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Normative ethical theories - deontological Flashcards

1
Q

absolute morality

A

applies in every situation, fixed for all time and it will never change

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2
Q

relative morality

A

depends on the situation

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3
Q

normative ethical theories

A

tell you how to live your life (ie shar’iah law, ten commandments)

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4
Q

descriptive ethical theories

A

describing how people live their life

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5
Q

metaethics

A

unpicking and breaking down language (ie what does it mean to be right)

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6
Q

deontological

A

concerned with your actions or duties (natural moral law –> concerned with moral actions)

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7
Q

teleological

A

concerned with consequences (situation ethics –> concerned with the result of a situation)

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8
Q

Describe Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics

A

VIRTUE ETHICS

Aristotle believed that happiness was the final goal for all humans but we have to choose it for itself, not as a means to an end
–> humans can only have a good life if we fulfil our purpose
–> the final goal of human beings is EUDAIMONIA (happiness, living well and doing well)

Humans ability to achieve is due to their ability to think, which separated us from other creatures

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9
Q

principles of the stoics

(morality,design arg, happiness, NML concerns, centre of the universe)

A

concerns absolute morality –> true law is applied universally and is unchanging and everlasting
- it is based around ‘one master rule’ which is god

–> there is fundamental design and purpose for the universe (logos) and all humans morality should be concerned with falling into line with this logos
–> they disagree with Aristotle’s vision of happiness and believe happiness shouldn’t be the end goal (can be selfish and sacrifice others for it)
–> acts within divine purpose are goods –> natural moral law is concerned with decisions and duty (deontological)

agree with Aristotle that REASON is the centre of the universe

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10
Q

thomas aquinas background

(book, RC links, what is natural law, his rule)

A
  • wrote the ‘summa theologica’, the grounds for roman catholic ethics and teaching
    –> there is a moral code towards which human beings naturally incline (natural law)

created the SYNDERESIS RULE –> do good and avoid evil (deontological ethics as actions are concerned)

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11
Q

name 4 types of law

A
  1. the eternal law: Gods plan built into the nature of everything that exists
  2. the divine law: gods revelation to humans in the bible
  3. the natural law: the moral law god created in human nature, discoverable by human reason
  4. human law: laws humans make which should be based on the natural and divine law . It has authority as its authority ultimately derives from God’s nature
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12
Q

describe the nature of NATURAL law

A

it is deontological and absolute
- universal
- unchanging
- for all time
- relevant for all circumstances
- given by god
- apparent through nature (gods creations)

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13
Q

describe the principle of natural moral law

A

principles depends on establishing the purpose of human life –> fellowship with God (according to aquinas)
–> he claimed this purpose was determined by human reason and humans are usually inclined towards this end (religion)

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14
Q

why is aquinas’ assumption on the principle of NML not always correct

A
  1. discounts religions where there ins no god ie Buddhism
  2. discounts atheists

aquinas essentially ignores a large part of society

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15
Q

what is a belief concerning natural law and heaven

A

you cannot just follow NML but must also believe in God to achieve heaven

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16
Q

describe aquinas’ 5 primary precepts

A

WORLD
1. preserve innocent life
2. reproduce to continue the species
3. educate children
4. worship god
5. maintain orderly living in society

EVERYTHING must work inline with these principles; god gives human kind reason to be able to achieve these purposes

17
Q

describe secondary precepts

A

things we should/should not do due to the primary precepts
–> where secondary P goes against primary P - primary takes precedence

18
Q

apparent good and double effect

A
  1. apparent good: a good pursued that i not good inline with NML, it is only good on the surface, but disobeys primary precepts (abortion)
  2. double effect: BOTH the intention and the act have to be inline with NML or inherently bad. it has 4 conditions:

a) nature of the act: morally good or indifferent
b)bad effect must not be the means to the end in which the good act is acheived
c) the intention must only be to achieve the good effect, and the bad effect must be an unintended side effect
d) the good effect must be in equivalence in proportion to the bad effect

19
Q

what is virtuous development

A

fallen nature needs to be corrected by virtues

20
Q

human life, good and God

A
  • natural law allows humans the opportunity to work towards the good in all things
  • any action that takes humans closer to god is good and further away is bad
  • Aquinas claimed that every person had a specific purpose which would fulfil the skills and talents given to him or her by god
21
Q

what is thomas aquinas’ opinion on STEALING in line with NML

A

aquinas had an exception in case of desperate need
- disrupts order in society
- ten commandment: ‘do not steal’

22
Q

what is thomas aquinas’ opinion on LYING in line with NML

A

Aquinas had NO EXCEPTIONS, but you could prudently keep back the truth
- disrupts order in society
- ten commandments: ‘do not bear false witness’
- virtues of courage and justice

23
Q

7 POSITIVES of NML

A
  1. maintains order in society
  2. falls inline with many christian values (compatible) –> basis of ethical teaching in the catholic church
  3. preserves innocent life
  4. has a formal moral authority: given by God
  5. has really clear rules, so you know exactly what to do –> absolute nature
  6. arguably still relevant in society
  7. deontological nature: guides people to complete good actions
24
Q

