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Metaethics
The nature of morality in general
Normative ethics
Trying to identify the correct norms or rules for guiding conduct
Applied ethics
The application of moral rules to particular issues
Teleological theory
Define right/wrong based on the consequences of your actions
Deontological theory
Tell the truth regardless of your consequences
Utilitarianism
Right = maximizes good consequences for group (the most)
Ethical egoism
Right = maximizes good consequences for yourself
Divine command theory
Right = fulfill your duties you have as a result of the commands of the divine
Natural law theory
Right = fulfill your duties as they are revealed in the workings of nature
Social contract theory
Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of social contracts, promises, agreements, commitments and roles
Kantianism
Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of being a rational being
Moral relativism
The view that right and wrong are a function of someone’s attitudes
Cultural relativism
Right = whatever reflects the attitudes of one’s cultures
Ethical subjectivism
Right = whatever reflects the attitudes of one’s self
Virtue ethics
Agent-oriented theory, focus: you, your character. Central question: who should I be/become?
What is the difference between a descriptive claim and a prescriptive claim?
A descriptive claim is what a person DOES do, a prescriptive claim is what a person SHOULD do
Are moral judgements descriptive or are they prescriptive?
Descriptive
What is the difference between metaethics and applied ethics?
Metaethics- The nature of morality in general
Applied ethics- The application of moral rules to particular issues
Give an example of an applied ethics question and a corresponding metaethical question
Is waterboarding immoral?
What does “immoral” mean?
How are cultural relativism and ethical subjectivism similar?
They are similar because they both define right in terms of attitudes
How are cultural relativism and ethical subjectivism different?
They are different because one uses the culture’s attitudes and one uses the individual's attitudes
How are ethical subjectivism and ethical egoism similar?
They are similar because they both define right in terms of the self
How are ethical subjectivism and ethical egoism different?
They are different because ES defines right in terms of attitudes of the self (what you like) and EE defines right in terms of the consequences for one's self, what’s good for you
How are cultural relativism and social contract theory similar?
They are similar because they both determine right in terms of others/group/society/many
How are cultural relativism and social contract theory different?
They are different because CR checks the attitudes of the group and SCT checks the agreement of the group
How are utilitarianism and social contract theory similar?
They are similar because they both define right in terms of the group
How are utilitarianism and social contract theory different?
They are different because SCT is going to check the contract with the group. Utilitarianism will check the consequences of the group
What is the difference between act-oriented ethics and agent-oriented ethics?
Act-oriented focus on the same questions, focus on and judge your behavior. Agent-oriented focuses on your character
How is psychological egoism different from ethical egoism? Which one is a prescriptive
theory? Which one is a descriptive theory?
PE: people are selfish by nature; it is impossible for them to behave unselfishly
PE is descriptive
Ethical Egoism is a prescriptive theory
What is the “ought implies can” principle?
To tell someone they ought to do something is to thereby imply that the can do it, it is unfair to require the impossible
Present the psychological egoist’s argument in defense of ethical egoism (PE + OIC implies EE)
PE: people are selfish by nature; it is impossible for them to behave unselfishly.
+
OIC: To tell someone they ought to do something is to thereby imply that the can do it, it is unfair to require the impossible
=
EE is the only fair moral theory. Every other theory tells you to be unselfish and YOU CAN’T
Is Ayn Rand a psychological egoist? Explain Rand’s argument in favor of ethical egoism.
What are some potential problems with ethical egoism?
EE is arbitrary, because, for no good reason, emphasizes the well-being of a single individual rather than the well-being of more/the most people
EE is impractical, because no one can ever calculate all of the consequences of their action in time to act on the calculation
EE appears to make it impossible to ever know that something is right/wrong, because it is impossible to ever know all of the consequences of one’s actions
Counter-intuitive, because it produces judgments that violate our pre-existing moral intuitions. For example, it produces judgments like it would be morally right to use puppies or babies as stepping stones to avoid getting your own shoes dirty in the puddles
What does the “principle of utility” say?
We should act always so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number
What makes an action right, according to a utilitarian?
