Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
62 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is _a_ categorical imperative?
|
You ought to do Y
desires don’t matter - only reason if your action would lead to a harmonious society, it is acceptable if it would lead to a collapse of society, it is unacceptable |
|
|
What is _The_ Categorical Imperative
|
Kant: Do only the action the maxim of which you would make a universal law
|
|
|
Contrast the categorical imperative and the golden rule
|
the CI requires that you take into account the good of humanity
whereas the golden rule lets you do as you would like - so what if you want plenty of sexual attention, etc...? |
|
|
Kant’s formulations for CI
|
- do only the action the maxim of which you would make a universal law
- always treat humanity (including yourself) as an end and never merely as a means |
|
|
the CI and punishment
|
the first formulation agrees that violators should be punished (how else to enforce law?)
the second formulation makes it difficult - is the violator not then used as a means to law and order? Kant says we should respect the violator by treating him in the same way |
|
|
Treating one as an end = respect?
|
treating one as an end = respecting their autonomy and rationality
this also means we should treat others in the same way they behave - thus we can punish |
|
|
Strengths of Deontological Ethics
|
Universality - you’re not being arbitrary
focus on reason rather than emotional appeal gives answers to question of what to do in a situation |
|
|
Weaknesses of Deontological Ethics
|
cannot account for conflicting imperatives
non-rational creatures require no consideration |
|
|
Conditions for a just war
|
competent authority
right intention / just cause anticipation of just cause intervention rule of proportionality necessity just peace discrimination |
|
|
Kant and reason / free will
|
Kant says things have intrinsic worth only if they have free will and desires and reason
|
|
|
Frankfurt’s 1st and 2nd order desires
|
1st order desires are basal - I want X
2nd order desires are rational or reflective - I want to want X |
|
|
Perfect duties
|
Negative duties
refraining from action such as duty to not harm no discussion of extent |
|
|
Imperfect duties
|
Positive Duties
taking action there is discussion of extent how much should you help? do you need to help again tomorrow? |
|
|
Utilitarian v. Kantian views of Punishment
|
Utilitarian looks at harm v. benefit of punishment
will it deter further crime? is it effective? Deontological ethicist says justice demands punishment effectiveness in deterrence doesn’t matter that bullshit about respect |
|
|
Arguments against punishment
|
recidivism - does it actually have any effect?
deterrence - see, criminals just aren’t good at reasoning.... innocent victims wrongly convicted punishing violates the integrity of the punisher no concern for rehabilitation |
|
|
Heinz’s Dilemma
|
greedy pharmacist
husband steals medicine is it wrong? |
|
|
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development
|
punishment and obedience
fair deals interpersonal relationships welfare of the group prior rights and social utility universal ethical principles |
|
|
Personal v. impersonal morality
|
care v. justice
partiality v. impartiality |
|
|
Care Ethics
|
focus on relationships rather than individual mandates
partiality = good |
|
|
Strengths of Care Ethics
|
focus on more than self
more accountability gives priorities |
|
|
Weaknesses of Care Ethics
|
Good of the relationship may not be good for society
or for the individuals silent in larger cases of society and law forces you to rank relationships doesn’t seem to stand alone - looks more like localized utilitarianism or broad egoism |
|
|
Broad definition of feminism
|
men and women are treated differently
this is unfair |
|
|
Virtue Theory
|
focus on character rather than action
an action is right if it accords with and stems from a virtuous character |
|
|
Define Virtue
|
a character trait
habitual a mean between extremes |
|
|
Virtue and habit
|
must be a character trait - not something you need to wrestle with
|
|
|
Virtue and action
|
Virtues only matter if they’re associated with an action
if you talk to no one, your opinion is not a virtue |
|
|
Virtue and balance
|
Vices lie at either end of the spectrum
if the virtue is courage, it’s in the middle of cowardice and recklessness |
|
|
Strengths of virtue theory
|
avoids making us moral saints or egoists
|
|
|
weaknesses of virtue theory
|
requires training - which a person might resist
assymetrical - if a person is good for most of their life, but are bad for the last year, they’re vicious incomplete - gives us no hard rules to help determine our actions necessarily relies on other theories. |
|
|
the function argument for virtue
|
the good of a thing relates to its function
just as the parts of humans have functions, humans must have a function the function of humans must be specific to humans humans alone have rationality acting rationally about practical issues = acting in conformit with virtue so, the good of humans is acting in conformity with virtue |
|
|
Contemplation is the best activity?