7 NEGATIVES of NML

A
  1. doesnt cover all of society (non religious, or non monotheists)
  2. deontological argument: doesnt consider consequences
  3. too simplistic - not realist, more idealist
  4. not relative, doesnt consider circumstances
  5. primary and secondary precepts conflict
  6. impractical eg for abortion –> can be confusing
  7. outdated, doesnt fit society as a result
25
Q

what is proportionalism

A

trying to discover what is the morally right thing to do in any particular set of circumstances

26
Q

describe the concept of proportionalism

A

belief that stems off of NML
- NML should take priority unless there is a sufficiently unusual or important event that happens
- the event should cause NML to be changed or broken

‘what the proportionalists have done is point out the inconsistency and invalidity of such thinking’

27
Q

what do Hoose and Janssens believe about NML

A
  • modern day NML too inflexible
  • people should make their own real decisions (cannot learn to do anything without experience, rather than being extensively guided/told what to do)
  • they believe people should become moral agents, and develop their own morality –> FREE THOUGHT
28
Q

what do Hoose and Janssen believe about NML and the RC church

A
  • issues with CC making decisions for others –> why do people follow: fear, or conformity
  • belief that doing only God’s will is a simplistic way of life
  • people are therefore not going to heaven due to a personal reflection on morality, but conformity
  • is this a good way of life??
29
Q

Hoose and proportionalistic thinking

A
  • ‘need to take into account all the goods and evils that are involved in that particular case…taking into account unintended but foreseeable side effects of our action’
  • need to weigh all the good/evil consequences or an action
  • no two situations are identical: nothing is entirely positive or negative
30
Q

determination of moral and immoral acts

A
  • when deciding whether an action is moral/immoral you must consider the intention of the moral agent
  • ignoring the moral agent means you can only determine the physical goodness of the act not its morality
  • proportion of value versus disvalue in the act and intention
  • therefore NO ACTS ARE INTRINSICALLY EVIL
31
Q

what does Proportionalism say about STEALING

A

agrees with the same exception as Aquinas (desperate need) as long as the criterion is good
- the value of saving a life proportionally greater than disvalue of injustice to the victim of theft

32
Q

what does proportionalism say about LYING

A

disagrees with Aquinas (believes no exemptions) and allows exceptions
- eg. if it is necessary to save a life/protect from harm
- should be proportionately greater than disvalue of injustice to the person who was being lied to

33
Q

4 POSITIVES of proportionalism

A
  1. takes the situation into account
  2. people are free to develop as moral agents
  3. still has rules as a framework
  4. takes into account the importance of intention
34
Q

5 NEGATIVES of proportionalism

A
  1. you can justify any action
  2. how to judge what is proportionately greater
  3. intention: how do we know truly??
  4. less order in society (no clear rules)
  5. subjective nature
35
Q

5 STRENGTHS of ‘natural and moral law is not an effective way of making moral decisions’

A
  1. absolute, can be impractical
  2. too simplistic, not dealing with complex life
  3. not applicable to non religious people or non Abrahamic religions
  4. contradicting primary precepts
  5. deontological - not considering the consequences
36
Q

5 WEAKNESSES of ‘natural and moral law is not an effective way of making moral decisions’

A
  1. absolute, set rules to follow so it is easy
  2. keeps order in society
  3. accessible to all through natural order
  4. principle of double effect
  5. how to live a moral life
37
Q

Examine why followers of Natural Moral Law may reach different conclusions about the issue of theft. [10 marks]

A
  • Theft is wrong - disrupts order in society - primary precepts so absolute cannot be broken. Ten Commandments - Do not steal - based on Bible links to precept of Worship God. Synderesis rule - do good and avoid evil. Deontological - action is bad
  • Theft allowed - primary precept of preserving innocent life - stealing food to save from starvation. Primary precept of innocent life is more important than order in society. Aquinas allowed this exception. Proportionalism - good of saving an innocent life outweighs the bad and disvalue of theft.
  • Principle of double effect - depends on the intention
38
Q

Natural Law is not an effective way of making moral decisions.’ Evaluate this claim.

(argue both sides)

A
  • What do we understand effective to be? - Effective deals with the complexities of modern life. NML does not do this as absolute nature therefore agree with the statement. Too simplistic and as moral decision making becomes more complicated not useful. However, some may argue it is effective as it is a fixed set of rules to follow - RC church. But this doesn’t allow to develop as moral agent - proportionalism Hoose Janssens.
  • Issues with not being applicable to non-religious people or even not Christians - based on Bible / Fellowship with God / Worship God as primary precept. However, could be secular moral law - access through natural order rather than religious beliefs. By taking God out of the theory undermines Aquinas’ theory.
  • Deontological nature - synderesis rule - not considering outcomes which could be bad even if doing good actions. Living moral life and making moral decisions is to do good actions which are more likely to achieve good outcomes. Could be seen to be teleological as end goal is Fellowship with God. Contradicting primary precepts make it hard to do good actions examples such as lying to preserve innocent life.
  • Conclusion - reiterate it is not effective - not dealing with complex moral issues in life - RC church having to consider aspects such as artificial contraception for survival sex workers.

rs (40 decks)

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