Philosophy and Ethics - Vocabulary Flashcards (Video Notes)

A vocabulary-focused set of flashcards covering the key philosophical and ethical concepts from the notes.

Philosophy

Love of wisdom; pursuit of knowledge about existence, values, and human experience, originating in Ancient Greece and using reason over mythology.

Philosophy root etymology

From Greek philos (love) and sophia (wisdom) — philosophy means 'love of wisdom'.

Pythagoras

Early Greek thinker believed to have coined the term philosophy; sought natural explanations through reason.

Thales

Early Greek philosopher who examined natural explanations of the world apart from myth.

Anaximenes

Pre-Socratic philosopher who explored natural explanations of reality.

Democritus

Early philosopher who searched for natural explanations of the world using reason.

Aristotle’s meaning of philosophy

“Thinking which aims at maximum connected truth about all available experience.”

Celestine Bittle’s meaning of philosophy

“Science of beings in their ultimate reasons, causes, and principles.”

Five Views of Philosophy (Titus and Smith)

1) Personal attitude toward life and the universe; 2) Reflective thinking and logical inquiry; 3) See the whole picture of reality; 4) Clarification of language, meaning, concepts; 5) Set of problems and theories seeking resolution.

Five Views of Philosophy (comprehensive)

An umbrella for various aims of philosophy: attitude, method, total view, language, and problem-solving.

Metaphysics

Main branch; study of reality and existence.

Epistemology

Main branch; study of knowledge.

Value Theory

Main branch; includes ethics and aesthetics.

Two Ways of Philosophizing

Philosophy as reflection plus action; living philosophy through reflection and practice.

Primary reflection

Analyzing experiences by breaking them down.

Secondary reflection

Reassembling experiences to see the bigger picture.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Prisoners see shadows as reality; freedom reveals the real world; the sun represents knowledge; illustrates that beliefs may be illusory.

Philosophy’s role in science and society

Philosophy shares reasoning with science but addresses broader questions about meaning, values, and the good life; science studies parts, philosophy studies wholes.

Critical Examination (Philosophy as science)

Critiques assumptions in science and other fields to ensure consistency.

Synthesis of Knowledge

Integrates insights from different disciplines into a unified understanding.

Harmonization of the Sciences

Unifies different scientific fields; acknowledges that sciences originated from philosophy.

Philosophy in society

Guides social interaction, clarifies meanings, shapes habits, and emerges as a group belief from individual philosophies.

Education value of Philosophy

Key component of liberal education; develops critical thinking and broad understanding.

Pursued for its own sake

Philosophy is valued for intrinsic worth, akin to the fine arts.

Broadens our perspective

Helps us understand ourselves, others, and life's meaning.

Guides decision-making

Supports the creation of a personal philosophy to guide actions.

Independent thinking

Encourages breaking from dogma and promoting intellectual freedom.

Criticisms of philosophy (attitude)

Perceived as difficult, impractical, stagnant, or harmful to question moral principles.

Meaning of Ethics

From ethos (character); standards of right and wrong; the study and reflection on those standards.

Norms (four types)

Technical (survival), Societal (group harmony), Aesthetic (beauty), Ethical/Moral (highest, guiding right and wrong).

Technical norms

Standards for survival and practical tasks.

Societal norms

Standards for group harmony and social interaction.

Aesthetic norms

Standards of beauty and artistic taste.

Ethical or moral norms

Highest norms guiding what is truly right or wrong.

Morality

Shaped by tradition, culture, and community; actions judged by adherence to moral norms.

Ethics

Reflecting on those norms to make conscious, reasoned decisions.

Moral vs. ethics (Velasquez distinction)

Morality is inherited from community standards; ethics involves reflecting on those standards and making reasoned choices.

Habermas: Procedural

Focus on efficiency and the processes of justification.

Habermas: Ethical

Based on the good life and ethical considerations.

Habermas: Moral standards

Focused on justice in moral decision-making.

Max Scheler’s view

Preferring higher value is love; preferring lower value is egoism.

Moral reasoning requires

Reason and impartiality; consider all stakeholders equally and use sound reasoning.

Moral reasoning

Process of making fair, thoughtful decisions using facts, logic, and core values.

Step-by-step moral deliberation

1) Determine if there is a moral dilemma; 2) Identify the dilemma and gather facts; 3) Consider options with reasons.

Premises and conclusion (moral argument)

An argument consists of premises that support a conclusion.

Valid vs. Invalid arguments

Valid: premises logically lead to conclusion; Invalid: premises do not support the conclusion.

Sound vs. Unsound arguments

Sound: valid with true premises; Unsound: invalid or with false premises.

Moral argument structure

Moral standard, an alleged fact, and a moral judgment.

James Rachels’ minimum requirements

Backed by good reasons; based on facts; built on acceptable principles; impartial.

Metaethics

Study of the nature of morality and the meaning of moral terms.

Moral realism

There are objective moral facts.

Moral relativism

Moral truths vary across cultures.

Moral absolutism

There is one set of universal moral truths.

Descriptive ethics

Describes how people actually think and act morally.

Normative ethics

Asks how we ought to act; prescribes moral principles.

Moral anti-realism

There are no objective moral truths.

Subjectivism

Moral claims reflect personal attitudes, not objective facts.

Natural Law Theory

Morality comes from a divine or rational order.

Utilitarianism

Choose actions that maximize overall happiness.

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development

Stages of moral development: Preconventional, Conventional, Postconventional.

Heinz dilemma

A classic case used to study moral development about stealing a drug to save a loved one.

Preconventional level

Stage 1 obedience/punishment; Stage 2 self-interest.

Conventional level

Stage 3 interpersonal conformity; Stage 4 authority/law and order.

Postconventional level

Stage 5 social contract; Stage 6 universal ethical principles.

Moral dilemmas (Palma-Angeles)

Situations where values clash; resolve by pausing, identifying stakeholders, clarifying values, listing options, and evaluating consequences.

Dilemma statement

A concise expression of the conflicting values involved (e.g., Justice vs. Loyalty vs. Honesty vs. Compassion).

Matrix for moral decisions

A tool listing alternatives, values, and consequences to compare options.