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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Define ethics |
Ethics is the philosophical study of morality, a rational examination into people’smoral beliefs and behavior |
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Define a positive right |
A positive right is aright that obligates others to do something on your behalf. The right to a free educationis a positive right. In order for you to have that right, the rest of society must allocateresources so that you may attend school. |
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Define an absolute right, sometimes called negative rights |
Anabsolute right is a right that is guaranteed without exception. Negative rights, such asthe right to life, are usually considered absolute rights.
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Define a limited right |
A limited right is a right thatmay be restricted based on the circumstances. Typically, positive rights are consideredto be limited rights. For example, American states guarantee their citizens the right toan education. However, because states do not have unlimited budgets, they typicallyprovide a free education for everyone up through the 12th grade but require people topay for at least some of the costs of their higher education.
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Define society |
A society is an association of people organized under a system of rules designed to advancethe good of its members over time [2]. Cooperation among individuals helpspromote the common good. However, people in a society also compete with each other; |
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Define morality |
Rule of conduct describing what people ought to and ought not to do in various situations. |
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Define stakeholder |
A person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization.Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives and policies. |
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Define Relativism |
Relativism is the theory that there are no universal moral norms of right and wrong.According to this theory, different individuals or groups of people can have completelyopposite views of a moral problem, and both can be right |
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Define Subjective Relativism |
Subjective relativism holds that each person decides right and wrong for himself orherself. This notion is captured in the popular expression, “What’s right for you may notbe right for me.” |
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Define Cultural relativism |
Cultural relativism is the ethical theory that the meaning of “right” and “wrong”rests with a society’s actual moral guidelines. These guidelines vary from place to placeand from time to time. |
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Define divine command theory |
The divine command theory is based on the idea that good actions are those alignedwith the will of God and bad actions are those contrary to the will of God. Since the holybooks contain God’s directions, we can use the holy books as moral decision-makingguides. |
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Define Ethical Egoism |
Ethical egoism isthe philosophy that each person should focus exclusively on his or her self-interest. Inother words, according to ethical egoism, the morally right action for a person to takein a particular situation is the action that will provide that person with the maximumlong-term benefit. |
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Define Kantianism |
Kant believed that people’s actions oughtto be guided by moral laws, and that these moral laws were universal. He held that inorder to apply to all rational beings, any supreme principle of morality must itself bebased on reason. While many of the moral laws Kant describes can also be found in theBible, Kant’s methodology allows these laws to be derived through a reasoning process.68 Chapter 2 Introduction to EthicsA Kantian is able to go beyond simply stating that an action is right or wrong by citingchapter and verse; a Kantian can explain why it is right or wrong. |
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Kantianism perfect duties |
Duties we are obliged to fulfill ineach instance, you have a perfect duty to tell the truth. Thatmeans you must always tell the truth without exception. |
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Kantianism imperfect duties |
Duties we are obliged to fulfill in general butnot in every instance.youhave an imperfect duty to develop your talents. If you happen to have a talent formusic, you ought to find a way to develop it, but you do not have to take up everyinstrument in the orchestra. |
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Define Act Utilitarianism |
An action is good if its benefits exceed its harms, and an action is bad if itsharms exceed its benefits. Their ethical theory, called utilitarianism, is based upon theprinciple of utility, also called the Greatest Happiness Principle. |
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Define the Principle of Utility |
An action is right (or wrong) to the extent that it increases (or decreases) thetotal happiness of the affected parties. |
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Define Rule Utilitarianism |
Rule utilitarianism is the ethical theory that holds that we ought to adopt those moralrules that, if followed by everyone, lead to the greatest increase in total happiness overall affected parties. Hence a rule utilitarian applies the principle of utility to moral rules,while an act utilitarian applies the principle of utility to individual moral actions. |
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Define Social Contract Theory |
Morality consists in the set of rules, governing how people are to treat oneanother, that rational people will agree to accept, for their mutual benefit,on the condition that others follow those rules as well. |
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Define Virtue Ethics |
A right action is an action that a virtuous person, acting in character, woulddo in the same circumstances. A virtuous person is a person who possessesand lives out the virtues. The virtues are those character traits humanbeings need in order to flourish and be truly happy |
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Case For Subjective Relativism |
1. Well-meaning and intelligent people can have totally opposite opinions about moralissues 2. Ethical debates are disagreeable and pointless |
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Case Against Subjective Relativism |
1. With subjective relativism the line between doing what you think is right and doingwhat you want to do is not sharply drawn. 2. By allowing each person to decide right and wrong for himself or herself, subjectiverelativism makes no moral distinction between the actions of different people. 3. Subjective relativism and tolerance are two different things 4. We should not give legitimacy to an ethical theory that allows people to make decisionsbased on something other than reason. |
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Case For Cultural Relativism |
1. Different social contexts demand different moral guidelines. 2. It is arrogant for one society to judge another |
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Case Against Cultural Relativism |
