Morality and the Good Life FINAL

The Good (G)

The ultimate thing worth aiming for; what is genuinely valuable.

Philosophy (G)

The study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and how to live.

Branches of Philosophy (G)

Main divisions: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic, aesthetics.

Ethics (G)

The study of moral right and wrong and how we should act.

Metaphysics (G)

The study of what exists and the nature of reality.

Epistemology (G)

The study of knowledge: what we can know and how.

Branches of Ethics (G)

Normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics.

Normative Ethics (G)

Theories about what makes actions right or wrong.

Metaethics (G)

Questions about what morality itself is.

Applied or Practical Ethics (G)

Applying ethical theories to real-world moral issues.

Intrinsic Value (G)

Value something has in itself.

Instrumental Value (G)

Value something has as a means to something else.

Salience (G)

What stands out or matters most when judging something.

Virtue Ethics (G)

Moral theory focused on character and virtues.

Consequentialism (G)

Morality determined by consequences.

Deontology (G)

Morality determined by duty, rules, and intentions.

Eudaimonia (A)

Flourishing; living a fulfilling, excellent life.

Happiness (A)

Long-term fulfillment, not just pleasure.

Telos (A)

Purpose or end goal of a thing.

Ends (A)

The goals of our actions.

Function (A)

What something is uniquely meant to do.

Function Argument (A)

Humans flourish by performing their unique function (rational activity) well.

Habit (A)

Virtues are formed through repeated practice.

Virtue (A)

A stable character trait that allows rational excellence.

Intellectual Virtue (A)

Virtues of thought (wisdom, understanding).

Virtue of Character (A)

Virtues involving action and emotion (courage, temperance).

List of Virtues (A)

Examples include courage, generosity, honesty, pride, temperance.

Doctrine of the Mean (A)

Virtue is the balanced midpoint between excess and deficiency.

Fortune and Luck (A)

External factors that can influence but not fully determine happiness.

Goodwill (K)

The only thing good without qualification is acting purely from duty.

Duty (K)

What morality requires regardless of desires.

Moral Worth (K)

An action has moral worth only if done from duty.

Maxim (K)

The personal principle behind an action.

Imperative (K)

A command of reason.

Hypothetical Imperative (K)

“If you want X, do Y.”

Categorical Imperative (K)

A universal moral law binding on all rational beings.

Formula of Universal Law (K)

Act only on maxims you could will to be universal laws.

Formula of Humanity as End (K)

Treat others as ends in themselves, never merely as means.

Autonomy (K)

Self-governance through reason.

Role of Reason (K)

Reason identifies moral duties.

Inclination (K)

Desires or impulses; not the basis of morality.

Principle of Utility / Greatest Happiness Principle (M)

The right action maximizes happiness and minimizes suffering.

Happiness (M)

Pleasure and absence of pain.

Unhappiness (M)

Pain and lack of pleasure.

Hedonism (M)

The view that pleasure is the only intrinsic good.

Higher Pleasure (M)

Intellectual or moral pleasures.

Lower Pleasure (M)

Bodily or simple pleasures.

Competent Judges (M)

People who have experienced both pleasure types and choose higher ones.

Impartiality (M)

Everyone’s happiness counts equally.

Criticism “Too Weak” (M)

Objection: utility could justify bad acts; Response: consider long-term rules and outcomes.

Doctrine of Swine (M)

Objection: utilitarianism values only animal pleasures; Response: higher pleasures matter more.

Virtue and Self-Sacrifice (M)

Virtue is only good when it promotes happiness.

Criticism “Too Strong” (M)

Objection: too demanding; Response: follow practical rules.

Happiness Not Attainable (M)

Objection;: Response: We need manageable, realistic happiness.

Cannot Calculate Maximum Utility (M)

Objection; Response: use general experience and probable outcomes.

Too Demanding of Us (M)

Objection; Response: morality guides, doesn’t require perfection.

Criticism “Wrong-Headed” (M)

Objection: motives don’t matter; Response: consequences matter most.

Godless Doctrine (M)

Objection: Response: Utilitarianism aligns with benevolent divine aims.

Existentialism (E)

A philosophy emphasizing freedom, choice, and responsibility in an indifferent world.

Will to Power (N)

Drive to grow, overcome, and express strength.

Perspectivism (N)

Truth depends on perspective; no absolute truth.

Amor Fati / Eternal Recurrence (N)

Love your fate; imagine living life over endlessly and affirm it.

Herd Morality (N)

Morality created by the weak to control the strong.

Master Morality (N)

Values strength, excellence, creativity.

Slave Morality (N)

Values humility, obedience, meekness.

Ubermensch (N)

The ideal self-creating human who rises above herd morality.

Nietzsche vs Rainbow Fish (N)

He’d dislike its message of self-sacrifice and conformity.

Existence vs Essence (S)

Objects have essence first; humans exist first and define themselves.

Existence Precedes Essence (S)

Humans have no preset nature; we create who we become.

Anguish (S)

The feeling of realizing full responsibility for choices.

Abandonment / Forlornness (S)

No God or authority to guide morality.

Despair (S)

We can only control our choices, not others or outcomes.

Freedom (S)

Radical human freedom to choose.

Bad Faith (S)

Lying to oneself to avoid responsibility.

Being-in-Itself (S)

Non-conscious objects.

Being-for-Itself (S)

Conscious humans who can choose and change.

No Exit Examples (S)

Characters trap themselves through their choices.

Hell Is Other People (S)

Others force us to see ourselves truthfully.

Ambiguity (B)

Humans are both free subjects and limited objects.

Facticity (B)

The concrete facts of our situation (body, history, culture).

Transcendence (B)

Our ability to rise above facticity through choice.

Contingency (B)

Our choices and outcomes are not predetermined.

Choices Are Contingent (B)

Our decisions depend on circumstances that could be different.

Liberation (B)

True freedom requires helping others be free too.