ETHICS SHORT QUIZ

Relativism

the view being tested that morality depends on the individual or culture rather than a standard that applies beyond them.

Human goods

real goods that moral reasons can protect or serve, such as life, safety, truth, friendship, and justice.

Self-contradiction

when a theory makes a claim that conflicts with its own rule.

Moral complexity

the difficulty of judging an action carefully when motives and circumstances differ; complexity does not by itself prove relativism.

Cultural difference

the fact that cultures sometimes believe or practice different things.

Cultural relativism

the further conclusion that no culture can be judged by a moral standard beyond itself.

Human dignity

the equal worth the lesson asks us to recognize in every human person

ontology

the study of what is real; here it asks what a human person is and why every human person counts.

The tao

C. S. Lewis' term used in the lesson for shared moral teachings that appear across cultures.

Telos

the end, goal, or purpose toward which something is directed.

Teleology

thinking about a thing in relation to its end or purpose.

Chosen End

a goal a person chooses; it may be good or bad.

Human Telos

the ultimate good toward which human life is naturally ordered.

Eudaimonia

human flourishing or living well across a whole life; not merely a passing good feeling.

Rational Animal

the lesson’s Aristotelian description of the human being: animal by genus, rational by difference. Species is human

Final End

a good chosen for its own sake rather than only as a means to something else.

Means

something pursued for the sake of another goal.

Objective / Subjective Elements

objective elements do not depend only on preference; subjective elements can vary by taste or style.

Character

a fairly stable pattern of attitudes, desires, judgments, and actions.

Virtue

a well-formed state of character that helps a person choose and act well.

Virtuous

reason, desire, and action are in harmony.

Continent

knows and does the good while resisting contrary desire.

Incontinent

knows the good but gives in to contrary desire.

Vicious

judgment and desire are badly formed, leading to wrong action.

Golden Mean

the fitting response between excess and defect.

Excess / Defect

too much or too little in a feeling or action.

Mean Relative to Us

the fitting response may vary with person and situation while still being guided by the good.

Internal Goods

goods achieved through excellence in a practice itself.

External Goods

rewards such as grades, prizes, status, money, or applause.

Bent-Stick Remedy

training away from one’s usual extreme by practicing the opposite direction.

Natural Law

the moral order Aquinas sees as rooted in human nature and knowable by reason.

Function

what something can do or produce; function does not by itself determine human worth.

Human Goods

real goods that help human life flourish; this lesson highlights life, family, truth, and community.

Phronesis / Prudence

practical wisdom that applies the good to a particular case and chooses the fitting move.

Synderesis

the basic moral grasp that good should be pursued and evil avoided.

Conscience

a practical judgment about what one should do or avoid in a specific situation.

Object / Intention / Circumstances

what is done, why it is done, and the conditions surrounding the act.

Factor X

Fukuyama’s name for the deeper human quality used to explain equal dignity beyond differences in performance or ability.

Deontology

an ethical approach centered on duty; from deon, meaning duty.

Duty

choosing what is right because it is right, not merely because it is useful or pleasant.

Good Will

for Kant, the will that is good in itself and acts out of respect for the moral law.

Moral Worth

the special moral value Kant gives to an action done from duty.

Motive

the reason a person acts; Kant uses motive to distinguish outwardly similar actions.

In Conformity with Duty

doing the right action, but mainly for another motive such as advantage, fear, or inclination.

From Duty

doing the right action because it is one’s moral obligation.

Counsel of Prudence

conditional advice about reaching a desired goal: “If you want X, do Y.”

Panopticon

Foucault’s image of surveillance in which possible observation can shape behavior.

Reversal of Incentives

putting self-interest first and obeying the moral law only when it serves that interest.

Categorical Imperative

Kant’s unconditional moral command of reason; it does not depend on what I happen to want.

Hypothetical Imperative

a conditional rule: if I want a certain end, I should take the means needed to reach it.

Maxim

the rule or principle I give myself when I act.

Universal Law

the test of whether I can consistently will my maxim as a rule for everyone, not only as an exception for myself.

Humanity as an End

Kant’s principle that persons must always be respected as ends in themselves and never treated merely as means.

Means / End

a means is something used to reach a goal; an end is something valued or respected in itself. A person may never be reduced merely to a means.

Dignity

the worth of a person that prevents us from treating human beings as mere tools or products.