Unit 1 Flashcards
Ethics
Philosophical study of morality (moral philosophy)
Subjectivism
our moral evaluations and appraisals are based solely on our own feelings. different understanding of the nature of moral facts and moral truths.
Relativism Strengths
Encourages tolerance of other cultures=less judgemental. Explains difference between subcultures in the U.S. Explains difference of opinion between individuals.
Natural Law Theory
- Aquinas
- certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature endowed by nature; traditionally God or a transcendent source, and can be understood universally through human reason
Divine Command Theory
morality is somehow dependent upon God, and that moral obligation consists in obedience to God’s commands
Consequentialism
the doctrine that the morality of an action is to be judged solely by its consequences.
Amendment
a minor change in a document
Neal Noesen
- a substitute pharmacist refused to refill a prescription for oral contraceptives.
- refused to release the prescription to another pharmacy.
- Citing his devout Roman Catholic beliefs, Noesen claimed that he did not want to commit a sin by impairing the fertility of a human being.
Embryo
an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development, in particular a human offspring during the period from approximately the second to the eighth week after fertilization (after which it is usually termed a fetus).
Humanae vitae
Ensoulment: whatever it is that makes humans special in the order of nature, animals don’t have, we have a soul-get a soul at conception
Judith Jarvis Thompson
Are you morally obligated to bring fertilized egg to term if it’s a person?
- people seeds
- violinist
Circular argument
basically why is fetus person?
Marquis on Potentiality
potential to have experiences like ours (taking everything away, including their future and their opportunity)
Mary Ann Warren
-traditional right to life argument=circular
Innocent human being has right to life, fetus=innocent human being,
-fetus has right to life; why is fetus innocent human being?
-Begging question, not really making an argument; no meaning to “innocent being,” dependent on one another
-What is innocent human being?=awareness, reasoning, consciousness, language, sentience
world famous violinist scenario
If you were in a car wreck and were asked to save a violinists life since you were the only one who could do it, but you’d have to stay in the hospital bed for 9 months, are you morally obligated to stay? JJT argues no
people seeds scenario
If you only opened your window to let in people seeds every so often then one planted itself in your living room despite the screen over your window, are you morally obligated to care for it as it grows? JJT argues no
viability
1st and 2nd trimester not really, 3rd becomes viable
-science has changed the standards of viability
Danforth decision
- 1976
- Court invalidates spousal and parental consent, saline abortion limitation, and duty of care to save the baby, but upholds viability definition and informed consent
D & C
- dilation and curretage
- used to clean uterus after miscarriage or abortion
fetus
people are guaranteed right to life, fetus=person,
midwife
assister in childbirth
Sherri Finkbine
- took lots of pills that caused a deformity in fetus, wanted a therapeutic abortion
- went to Sweden to get one
- situation evoked sympathetic reactions from various organizations and in essence, led to the creation of an American abortion reform movement.
Conscience
an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior
Thomas More
that guy from the movie you know the one
RU 486
pill for abortion, most effective within first 50 days, still effective in 2nd trimester
Plan B/Levongestrel
day after pill, type of contraceptive, hormone
cognitive criterion of personhood
awareness, reasoning, consciousness, language, sentience
Church ammendments
1973
Public officials may not require individuals or entities who receive certain public funds to perform abortion or sterilization procedures or to make facilities or personnel available for the performance of such procedures if such performance “would be contrary to [the individual’s or entity’s] religious beliefs or moral convictions.”
Roe v Wade
- Case expands the privacy interests recognized in Griswold v Connecticut to the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy
- Established guidelines which regulate state interests in limiting abortion
- 1973
Griswold v Connecticut
- 1965 U.S. Supreme Court Case
- First case to cite a right of privacy
- Struck down Connecticut law barring contraceptives (government had no interest in restricting women’s reproductive rights)
- Established reproductive freedom
Categorical Imperative
Principle of universal legislation, an individual must ask if a general rule can be derived such that every person similarly situation would be compelled to do the act in question
Principle of Universal Legislation
concepts of legal legitimacy actions, whereby those principles and rules for governing human beings’ conduct which are most universal in their acceptability, their applicability, translation, and philosophical basis, are therefore considered to be most legitimate
Immanuel Kant
- Emphasis on moral duties
- Only good without qualification is good will
- Good will is informed by reason/categorical imperative
- deontology
Bentham/Mill
- utilitarianism
- Emphasis is on the consequences of an action. Primacy given to maximizing pleasure/minimizing pain. Greatest good for the greatest number, Act v. Rule Utilitarianism. Limitations= baby in the black box, Run-away train, Hospital Screening device
Aristotle
- Virtue Theory
- natural philosophy
- causality
Deontology
Morality based on duty
Utilitarianism
- the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority
- action is right if it promotes happiness and the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct
Golden Mean
being in between the two types of vices. For Aristotle this goal was “flourishing” or happiness.
Relativism weakness
Can’t account for moral progress, not necessary to explain the difference in cultural practices, based on arbitrary standards, more similarities in cultures than we might recognize initially
Teleological
reason or explanation for something in function of its end, purpose or goal. It is derived from two Greek words: telos (end, goal, purpose) and logos (reason, explanation). A purpose that is imposed by a human use, such as that of a fork, is called extrinsic.
Virtue Theory
Emphasis on character traits=vices are these traits that lead you towards the opposite of happiness- 2 types: excess & deficiency. , hedonism (whatever maximizes pleasure is best, Epicurus),
- teleological in orientation=goal oriented (ends)
- Eudaimonia=flourishing/happiness.
Moral Relativism
the view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (for instance, that of a culture or a historical period) and that no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others
Moral non-cognitivism
There are no moral truths that can be known
Cultural Relativism
based on observation that different cultures have different practices. Morality has no objective basis
Morals/Morality
refers to social customs and practices that determine good and bad, right and wrong; “codes of conduct”
Moral Cognitivism
Moral realism, moral truths exist and can be known, make claims to a moral fact
Moral Realism
moral truths exist and can be known, some are just fact
Social Contract Theory
morality can be reduced to rights and laws and is exchanged for protection of those rights by following the law
Autonomy
The right or condition of self-government, especially in a particular sphere; freedom from external control or influence; independence
Paternalism
The policy or practice on the part of people in positions of authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to them in the subordinates’ supposed best interest
Beneficence
action that is done for the benefit of others
Don Marquis
didn’t believe in a soul, is something analogous to soul that takes place at conception=potential to have experiences like ours (taking everything away, including their future and their opportunity) genetic code (very similar to ensoulment argument, only have right to life individually-unique genetic code; problem: unique code is shared by all cells-dying all the time