1. Different social contexts demand different moral guidelines 2. It is arrogant for one society to judge another |
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Case Against Cultural Relativism |
1. Just because two societies do have different views about right and wrong doesn’t implythat they ought to have different views. 2. Cultural relativism does not explain how an individual determines the moral guidelinesof a particular society 3. Cultural relativism does not explain how to determine right from wrong when there areno cultural norms. 4. Cultural relativism does not do a good job of characterizing actions when moral guidelinesevolve 5. Cultural relativism provides no framework for reconciliation between cultures in conflict 6. The existence of many acceptable cultural practices does not imply that any culturalpractice would be acceptable. 7. Societies do, in fact, share certain core values. 8. Cultural relativism is only indirectly based on reason. |
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Case For Divine Command Theory |
1. We owe obedience to our Creator 2. God is all-good and all-knowing. 3. God is the ultimate authority. |
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Case Against Divine Command Theory |
1. There are many holy books, and some of their teachings disagree with each other. 2. It is unrealistic to assume a multicultural society will adopt a religion-based morality 3. Some moral problems are not addressed directly in scripture 4. It is fallacious to equate “the good” with “God.” 5. The divine command theory is based on obedience, not reason. |
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Case For Ethical Egoism |
1. Ethical egoism is a practical moral philosophy 2. It’s better to let other people take care of themselves. 3. The community can benefit when individuals put their well-being first 4. Other moral principles are rooted in the principle of self-interest |
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Case Against Ethical Egoism |
1. An easy moral philosophy may not be the best moral philosophy 2. We do, in fact, know a lot about what is good for someone else 3. A self-interested focus can lead to blatantly immoral behavior 4. Other moral principles are superior to the principle of self-interest 5. People who take the good of others into account live happier lives |
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Case For Kantianism |
1. The Categorical Imperative aligns with the common moral concern, “What if everybodyacted that way?” 2. Kantianism produces universal moral guidelines. 3. All persons are treated as moral equals. |
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Case Against Kantianism |
1. Sometimes no single rule fully characterizes an action. 2. Sometimes there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules 3. Kantianism allows no exceptions to perfect duties |
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Case For Act Utilitarianism |
1. It focuses on happiness 2. It is practical 3. It is comprehensive. |
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Case Against Act Utilitarianism |
1. When performing the utilitarian calculus, it is not clear where to draw the line, yetwhere we draw the line can change the outcome of our evaluation. 2. It is not practical to put so much energy into every moral decision 3. Act utilitarianism ignores our innate sense of duty. 4. We cannot predict with certainty the consequences of an action. 5. Act utilitarianism is susceptible to the problem of moral luck. |
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Case For Rule Utilitarianism |
1. Not every moral decision requires performing the utilitarian calculus. 2. Exceptional situations do not overthrow moral rules. 3. Rule utilitarianism solves the problem of moral luck. 4. Rule utilitarianism reduces the problem of bias 5. It appeals to a wide cross section of society |
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Case Against Rule Utilitarianism |
1. Utilitarianism forces us to use a single scale or measure to evaluate completely differentkinds of consequences. 2. Utilitarianism ignores the problem of an unjust distribution of good consequences. |
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Case For Social Contract Theory |
1. It is framed in the language of rights. 2. It explains why rational people act out of self-interest in the absence of a commonagreement. 3. It explains why under certain circumstances the government may deprive some peopleof some rights 4. It explains why under certain circumstances civil disobedience can be the morally rightdecision. |
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Case Against Social Contract Theory |
1. None of us signed the social contract 2. Some actions can be characterized in multiple ways. 3. Social contract theory does not explain how to solve a moral problem when the analysisreveals conflicting rights. 4. Social contract theory may be unjust to those people who are incapable of upholdingtheir side of the contract |
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Case For Virtue Ethics |
1. In many situations it makes more sense to focus on virtues than on obligations, rights,or consequences 2. Personal relationships can be morally relevant to decision making 3. Virtue ethics recognizes that our moral decision-making skills develop over time 4. There are no irresolvable moral dilemmas 5. Virtue ethics recognizes the important role that emotions play in living a moral life |
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Case Against Virtue Ethics |
1. Different people may have quite different conceptions of human flourishing 2. Virtue ethics cannot be used to guide government policy. 3. Virtue ethics undermines attempts to hold people responsible for their bad actions |
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Amendment concerning freedom of speech |
FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATESCONSTITUTIONCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, orprohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, orof the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and topetition the government for a redress of grievances |
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Case For Censorship |
1. Children and Inappropriate Content Child Internet Protection Act - web filters |
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Define Intellectual Property Rights |
Intellectual property is any unique product of the human intellect that has commercialvalue. Examples of intellectual property are books, songs, movies, paintings, inventions,chemical formulas, and computer programs. |
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Define Trade Secrets |
A trade secret is a confidential piece of intellectual property that provides a companywith a competitive advantage. |
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Define Trademarks and Service Marks |
A trademark is a word, symbol, picture, sound, or color used by a business to identifygoods. A service mark is a mark identifying a service |
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Define Patent |
A patent is a way the US government provides an inventor with an exclusive right to apiece of intellectual property |
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What is Fair Use? |
The right given to a copyright owner to reproduce a work is a limited right. Under somecircumstances, called fair use, it is legal to reproduce a copyrighted work without thepermission of the copyright holder |
