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22 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Amoral vs. Immoral |
amoral is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. immoral is knowing the difference between right and wrong, but doing the wrong the regardless. |
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Metaethics |
disinterestedly studies questions that make morality possible: - Is an argument or code of conduct reasonable? - Is it possible? Meta-ethics focuses on what morality itself is. |
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Ancient Greek - Dikaiosyne - Thrasymachus' View - Plato's Divisions in the City & Soul |
Dikaiosyne = justice, righteousness, uprightness, faithfulness |
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Egoism - Plato - Hobbes & Altruism - Hedonism - Moderate Hobbesianism |
Plato: egoism is operating in one's own best interests; it is one's self-interest to act in the interest of others. |
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Utilitarianism - Calculus of Felicity - Principle of Utility - Shakespeare & Beer |
Calculus of Felicity: Jeremy Bentham - Pursue the pleasure principle according to a calculus of reason - Intensity, Duration, Certainty, Propinquity, Fecundity, Purity, & Extent |
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Kant's Deontological Ethic - Categorical Imperative (CI) - Applications of CI - Contractualism - Rescue Principle / Principle of Helpfulness |
Categorical Imperative: - cannot be predicated upon an individual's desires or feelings. - Must be true categorically - i.e., for all people at all times everywhere |
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Virtue Ethics - Aristotle & Arete - Nussbaum & Literature |
Aristotle - behavior is motivated by purposes according to a model. Arete (virtue) - cultivated by observation and modeling. (Learned like brick-laying or basketball) - no way to make this into an abstract set of rules ( you do something bc that's the type of person you are) Martha Nussbaum - role of literature / case studies. |
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Ethics |
- usually refers to a normative morality (code of conduct that should guide all rational people) |
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Thrasymachus' View |
- “Justice is the advantage of the stronger.” - Morality is the rules imposed by the powerful on the weak that are designed to benefit the powerful - Socrates’ objection: How do you always know what is to your benefit? - But what if being “immoral” is to a person’s advantage? Why be “moral”? |
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Plato's Divisions within the ideal City - The problem is really about the soul. The soul is the city in microcosm. |
1. Rulers: the philosophers = wisdom (head) 2. Guardians: the warriors (know some philosophy) = courage (heart) 3. Artisans: those incapable of philosophy who submit to those who are philosophers = moderation (penis) |
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Plato's 3 Divisions of the Soul |
1. Reason / Wisdom = Head 2. Spirit / Courage = Heart 3. Appetite / Moderation = Penis/ second head |
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Hobbes & Altruism |
He said that altruism is impossible, so it can't be a moral duty. Example: sacrifice Altruism = operating in other's best interest |
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Hedonism |
(desire for pleasure) at root of all action |
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Moderate Hobbesianism |
Asks: what self-interest may be motivating an action and make a determination based on the given evidence. |
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Principle of Utility |
The greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. (This has a democratic bias) |
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Shakespeare & Beer (Quality of Pleasure) |
Calculating quantity isn't sufficient; quality is also important. "The uncultivated cannot be competent judges of cultivation" This entails a Platonic view of the "Good" |
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Version A: Universality (1st form of categorical imperative) |
" Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." - Focuses on what can be done w/o contradiction |
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Version B: King of the Universe (2nd form of categorical imperative) |
"Act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature." - Focuses on what can practically occur given the state of things |
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Version C: Treat People as Ends in Themselves (3rd form of Categorical Imperative) |
"Act so that you treat humanity, whether your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never a means only." - This may be the "real" categorical imperative, but the other 2 are important too. |
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Contractualism (John Rawls) |
Reasonable justification of our actions is the basis of moral motivation (not feeling, self-interest or utility) |
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Rescue Principle |
If you can make a small sacrifice to prevent a great evil, you should do it |
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Principle of Helpfulness |
If you can help save somebody great effort with little hardship on yourself, you should do it. |