If it maximizes good consequences for the group
Describe some of the formulations of the trolley through experiment intended to help determine whether utilitarianism is true
Switch
Flip: switch, kill one
Don’t flip, kill 5
Bridge
Push guy off, kill one
Don't push guy off, kill 5
What are some of the reasons utilitarianism can be difficult to put into practice?
Fails to take into account considerations of justice. We can imagine instances where a certain course of action would produce great benefits for society, but they would be clearly unjust
What does it mean to say that a moral theory is counterintuitive? Try to provide a clear-cut example of a counterintuitive implication of utilitarianism
Counter-intuitive, because it produces judgments that violate our pre-existing moral intuitions. For example, it produces judgments like it would be morally right to use puppies or babies as stepping stones to avoid getting your own shoes dirty in the puddles
Which is the branch of ethics that attempts to understand the nature of morality in general?
Metaethics
Which of the following is a teleological theory?
A. divine command theory
B. utilitarianism
B. Utilitarianism
Deontological theories define “right” and “wrong” in terms of:
A. fulfillment of one’s duties
B. consequences of one’s actions
A. fulfillment of one’s duties
“Was it wrong to send inert grenades to incoming new Congress members as a greeting?” is an example of:
A. a metaethical question
B. an applied ethical question
B. an applied ethical question
“What does ‘wrong’ mean"?” is an example of:
A. an applied ethical question
B. a metaethical question
B. a metaethical question
Which of the following is a deontological theory?
A. Kantianism
B. ethical egoism
A. Kantianism
Which of the following is a relativistic theory?
A. ethical egoism
B. ethical subjectivism
B. ethical subjectivism
Moral relativists define “right” and “wrong” in terms of:
A. consequences of individual actions
B. attitudes
B. attitudes
Which of the following theories defines “right” in terms of the fulfillment of duties?
A. utilitarianism
B. natural law theory
B. natural law theory
Which of the following theories define morality in terms of fulfilling one’s promises and commitments?
A. ethical subjectivism
B. social contract theory
B. social contract theory
Which of the following is true?
A. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory
B. a moral theory is a descriptive theory
A. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory
Which of the following is true?
A. a descriptive theory tries to report what we actually do
B. a descriptive theory tries to report what we should do
A. a descriptive theory tries to report what we actually do
Which of the following metaethical theories would the following objection most likely be aimed: “This theory results in moral judgments that violate our institutions about what’s right. For example, this theory says that it is right for you to start civil unrest, even riot in the community as long as doing so produces the best outcome for you personally.”
A. utilitarianism
B. ethical egoism
B. ethical egoism
Which of the following is psychological egoism?
A. People can only be selfish
B. People should only be selfish
A. People can only be selfish
According to the “ought implies can” principle:
A. it is unfair to require of people what’s impossible for them to do
B. people are selfish by nature
A. it is unfair to require of people what’s impossible for them to do
According to the psychological egoist’s argument in favor of ethical egoism, we should be selfish because:
A. that is all we are capable of being anyway
B. that is what brings about a happier world for as many people as possible
C. that is the most efficient way and effective way to protect and enhance what has intrinsic value, namely, the individual self
D. that is what our culture is likely to approve of
A. that is all we are capable of being anyway
The trolley problem thought experiment we talked about in class us designed to test whether people generally support which moral theory?
A. ethical egoism
B. utilitarianism
B. utilitarianism
The parachute thought experiment we talked about in class is designed to test whether people generally support which moral theory?
A. ethical egoism
B. utilitarianism
A. ethical egoism
According to the studies in moral psychology cited in the video that we watched, which version of the trolley though experiment causes more people to intervene to try to save more lives?
A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment
B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment
A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment
According to those same studies in moral psychology, which version of the thought experiment feels to people more like “making someone die” as opposed to “letting someone die?”
A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment
B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment
B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment
Common criticisms of Utilitarianism-
Counter-intuitive
Violates our deeply held fundamental moral intuitions
Impractical
Requires an impossible calculation
Requires definition of “group”
Who counts in the group?
All people?
Only people?
Future people?
Note 
Flashcard (23)