Social Contract Theory and Ethics Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering Social Contract Theory, moral philosophies including Utilitarianism and Deontology, environmental ethics, and the ethics of killing.

Social Contract Theory

The argument that political authority is not natural but created through an agreement among rational individuals who consent to give up some freedom for the benefits of an organised society.

Moral Agency

The state of being capable of reason, choice, and responsibility, assumed by social contract theorists as a fundamental human characteristic.

State of Nature

A hypothetical condition of life without government where individuals possess maximum liberty but minimal security.

Civil Law (in foro externo)

Specific rules enforced by governments that regulate outward actions rather than private thoughts.

The Artificial Person

A concept used by Hobbes to describe the state, which is created through collective agreement and represented by the sovereign.

Sovereign

The government or authority that represents the will of the people and whose primary duty is to ensure peace, security, defence, and economic stability.

Hobbes' First Law of Nature

The rational principle to seek peace wherever possible.

Moral Relativism

The view that moral standards are shaped by culture and that what is acceptable in one society may not be acceptable in another.

Eudaimonia

An Aristotelian concept referring to human flourishing or living well through the full development of human capacities and virtuous activity.

The Common Good

Social conditions that benefit the entire community and emphasize collective wellbeing rather than individual or group interests.

Public Goods

Concrete services or resources available to everyone that cannot easily be restricted, such as roads, street lighting, and national defence.

Social Responsibility

The idea that individuals have obligations towards others, such as paying taxes and obeying laws, because they benefit from living within a community.

Cosmopolitan View

The philosophical stance that all human beings possess equal moral worth regardless of nationality, leading to obligations to foreign populations and refugees.

Particularist/Nationalist View

The view that moral obligations are strongest towards members of one's own political community, prioritising domestic wellbeing over global concerns.

Natural Law

Moral principles discoverable through reason that arise from human nature, serving as the foundation for political authority.

Joint Commitment

When individuals collectively agree to pursue a shared goal or uphold common rules, creating mutual obligations within a community.

Justice as Fair Procedure

The idea that justice depends on the fairness of decision-making processes rather than just the final outcomes.

Veil of Ignorance

A thought experiment by John Rawls where individuals design society without knowing their own wealth, gender, ethnicity, or social status to ensure fair rules.

Natural Justice

Procedural fairness consisting of the right to be heard and the requirement for impartial, unbiased decision-makers.

Civil Disobedience

The deliberate, public, and non-violent violation of a law to protest against injustice.

Marginalisation

The exclusion of individuals or groups from full participation in society, often resulting in reduced access to public goods and political power.

Liberal Democracy

A system of government that combines democratic participation with individual rights, the rule of law, and constitutional limits on power.

Anthropocentric

A human-centred viewpoint where moral concern and significance begin with human beings.

Instrumental Value

Value assigned to something based on its usefulness for another purpose, such as nature being valued for the resources it provides to humans.

Intrinsic Value

Value that something has in itself, regardless of its usefulness to others.

Personhood

A status often defined by the capacity for rational thought, self-awareness, moral agency, and understanding reasons for action.

Utilitarianism

A consequentialist moral theory arguing that the correct action is the one that produces the greatest overall happiness for the greatest number of people.

Higher Pleasures

A concept by J.S. Mill referring to intellectual and creative satisfactions that are more valuable than physical ones.

Deontology

A duty-based moral theory where the morality of an action depends on whether it fulfils a universal rule or duty, independent of consequences.

Categorical Imperative

Kant's principle that one should act only according to rules that they could will to become universal laws.

Moral Absolutism

The view that certain moral standards and rules are objective and universally true for all people, regardless of culture or history.

Cultural Relativism

The belief that moral standards arise from specific cultural traditions and should be understood within their own context.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge other cultures based on the values and standards of one's own culture.

Phronesis

Practical wisdom that enables a virtuous person to judge complex moral situations appropriately in Neo-Aristotelian ethics.

Humane Death

A death that occurs in a way consistent with compassion and respect, minimising unnecessary suffering, fear, and indignity.

Just War Theory

A framework associated with Thomas Aquinas that identifies conditions under which war may be morally justified, such as proportionality and just cause.

Manslaughter

A category of killing where the intention to kill is absent or diminished, making it less blameworthy than murder.

Euthanasia

The practice of intentionally ending a life to prevent extreme suffering, often raising conflicts between the value of life and personal autonomy.