|
perfect happiness is brought about by a life of contemplation
reason is the best thing in us the best activity is the most continuous self-sufficient activity and uses our best faculty and afffords the opportunity for the most happiness |
|
|
Singer - Bob’s car on the tracks
|
the average american is just like bob when they purchase a TV instead of feeding a hundred children for a month
|
|
|
Singer’s solutions
|
donate all income over $30k
donate 10% of your disposable income |
|
|
Singer and the reverse tragedy of the commons
|
thanks!
|
|
|
Arg for Punishment v. Rehab
|
Eye for an eye - Justice demands punishment for sake of balance
|
|
|
arg for rehab
|
respect and value the criminal
invite them back to the fold |
|
|
arg for capital punishment
|
proportionality
|
|
|
arg against capital punishment
|
it may not be the best punishment
it devalues the integrity of the punisher |
|
|
Arg for Jim to shoot one Indian
|
Utilitarian - it saves the most lives
|
|
|
Arg against Jim shooting an Indian
|
Jim should not be required to violate his own integrity
|
|
|
Arg for suicide
|
we should respect personal autonomy
|
|
|
arg against suicide
|
we have moral responsibilities to others
Kant says you have a moral duty to improve your life perhaps you cannot be of sound mind if you want to die |
|
|
arg for euthanasia
|
respect autonomy
relieves the “moral responsibility to others” argument against suicide |
|
|
arg against euthanasia
|
all life is sacred
you have both a right and a responsibility to live |
|
|
arg for animal rights
|
if you can feel pain or have desires, you deserve moral consideration
Utilitarian |
|
|
arg against animal rights
|
only those with reason require moral consideration
if X cannot respect our moral status, we are not required to respect X’s SCT + Kantian |
|
|
Arg in favor of war
|
to defend further lives
if waged with proportionality and discrimination as the people in your country require more consideration than those in another country SCT and Care hybrid |
|
|
Atg in favor of pacifism
|
sanctity of life
Utilitarian - all life is equally valuable, whether they’re bad guys or not |
|
|
Act Utilitarianism (v. rule)
|
Consider each case on an individual basis - the right decision is the best one for the people involved
|
|
|
problems with act utilitarianism
|
allows people to be wrongly accused
allows lying if it helps the situation strictly speaking, says that the peeping tom is permitted |
|
|
rule utilitarianism (v. act)
|
asks what rule you would adopt over the long run (not just for the particular sitch you find yourself in)
similar to the categorical imperative except that it decides who gets consideration differently - animals get rights because they can hurt, and you have no obligations to yourself |
|
|
Arg for rule utilitarianism
|
protects people’s rights
|
|
|
arg in favor of duty ethics
|
is realistic and practical - gives answers
is absolute and universal, thus fair is derived from rationality |
|
|
arg aganst duty ethics
|
no resolution for conflicts between imperatives
the problem with the murderer looking for your neighbor that bullshit about respect you cannot sacrifice yourself for the greater good |
|
|
arg for virtue ethics
|
allows/requires moderation
allows you to look to a moral exemplar intentions matter - you do the right thing because you want to, not because it’s expected |
|
|
backward looking reasons
|
a thing in the past that reflects the present (say you owe someone money, or they sacrificed and thus deserve extra consideration now)
problem with utilitarianism - it’s equal to punish an innocent person rather than the criminal - also the payment should go to whoever would be happiest, not the lender |
|
|
golden rule
|
do unto others
|
|
|
negative golden rule
|
do not do unto others what you would not want done to you
|
|
|
perfect duties
|
refraining from action
|
|
|
imperfect duties
|
taking an action
note vagueness about scope |
|
|
partiality
|
we _should_ treat some people differently, because they matter more to us
links to care ethics and the SCT |
|
|
unity of virtue
|
you must have all the virtues to be a virtuous person
even one vice makes you vicious can be rejected while still being a virtue ethicist |
