Phil 120 Midterm 1

Front 1

Definition of Morality

Back 1

This is our basic and default notions of right and wrong (culturally determined)

Front 2

First Definition of Ethics

Back 2

The academic study and evaluation of our moralities

Front 3

Second Definition of Ethics

Back 3

The attempt to make recommendations concerning our moralities and considering which moralities should be encouraged, amended, or discarded.

Front 4

Third Definition of Ethics

Back 4

The cultivation of ways of thinking and patterns of living that seek whenever possible to open or/and expand spaces within which more people know more justice, fairness, compassion, and less people suffer.

Front 5

Death of God/the Good

Back 5

There is no final judgment, no god there to punish us for our actions, so we can do whatever we please and live only for ourselves in a selfish manner.

Front 6

Death of Meaning

Back 6

There is no ultimate meaning to our lives in the grand scheme of things. There is no large purpose and we are but specs in a massive universe. Our actions are insignificant according to the big picture.

Front 7

Death of Absolute Moral Standards

Back 7

Science has proven that morality is relative because of that morality is based on your culture and is determined by our own societies. It is because morality changes from place to place and time to time that there can be no universal moral absolutes.

Front 8

Death of Love

Back 8

We no longer care for others. Look at the horrendous conditions some people are living in and we turn the other cheek. We live in a world and make no effort to change the lives for those in need.

Front 9

Death of Intrinsic Human Goodness

Back 9

The basic, fundamental, common sense ability to do good does not exist.

Front 10

Death of the Other/Cinema as School

Back 10

Human beings become a mathematical formula rather than the important human beings we are. Since we are not surrounded by moral people, the media and cinema step up to provide us with moral education, and in this case they use a utilitarian approach

Front 11

Camus

Back 11

was used to explore the first two hypotheses (death of the ultimate good and death of ultimate meaning). Wrote in a time in history when people were profoundly upset. Critiqued both god and religion and lived in the era of the death of god

Front 12

Life as absurd

Back 12

Believed life was meaningless and the ultimate philosophical problem was why not commit suicide. Used the story to compare life with that of Sisyphus

Front 13

Philosophical nihilism

Back 13

The belief that existence is meaningless and all traditional values and beliefs are unfounded

Front 14

Suicide

Back 14

Camus believed this was the ultimate philosophical problem. If life truly had no meaning would we commit suicide or could we live in a world devoid of meaning or purpose.

Front 15

Sisyphus

Back 15

Punished by the gods to roll a stone up a hill only to watch it roll back down for all of eternity. Camus praised Sisyphus for becoming a master of his own destiny. In essence we are all rolling a stone up the hill and are constantly watching it go back down. It is the accomplishment of getting the stone up the hill that gives us our meaning

Front 16

Happiness

Back 16

The only time we experience happiness is when we create it for ourselves. It is our sense of accomplishment that we work towards that gives us happiness.

Front 17

Other people

Back 17

We can become narcissists if we live only to create happiness for ourselves. Issues can arise when my meaning of happiness clashes with your meaning of happiness.

Front 18

Ultimate meaning vs. my meaning

Back 18

There may be no ultimate meaning to our lives, but my meaning makes me happy. What we create for ourselves makes us masters of our own destiny and in turn makes us happy.

Front 19

Benedict

Back 19

An anthropologist who studied various cultures by immersing herself in their ways and came to the conclusion that morality differs between different societies. What is moral for our own society is determined by our own society. All morality is relative.

Front 20

Moral Relativism

Back 20

Morality is culturally determined and changes from place to place and time to time. There are no universal absolutes.

Front 21

Golding

Back 21

Author of The Lord of the flies.

Front 22

The Lord of the flies

Back 22

in the book and towards the end we realize that the Lord of the flies is a representation of the monster inside all human beings that can be unleashed if certain events unfold. It is the exposure of our inner savagery.

Front 23

Utilitarianism/Consequentialism

Back 23

producing the greater good while reducing overall suffering.

Front 24

The principle of utility

Back 24

Nielsen’s version and the form it took in class. In class we used the case of the innocent fat man to determine a utilitarian approach to solving a moral dilemma/conflict. With the principle of utility, you always do what maximizes the greater good and minimizes suffering.

