The Final Flashcards
What is a logical fallacy?
Requires that there be an argument with a premises and conclusion, and not a claim. They have to be logically related to each other in a way.
What is the straw man fallacy?
Refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent
What is the point of Descartes Dream argument?
In order to test the reliability of the senses. He says that since he can’t tell the difference between verdical and non-verdical experiences, it is possible the senses can deceive, and therefore cannot be relied upon.
Mary Anne Warren’s 6 criteria of personhood:
1) sentience: ability to have conscious experiences
2) emotionality
3) reason
4) the capacity to communicate: on many topics
5) self awareness: having a concept of oneself as an individual
6) moral agency: regulate one’s actions by moral principles
Ryles Official Doctrine:
With the doubtful exceptions of idiots and infants in arms every human being has both a body and a mind.
What was the point of Thompson’s violinist’s analogy?
That a baby has a right to life, but that does not give the mother an obligation.
Reasons Marquis says killing is wrong:
Because babies have a future worth having, and if killed, they’re deprived of that future.
Why does Hursthouse believe that the status of the personhood of the baby and the mother’s rights do not explain the morality of the situation?
Because those are two very general extremes.
Does Hursthouse believe that abortion is acting viciously, virtuously, or neither?
Viscously. She believes pregnancy is not a byproduct of sex. Pregnancy plays an important role in human life. There is something intrinsically good about life, and therefore as well as pregnancy.
What are Singer’s 5 premises concerning morality?
1) suffering from lack of shelter, food etc. is bad
2) if you have the power to prevent a bad thing from happening then you ought to do it.
3) Distance and solitude cannot be a factor in this decision.
4) We have the same moral obligations to everyone, especially those suffering.
5) Thus, the majority in the world are leading immoral lives because no one helps the poor.
What does Regan mean by “inherent value” and “subject of life” concerning animals?
Inherent value: one’s value as an individual.
Subject of life: a conscious creature that has usefulness to themselves and others
All dimensions of lives make a difference, including that of animals. They are subjects of life with inherent value of their own.
What is Cohen’s view on animal rights? What is his definition of a right?
He says they cannot have rights. A right is a claim one party may make against another. Animals lack the capacity to make claims and cannot make moral judgement, and they therefore have no rights.
Deductive vs Inductive:
Deductive: making explicit what one already know. a posteriori.
Inductive: following pattern of events to make a prediction. a priori.
What are two kinds of laws according to MLK?
Just: equality, respects human rights, and preserves liberty
Unjust: differences made legal, giving the segregator a false sense of authority
Relations of ideas vs matters of fact:
Relations of ideas: true by meaning alone (a priori)
Matters of facts: true by emperical evidence from experience or observation ( a posteriori)
