Ethics Mid-Term

Definition of ethics

branch of philosophy studies morality right wrong what people ought to do

Moral

effort to live by right vs wrong

Amoral

lacking sense of morality

Non-moral

not holding moral principles 

Approaches to studying ethics

Scientific: observation,

Philosophy: normality (what should they do),

Synthetic: Science plus Philosophy

Applications of morality

Concerned with relationship with: Religion, Nature, Individual, Social

ethics and human responsibilities

Free-will, man is responsible

The nature of values in ethics

Values are objective: external source or embodied in nature

Values are subjective: constructed by individual

morality relations to law

laws provide sanction for social morality, morality is blueprint for laws

3 forms of ethical egoism

Individual: everyone should act in benefit to me

Personal: I should act in my own self-interest

Universal: everyone should act in their own self interest

Utilitarianism

Society “greatest happiness for greater number of people”

Act Utilitarianism

always act in the best interest of greater good

Rule Utilitarianism

always follow laws or rules for greater good

Morality relationship with religion

Moral values base on religion traditions= moral code

2 types of Consequentialist morality

Ethical egoism Utilitarianism

Ethical egoism

people who act in self interest

Major proponents of utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham: Quantity

John Stewart Mill: Qualiity

Care/Feminist ethics

Mens moral attitudes: justice, right, independence, competition

Womens: generosity, harmony, maintaining relationships

Nonconsequentialist 

Consequence are not judging factor if actions or people are moral or immoral

Act Nonconsequentialist

What is right is not what happens because you do so

(your moral rules)

Rule Nonconsequentialist

There are no general moral rules only particular actions

(“society” moral rules)

Divine command theory

folllow command from god or scriptures

Kants Duty Ethics

Morality should be followed out of duty rather than feelings

Rational basis for morality

Based on reason

Categorical Imperative

An absolute command no ifs ands buts

The Practical Imperative

Dont use people as tools for own growth

Virtue Ethics

Ethical theory that focuses on persons characteristics 

Aristoles Nichomachean Ethics

Be the best version of yourself, highest good is having a flourishing life

Moral Relativism

That morality is relative to culture, society, or personal

Moral Propositions

Statements ex: you should never kill another human

Moral Isolationism

I dont belong to that culture so how can I judge what they view is right or wrong

Determinism

No freedom everything is conditioned humans are not free agents

Hard Determinism

Will is determined by ONLY external factors beyond individual 

Soft Determinism

Will is determined by individual as well as external factors individuals are responsible

Forms of determinmism

Religious: god predetermined everything

Scientific: Determined by nature

Psychological: Human drives

Historical: Past + present influence

Indeterminism

Will is not fully determined humans can have free will

Incompatibilism

Determinism and freedom are not compatible

Compatibilism

Determinism and freedom are compatible

Libertarianism

Will is completely controlled by humans free-will

Fatalism

Everything is inevitable

4 principles of reward

equality, ability, merit, and needs

Retributive or Deserts theory of reward/punisment

Basis on what people deserve not concerned w/ future

Utilitarian theory of reward/punisment

Only to extent its deserved not concerned w/ future

4 Principles of punishment

unpleasant, imposed for reason, imposed by authority, imposed according to rules or laws