidity

A

moral reformers causing moral progress or regression occurring in many cultures

36
Q

consequentialism

A

theory that the only relevant answer to morality is an actions consequence

37
Q

ethical egoism

A

persons ought to promote and prioritise their own individual wellbeing

38
Q

impartialist

A

considers the morality and its impacts upon the world and everyone included within it

39
Q

define utiliarianism

A

consequentialist, welfarist and impartialist moral theory, the moral right thing to do is consider what are the best outcomes (pleasure) for the world

40
Q

welfarist

A

the wellbeing and pleasure is main factors of morality and value

41
Q

hedonic utility

A

the calculations of net pleasure over pain each decision has

42
Q

advantages of utiliarianism

A

has an objective code, captures relativity (dependant on context), compatible with moral progress, compatible with god or godless world

43
Q

objections of utilitarianism

A

hard to build close relations, impractical, bigoted, punish the innocent, collective action, organ problem, loneliest person

44
Q

What is the kantian checklist

A

define the action, define the agents maxim, restate maxim in a generalised form, imagine it as a universal law, determine if there would b a clash or contradiction in that scenario

45
Q

in FUL (formula of universal law) how is morally right and wrong determined

A

after the kantian checklist is completed if there is contradiction then it is morally wrong

46
Q

what is a maxim

A

a rule an agent makes for oneself (and its reasoning)

47
Q

what are some critiques of FUL

A

lack of formalism, abstract (assumptions made), eradicating poverty, specificity problem, jointly impossible

48
Q

what are some responses to FUL criticisms

A

false antecedent, practical contradiction interpretation

49
Q

what is an antecedent and consequent

A

If… (antecedent) then… (consequent)
antecedent - scenario, consequent (rule of)

50
Q

what is the jointly impossible scenario

A

If one wishes to do something that would be made impossible and therefore doesn’t achieve his goal. It would be morally wrong
Mark lines up for the metal concert and wants to be early, if his maxim is that when there’s a concert he will line up before everyone. This cannot be applied universally because not everyone can be first lined up.

51
Q

Responses to the jointly impossible scenario

A

*his goal is improbable but not impossible
*he could better word his maxim to better reflect his goal

52
Q

What is the specificity problem

A

one can make their act-token more specific to the point it can be considered morally permissible or even morally right. For example, in the lying promise they make it they only lie when the person they are asking has committed a crime but that doesn’t undo the fact she is lying.

53
Q

what is the eradicating poverty objection

A

a rich person (Mr Beast) has a maxim that when I see a homeless person I will give them money to help them, after applying the Kantian checklist if it was a universal law then there would be no homeless people. Meaning he can help no one so it is ‘contradictory’

54
Q

what is the false antecedent response (FUL)

A

as long as the individual has a maxim with an antecedent and consequent, and they are always wanting to will this maxim it does not matter that it ‘contradicts’ through lack of action as it is a valid maxim and still willing to their maxim

55
Q

what is the practical contradiction interpretation (FUL)

A

what makes a universal law contradictory is it’s goal. As long as the act-token does not contradict their goal it is morally right

56
Q

What is FH (formula of humanity)

A

an act-token, x, is morally right if and only if in performing x, the agent does not treat any person as a mere means and is consistent with treating all persons as ends in themselves

57
Q

what is mean to treat a person as a mere means

A

their consent/dissent is not important or impactful as you are using them for a particular purpose

58
Q

what does it mean to treat a person as an end in themselves

A

see that all people are valuable and has an end, meaning they have their own goals and hopes

59
Q

what are some pros of FH

A

best explain judgement, explains and highlights the moral importance of consent

60
Q

what is the main issue of FH

A

it is difficult to define people as mere means, can be abused

61
Q

What is the doctrine of double effect

A

If an action will have a morally bad side-effect, it is morally permissible as long as it is unintended

62
Q

what is an example of the doctrine of double effect

A

The Good Place when Michael wants to save everyone, if he achieves this through consciously killing Shawn it is morally wrong.
Is it lawful for a person to kill another in self-defence. They must intent good effect (their own safety), harm is not directly intended (they do not want to harm the aggressor), no more harm than necessary is caused (doesn’t torture aggressor), good outweighs bad (e.g your a good person and they are a criminal)

63
Q

in the double doctrine effect what must be adhered to for their actions to be morally permissible

A

*direct intent of the act is good
*foreseeable harm is not directly intended
*good effect is sufficiently good to outweigh the harm
*no more harm than necessary is caused

64
Q

an issue of the double doctrine effect

A

one can intend for targets to simply be inoperative despite knowing their likely death

65
Q

how does quarantine disprove FH

A

*forcing one into quarantine during their dissent is treating them as a mere means
*if FH is true then the act would be morally wrong
*but this is not the case due to the harm outcome
*therefore FH is not true

66
Q

what are virtues

A

that are dispositions of people’s character traits

67
Q

what is the basis of virtues

A

they affect our choices and behaviour; one must act in certain ways, for certain reasons, whole heartedly (willingly and wanting to) and feel certain emotions

68
Q

what are the mean dispositions

A

the balance that should be aimed for with virtues. there’s deficiency, intermediate and excess

69
Q

necessities/criteria in proper virtues

A

right time, right things, right people, right end, in the right way and is intermediate in the best condition

70
Q

what must a practically wise agent have

A

a flourishing life; they are in good health, growing and living their best rational life

71
Q

what if there are conflicting virtues

A

*it could be a misunderstanding
*perfect agent would know which virtue is weightier
*just because one virtue is at the forefront doesnt mean it lacks another virtue

72
Q

what is moral residue

A

lingering feelings and personal discord from moral distress continuing after an event

73
Q

Examples of literacy responses

A

one true moral theory, pluralist, moral analogy

74
Q

what does the pluralist approach with writing philosophical arguments involve

A

has multiple moral theories that support the theory in varying directions, must have no weightier counter veiling moral theory

75
Q

describe the moral analogy response process

A

describe why Y is wrong (has general agreement), identify features of Y, creating a moral principles of Y features, show how act-token X shares them. Must have no weightier opposing considerations. (Y is the analogy)

76
Q

what is the prison dilemma

A

two people committed a crime and are interrogated. if neither snitch they both get 1 year, if both snitch they both get 10 years, if one snitches they go free and the other gets life sentence.

77
Q

prison dilemma evaluation

A

collectively the best choice is both remain silent, individually the best choice is to snitch on the other as then there is no chance of life in prison. this shows the incentive of the situation which positions the agents rationality to strip another agent of their privacy (snitching)

78
Q

how to analyse a text

A

Read through for main parts and background
Reread for if conclusions are stated and logical
Skim read for points and ideas
Structure the premises and conclusion
Tidy for concise premises and conclusion
Analyse whether the argument is sound
Write analysis

79
Q

principle of substrate non-discrimintation

A

if they have the same functionality and same levels of consciousness (experience) but differ in substrate (form) they still have the same moral status

80
Q

what is expected utility

A

the sum of the probability if each outcome and total utility of the outcomes within an act-token
probability of outcomes x total utility/pleasure of outcomes

81
Q

lessons from calculating expected utility

A

even though there are dangerous scenarios, utility is maximised therefore it is the rational choice

82
Q

lessons from expected utility

A

dangerous scenarios maximises E(X), so it is rational to follow through with that option

83
Q

what is a categorical imperative

A

unconditional moral obligation

Philosophy (2 decks)

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