Ethics Exam 3 Study Guide Part 1

Front 1

Glaucons lesson in Gyge's Ring

Back 1

Best thing for each individual is to do what benefits themselves, not others. It is more reasonable to be unjust if we have the opprotunity to do so without being caught.

Results would be the same if a just or unjust man had the ring.

Front 2

Difference between ethical subjectivism, hedonism, and ethical egoism

Back 2

Subjectivism- people act according to feelings and desires.

Egoism-focus is on a persons best self interest.

what is best- rational

Hedonism-Pleasure is the standard of value.

Front 3

2 types of hedonism

Back 3

Cyrenaics-early stoics, pleasure=immediate gratification of our sensual desires.

Epicurus- pleasure is the greatest good, it is implanted in the mind as a part of our nature, pleasure is tranquil state vs. bodily gratification.

Front 4

2 types of ethical egoism

Back 4

ethical egoism

psychological egoism

Front 5

Hobbes belief about life and egoism he is associated with

Back 5

People form societies to keep them from being killed, psychological egoism, we live under social contract only because it benefits us.

Front 6

Ayn Rands background, ideas and influences, how she difers from Aristotle.

Back 6

Born in Soviet Russia, no souce of values other than objective reality thus her theories are called objectivist, individualist society vs. Aristotle's belief humans are social creatures.

Front 7

Frantz Fanon and Gustavo Gutierrez thoughts on ethical egoism and capitalism

Back 7

Fanon- urged people to adopt community based ethics.

Gutierrez- weatlth for the few, poverty for many

Front 8

Laissez Faire Capitalism

Back 8

aneconomic system based on individual freedom.

Front 9

Laissez Faire Capitalism-Rand's position how do they view human nature?

Back 9

Laissez Faire is the natural, hence the best, economic system for human beings.

View Human nature basically prudent & rationally self interested.

Front 10

Marx critique of capitalism and ethical egoism what has happened as a result of the globalizaton of capitalism?

Back 10

~humans are socially productive.

~capitalism benefits only a few at expense of the many.

~the poor of the world will migrate to areas of the world with higher financial security.

Front 11

Who belongs in the moral community?

Back 11

themselves and those that can benefit them.

Front 12

What is communitarianism?

Back 12

theory that community is basis of all ethics.

Front 13

Critiques of Ethical Egoism

Back 13

self defeating, cannot be universalized,no guidelines for conflicting points of interest, arbitrary,allows powerful to exploit the weak,fails to consider our socialnature, inhibits moral development, based on false premise regarding source of happiness.

Front 14

Hedonism

Back 14

philosophical doctrine that considers pleasure to be the standard of value.

Front 15

ethical egoism

Back 15

a persons own best self interest

Front 16

egotist

Back 16

a person who is arrogant, boastful, inconsiderate, and self centered.

Front 17

psychological egoism

Back 17

descriptive theory that humans are basically egoists who always act in their own self interests.

Front 18

objectivist ethics

Back 18

term used by Ayn Rand to describe her version of ethical egoism .

Front 19

hedonist paradox

Back 19

observation that the pursuit of our own happiness as our only goal is self defeating.

Front 20

Key Claims of Ethical Egoism

Back 20

~Individual happiness is the greatest moral good.

~People achieve happiness by pursuing their rational self interests.

~People ought to pursue thir rational self interests.