Task 4 - Ethics Flashcards

1
Q

Ethics

A

-systematizing, defending, recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior

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2
Q

Meta ethics

A
  • where our ethical principles comes from, and what they mean
  • focus on issues of universal truths, will of God, role of reason, meaning of ethical terms themselves
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3
Q

Normative ethics

A
  • takes on a more practical task
  • to arrive at moral standards and how to regulate right and wrong conduct (Verhalten)
  • articulate the good habits we should acquire, duties that we should follow, consequences of our behavior on others
  • there is only one ultimate criterion of moral conduct, whether it is a single rule or a set of principles
  • e.g. normative principle: we should do to others what we would want others to do to us
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4
Q

Applied ethics

A
  • examining controversial issues
  • using conceptual tools of meta ethics and normative ethics
  • abortion, animal rights, environmental concerns etc
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5
Q

Psychological issues in meta ethics - what motivates us to be moral?

Egoism and altruism

A
  • psychological egoism: self-oriented interests ultimately motivate all human actions (Thomas Hobbes)
  • psychological hedonism: pleasure is the specific driving force behind all of our actions
  • psychological altruism: capacity to show benevolence to others ( Jospeh Butler)
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6
Q

Psychological issues in meta ethics - emotion and reason

A
  • David Hume: moral assessments involve our emotions, not our reason
  • > moral actions include:
  • emotive element: expressing my emotions about some specific behavior
  • prescriptive element: prescribing some specific behavior
  • Kant: true moral action is motivated only by reason when it is free from emotions and desires
  • Kurt Baier: all of our moral choices are, at least can be, backed by some reason or justification
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7
Q

Virtue (Werte) theorists

A
  • less emphasis on learning rules
  • > more importance of developing good habits of character (such as benevolence)
  • we should avoid acquiring bad character traits (vices)
  • emphasize on moral education

-Plato: 4 virtues ( wisdom, courage, temperance, justice)

  • Aristotle:
  • virtues are good habits that we acquire, which regulate our emotions
  • most virtues fall at a mean between more extreme character traits
  • we need assistance from our reason to do this

-after Aristotle: medieval theologians added theological virtues (faith, hope, charity)

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8
Q

Consequentialist normative theories

A
  • correct moral conduct is determined solely by a cost-benefit analysis of an action’s consequences
  • action is morally right if the consequences of that action are more favorable than unfavorable
  • 3subdivisions:
    1) ethical egoism: action is morally right to if consequences are more favorable than unfavorable only to the agent performing the action
    2) ethical altruism: morally right if consequences are more favorable to everyone except the agent
    3) utilitarianism: morally right if more favorable to everyone
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9
Q

Rules/duty theories/ non consequentialists

A
  • base morality on specific, foundational principles and obligations
  • principles are obligatory, irrespective of the consequences
  • Samuel Pufendorf: classified duties under 3 headings (duties to God, duties to oneself, duties to others)
  • rights theory by Thomas Jefferson (locke) : 3 fundamental rights ( life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)
  • Kant: only a single principle of duty -> categorical imperative
  • > treat people as an end, never as means to an end
  • > morality of our actions is determined by appealing to this single principle of duty
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