Exam 1-PHL256 (copy)

0.0(0)
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/57

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

58 Terms

1
New cards
**Metaethics**
The nature of morality in general
2
New cards
**Normative ethics**
Trying to identify the correct norms or rules for guiding conduct
3
New cards
**Applied ethics**
**The application of moral rules to particular issues**
4
New cards
**Teleological theory**
Define right/wrong based on the consequences of your actions
5
New cards
**Deontological theory**
**Tell the truth regardless of your consequences** 
6
New cards
**Utilitarianism**
**Right = maximizes good consequences for group (the most)** 
7
New cards
**Ethical egoism**
**Right = maximizes good consequences for yourself**
8
New cards
**Divine command theory**
Right = fulfill your duties you have as a result of the commands of the divine
9
New cards
**Natural law theory**
Right = fulfill your duties as they are revealed in the workings of nature
10
New cards
**Social contract theory**
Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of social contracts, promises, agreements, commitments and roles
11
New cards
**Kantianism**
**Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of being a rational being**
12
New cards
**Moral relativism**
The view that right and wrong are a function of someone’s attitudes
13
New cards
**Cultural relativism**
Right = __whatever__ reflects the attitudes of one’s cultures
14
New cards
**Ethical subjectivism**
Right = __whatever__ reflects the attitudes of one’s self
15
New cards
**Virtue ethics**
Agent-oriented theory, focus: you, your character. Central question: who should I **be**/**become**?
16
New cards
**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
17
New cards
**Are moral judgements descriptive or are they prescriptive?**
Descriptive
18
New cards
**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
19
New cards
**Give an example of an applied ethics question and a corresponding metaethical question**
Is __waterboarding__ immoral?

What does “immoral” mean?
20
New cards
**How are cultural relativism and ethical subjectivism similar?**
They are similar because they both define right in terms of attitudes
21
New cards
**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
22
New cards
**How are ethical subjectivism and ethical egoism similar?**
They are similar because they both define right in terms of the self
23
New cards
**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
24
New cards
**How are cultural relativism and social contract theory similar?**
They are similar because they both determine right in terms of others/group/society/many
25
New cards
**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
26
New cards
**How are utilitarianism and social contract theory similar?**
They are similar because they both define right in terms of the group
27
New cards
**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
28
New cards
**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
29
New cards
**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
30
New cards
**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
31
New cards
**Present the psychological egoist’s argument in defense of ethical egoism (PE + OIC implies EE)**

1. PE: people are selfish by nature; it is impossible for them to behave unselfishly. 

\+


2. 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
32
New cards
**Is Ayn Rand a psychological egoist? Explain Rand’s argument in favor of ethical egoism.**

**What are some potential problems with ethical egoism?**

1. 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
2. EE is **impractical**, because no one can ever calculate all of the consequences of their action in time to act on the calculation
3. 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
4. **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
33
New cards
**What does the “principle of utility” say?**
We should act always so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number
34
New cards
**What makes an action right, according to a utilitarian?**
If it maximizes good consequences for the group
35
New cards
**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
36
New cards
**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
37
New cards
**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
38
New cards
**Which is the branch of ethics that attempts to understand the nature of morality in general?**
Metaethics
39
New cards
**Which of the following is a teleological theory?**

**A. divine command theory**

**B. utilitarianism**
B. Utilitarianism
40
New cards
**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
41
New cards
**“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
42
New cards
**“What does ‘wrong’ mean"?” is an example of:**

**A. an applied ethical question**

**B. a metaethical question**
B. a metaethical question
43
New cards
**Which of the following is a deontological theory?**

**A. Kantianism**

**B. ethical egoism**
A. Kantianism
44
New cards
**Which of the following is a relativistic theory?**

**A. ethical egoism**

**B. ethical subjectivism**
B. ethical subjectivism
45
New cards
**Moral relativists define “right” and “wrong” in terms of:**

**A. consequences of individual actions**

**B. attitudes**
B. attitudes
46
New cards
**Which of the following theories defines “right” in terms of the fulfillment of duties?**

**A. utilitarianism**

**B. natural law theory**
B. natural law theory
47
New cards
**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
48
New cards
**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
49
New cards
**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
50
New cards
**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
51
New cards
**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
52
New cards
**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
53
New cards
**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
54
New cards
**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
55
New cards
**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
56
New cards
**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
57
New cards
**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
58
New cards
**Common criticisms of Utilitarianism-**

1. Counter-intuitive
2. Violates our deeply held fundamental moral intuitions
3. Impractical 


1. Requires an impossible calculation
4. Requires definition of  “group”


1. __**Who**__ counts in the group?
2. All people?
3. Only people?
4. Future people?