WEEK 1

Metaethics

foundations of morality, values and moral actions as well as concept of rightness and wrongness of such actions

Ethics

Greek word "ethos", idea of right and wrong, approaching life in a prescriptive manner (suggest what ppl should do)

Morality

actl belief, principles, and practices of ppl, personal views and perspectives on a subject matter

latin word "mores" = fixed customs, manners, moral conventions of a particular grp

Universally wrong actions

killing, lying, stealing

Socrates

pioneered western philosophy, first person to ask how we should live our lives independent of Greek Gods, focused more on the world and self

Socrates

"the unexamined life is not worth living", bad actions are not intentional, acting out of ignorance is smth we dont intend, intent presupposes knowledge

Aristotle

says that Socrates' argument on actions is wrong, possible to commit bad actions even w full knowledge they are bad, we do it bc our will is weak

Akrasia

“weakness of the will”

Aristotle

ignorant man is worse than an akratic man, rational individuals have capacity to know what's good or bad, changing for better is impossible for someone who doesn't see anything wrong w their actions

St. Thomas Aquinas

actus hominis and actus humanus

actus hominis

actions we do as animals, we do it bc its instinctive

actus humanus

actions we do as men, we do it bc of our rationality, human actions exclusive to us only

Harry Frankfurt

human actions are driven by care, our will comes from the things we care about