Front 25

How and when is the moral worth of an action, policy, judgment, and/or behavior determined

Back 25

It can only be determined after the fact and by reference to the observable consequences.

Front 26

Negative responsibility

Back 26

In the third step of utilitarianism, you must be willing to accept the negative responsibility of your actions or inactions. In other words if you do not do what the principle of utility dictates, you are as much responsible for the actions that occur.

Front 27

Basic moral intuitions

Back 27

In order for the principle of utility to work, we must throw out or basic moral intuitions because they would interfere with maximizing the greater good and minimizing the suffering. This can have a negative effect on our person.

Front 28

The Utilitarian Calculus

Back 28

using people in a formula in an effort to maximize the greater good and minimize suffering. We see people as numbers and not the human beings with lives that matter.

Front 29

Integrity

Back 29

If we constantly throw out our basic moral intuition in order to follow a utilitarian way of solving moral conflict it can have a profound effect on our own integrity. It can cause us to never forget what we have done or to become a shell of who we were.

Front 30

Kant

Back 30

A German author of the late 1700's who wrote many novels and created a system which allows us to solve moral issues.

Front 31

Reason

Back 31

can be seen as rationale. It is a skill that we develop and use as an instrument to guide our will. Reason allows us to know and view laws that are etched into our world.

Front 32

Reason’s (2) tasks

Back 32

First we must know the moral law, Second we must transform the wild savage will we are born with into a good will.

Front 33

Will

Back 33

the actions we commit, they can be savage or they can be good, it is reason that determines or controls our will.

Front 34

The Moral Law

Back 34

Never do anything you wouldn't be will to give everyone in the world permission to do by your doing it first.

Front 35

The Categorical Imperative Part 1

Back 35

The absolute universal command that must be obeyed in all circumstances and is justified as an ends in itself.

Front 36

The Categorical Imperative Part 2

Back 36

People cannot be treated as a means to an end.

Front 37

Duty to the Law

Back 37

We must not commit actions because we want to do good. We must commit certain actions because it is our duty to do good and follow the moral law.

Front 38

Human Nature

Back 38

Kant believed we are born wild and savage and hopefully through the help of our parents we develop the capacity to reason.

Front 39

When should the moral worth of an action, policy, judgment, and/or behavior be determined

Back 39

It is determined before because Kantians believe moral worth has an intrinsic value.

Front 40

Definition of the word ‘ethic’ according to Aristotle

Back 40

habit. Becoming a person who is kind, hospitable, good, loving, and compassionate

Front 41

Virtue

Back 41

behaving in the correct manner, between extremes of excess and deficiency. It is compassion, respect, love, responsibility, justice, honesty, etc. It is either intellectual or moral. Intellectual virtue is taught to us while moral virtue must be practiced.

Front 42

Happiness

Back 42

Aristotle believed that all human beings long to be happy and the only way to become happy was by becoming virtuous.

Front 43

Models/Standards

Back 43

We must find those who are worthy of being our teachers and who set the standards for virtuous behavior and model our behaviors after them.

Front 44

Practice, training, imitation

Back 44

Just like learning a musical instrument or learning to play tennis, we must practice in order to learn habits. In other words, by surrounding ourselves with patient people, we learn how they act patient, and in essence will act patient ourselves by mimicking their behavior.

Front 45

Habits

Back 45

the habits we cultivate determine who we become. If we do good, we become good. If we do bad, we become bad.

Front 46

Network

Back 46

Family, work, church, strangers.

Front 47

How can you tell who is already virtuous

Back 47

By asking others who have been around the person, by spending time with the person, by viewing their actions towards others. Make a careful study of the character and quality of that persons interpersonal relationships. See how they interact with strangers, family, church, work, etc.

Front 48

What is the criterion for determining which people are worthy of imitation

Back 48

Our culture is materialist, nihilistic, and narcissistic, so we should look at people who have been public figures and have not succumbed to the cultural awfulness. Look at Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi.

Front 49

What does an individual need to be ethical

Back 49

You must practice virtuous acts and not succumb to vices. Desires and the acquisition of material goods are less important than the achievement of virtue.

Front 50

Human flourishing

Back 50

Also called personal flourishing involves the rational use of one's individual human potentialities, including talents, abilities, and virtues in the pursuit of his freely and rationally chosen values and goals. A moral accomplishment and fulfillment of human capacities.