Phil Ethics 1 Flashcards
Arjuna’s argument against fighting in the war
- If he kills his family, he cannot be happy. The goal of the war is to win and celebrate with family, but they will all be dead. Personal dishonor
- Destruction of order will destroy society altogether. There will be no men to care for women.
Consequentialism
Actions are right if, and only if, they produce the greatest net benefit (or least net harm) for those involved compared to other actions. (Arjuna, Mozi)
Deontology
An action is right if an only if it fulfills the individual’s duty. (Krishna)
Epicurus’ arguments against the fear of death and the fear if the gods
The myths about the Gods being destructive towards humans are false (they do not care about you). Death is nothing to us. All good and bad are in sense experience and death is the absence of sense
experience.
Ethics
Ethics is the branch (or subfield) of philosophy that studies right and wrong action, good and bad consequences, and virtuous and vicious character. Ideally, ethics will provide guidance on how to make wise decisions and live a good life.
Aristotle’s function (ergon) argument
Different skills have proper functions, and the good related to that skill is whether they
perform that function well.
Goodness (ren)
an important aspect of Goodness is
caring for others (12.22); Goodness is the principal virtue for Kongzi and it is manifested in caring for
others. Goodness is the master virtue which manifests all the other virtues
Happiness (eudaimonia)
Long-term, enduring good
Impartiality
impartiality is beneficial because
people will regard others as they regard themselves and no one would harm themselves
Kongzi/Confucius’ account of the role of family in ethical education
Ethical education occurs first in the family
Strong obligations to people with whom we share community of friendship
a) ethics for how people really are
b) differentiated care means care is different but does
not mean care applies solely to the family
c) ancient Chinese politics was dynastic, hence social
and political stability depends on families getting along
Krishna’s deontological argument in favor of fighting in the war
Better to do one’s own duty poorly than
to do another’s duty
Mozi’s caretaker thought experiment
even though one may not advocate impartiality, one would certainly want to entrust one’s family to the person who
is impartial. But this is to condemn impartiality in word but prefer it in deed
Philosophy
Philosophy is a humanistic discipline that studies and investigates ourselves
(human beings) and the world we inhabit. Another way of putting it is philosophy
is the more or less abstract and systematic way of understanding ourselves and
the world we inhabit.
Pleasure
short-term. Only suitable for cows. The starting point and goal of life, connected to tranquility
Reason
Tranquility (ataraxia)
Pleasure is freedom from mental/bodily pain. The starting point and goal of life, connected to tranquility
Up to us and Not up to us
judgment, inclination, desire, aversion –in short, whatever is our own doing is up to us (internal, mind, soul) These things are free, unimpeded, unobstructed, OURS. bodies, possessions, reputations, public offices –in short, whatever isn’t our own doing is not up to us (external). These things are weak, enslaved, impeded, NOT OURS
Virtue
in an ethics context we understand it as a person’s character— these are enduring dispositions to act or refrain from acting in certain circumstances; notice that when we refer to dispositions, we are looking not at any one particular action but how a person will be disposed to act; character is an abiding tendency to behave a certain way
Virtue Ethics
An action is right if and if only it is acted from what a virtuous person would do,
in character, in the same space (Kongzi/Aristotle)
The Way (dao)
The right way to live one’s life and organize society
