Unit 1 Flashcards
Consequentialist Theories:
concerned with the ethical consequences of particular actions
Utilitarian Approach:
the best action will be that which provides the most good or
does the least harm, or produces the greatest balance of good over harm
Egoistic Approach:
best action provides the most good or least harm for himself or
herself
Common Good Approach:
best action is guided by the general will of the people,
producing results that are best for the people as a whole
Non-Consequentialist Theories:
concerned with the intentions of the person making ethical
decisions about particular actions
Deontological Approach:
best action is the action that is done with the right intention
in performing it
Categorical Imperative: “
Act only according to that maxim by which you can
at the same time will that it should become a universal law.” (Immanuel
Kant)
Rights Approach:
best ethical action is the one that protects the ethical rights of
those who are affected by the action
i. Consider human dignity of those affected
ii. Do not treat others as a means to an end
Fairness or Justice Approach:
all humans should be treated alike
i. Ethical principles are those which would be chosen by free and rational
people in an initial situation of equality
Divine Command Approach:
best ethical action is the action that God commands,
and God’s will creates ethical standards
Agent-centered Theories:
concerned with the overall ethical status of individuals, or agents,
and are less concerned to identify the morality of particular actions
Virtue Approach:
ethical action is action that is consistent with ideal human virtues, and a person of good moral character has attained these virtues
Cardinal virtues:
prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance
Theological virtues:
faith, hope, charity/love
Care or Feminist Approach:
people are interdependent on each other, and ethical
action is the act that best responds to people’s needs, especially the needs of the most
vulnerable members of those affected
i. Resists universal moral standards of consequentialism or deontology
Virtues:
disposition or orientation of the will by which one chooses to willingly and consistently act in a morally good way; they develop through free and intentional choices
i. Moral Virtues: knowable through reason
Truth
The opposite counterpart of a falsity. It is a provable thing which is agreed upon as correct.
Morally obligatory
Right to do it, and wrong not to do it.
Morally impermissible
Wrong to do it and right not to do it.
Morally permissible
Neutral
Superogatory
Above and beyond the call of duty
Morality
Indevidule or community standards for good and evil
Ethics
The study or investigation and application of moral standards
Moral philosophy
The examination of moral concepts, principles, and theories within the context of what is best for the the individual and society
Moral theology
What God reveals to humanity about having a moral life.
Bible, and tradition
What is good in the Christian sense
“For Christians, the good is God, understood as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Anything in the created order that is deemed good is good only in relation to God, or as a reflection or mediation of God’s own goodness. Stated differently, goodness is not an attribute or characteristic of God, God is goodness.”
Natural law
“The natural law is defined as the rational person’s participation in the eternal law.” “According to Catholic moral theology, the purpose of the natural law is to enable people to recognize the good they must do in their lives, as well as the evil they must avoid.”
Principle of complete explanation
The best opinion or theory is the one that explains he most data. Ex, materialist theory
Principle of non contradiction
Valid theories or opinions have no internal contradictions
Principle of objective evidence
Non arbitrary opinions are based on publically verifiable evidence
Non Sequitur-
statement that is unrelated to previous discussion
Weak analogy
Weak comparison, things that are alike in one early are not alike in another
Red herring
Some thing that distracts he attention form the real issue
Hasty generalization
A wrong use of indicative reasoning (not enough reasoning) a generalization
1bad =all bad
Faulty causation
False link between cause and effect
False dichotomy
Establishing a false either or scenario
Slippery slope
A process that is hard to stop once it starts, argument that one action causes and leads to another.
Ad populum
Appealing to the majority. The bandwagon approach
Appeal to pity
Substitutes a claim for evidence with one intended to create pity or sympathy
Scare tactics
Attempt to frighten people or to create fear is primary motivator
Circular reasoning
Take 1 idea and loop it in two separate statements
False authority
And a pill to an improper authority such as a famous person or an unqualified person example a doctor promoting a car
Ad hominem
Argument against man, not the idea
Moral equivalence
Making a comparison to say that one event is as bad as another
Begging the question
Have you stopped beating your wife yet, assuming the answer in the question itself
Logos
Based on reasoning, supported with facts statistics and concrete evidence
Pathos
Appeals based on feelings such as sympathy anger pity and fear
Ethos
Appeals based on ethics morality values characters in justice
Prudence
The virtue that disposes one to discern the good, and to determine the correct means of achieving this good. And to act
Justice
Each person is rendered what is due to them
Fortitude
Connotes strength. Allows one to face difficulties well.
Temperance
The value of self control. Object based
Faith
The virtue by which one believes in God and believes all that God has revealed.
Hope
The virtue by which one desires to live in full communion with God in heaven, and placing ones full trust in the promise of Christ.
Love (charity)
By chick one loves God above all things and loves ones neighbor as oneself
