Week 1 Basics Flashcards
Factual issue
question of fact which is unknown or controversial and relevant to the moral problem
Different factual assumptions result in
different moral conclusions
One of the frustrating things about disagreement over moral issues is that:
the specific nature of the disagreements are rarely stated clearly
[T/F] Often, apparent moral disagreements turn out to be disagreements over relevant facts
True
The steps taken to resolve a moral disagreement usually do not depend on the specifics of the issue
False
Which of the following are true of factual issues?
- No assumptions need to be made
- They can be relevant to a moral problem
- They can be unknown or controversial
- None of the above
2,3
Which of the following is NOT true about factual issues?
- One should not attempt to assess a moral issue if there is irresolvable factual uncertainty
- One should identify the questions of fact and clearly state assumptions
- Different assumptions about factual issues may result in different moral conclusions
- NoA
1
Conceptual Issue
A question about the meaning of a term that is crucial in the moral analysis
Conceptual issues are resolved by:
- Find an authoritative definition
2. Come up with own definition
[T/F] Conceptual issues are crucial issues to settle in any type of moral discussion
T
Application Issues
A question about whether a concept applies to a given situation
Example of application issue?
Is this a bribe? Is this a conflict of interest? Is this procedure safe?
In order to resolve an application issue:
1) Appropriate definition (Conceptual issue settled)
2) Knowledge of relevant facts or reasonable assumptions
Classic moral issues involve
deciding which conflicting value should prevail
Presumptive judgement
A preliminary judgement about what is right and wrong
