Ethics Quiz

René Descartes

School of thought: Skepticism, Neoplatonism Ideas: Cartesian dualism, "I think, therefore, I am," believed in mind-body dualism, big on rationalism in philosophy

David Hume

School of thought: Skepticism (atheist)

Ideas: Moral sentimentalism - morality originated in sentiment Emphasized emotions in moral judgments

Immanuel Kant

School of thought: Transcendental Idealism (our minds shape what is reality)

Ideas: Emphasized rational morality over religious doctrine, had a concept of autonomy in ethics

Friedrich Nietzsche

School of thought: Skepticism (known as an atheist - "God is dead")

Ideas: Critiqued traditional morality and Christianity, had a concept of the Übermensch or "Superman"

John Locke

School of thought: Humanism, Protestant Christian

Ideas: Known for advocating religious tolerance, theories of social contract, empiricism, and political liberalism. Identified pleasure and pain as primary motivators and morality comes from a superior authority (God)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

School of thought: Humanism, Cynicism

Ideas: Critical of organized religion, known for social contract theory, and ideas on natural human goodness and the impact of society on social freedom. True freedom is "Obedience to a law one prescribes to oneself."

Jacque Derrida

School of thought: Skepticism, Humanism (Jewish)

Ideas: Critically engaged with religious themes, known for deconstruction, and critique of language and meaning. Believed morality comes from a "general will" of the people - reason cannot provide a "clean" moral answer - legal justice (law) is different from justice itself.

Michel Foucault

School of thought: Skepticism, Humanism, Agnostic

Ideas: Critical of religion, known for his views on the power/knowledge dynamic, social institutions, disciplinary power. Argued that claiming something as an objective truth is trying to hold power over others." The goal is to resist normalization and care for the self

Søren Kierkegaard

Labeled: Christian Existential Philosopher

Ideas: Critiqued Enlightenment rationalism, arguing that Christianity is not merely an intellectual system but a personal commitment to God. Known for works that explored faith, anxiety and authentic Christian living such as Fear and Trembling.

C.S Lewis

Labeled: Christian Apologist and Literary Scholar (often wrote against subjectivism)

Ideas: Advocated for a rational basis for belief in God and the moral implications of Christianity, known for his works on Christian apologetics, particularly Mere Christianity and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Detrich Bonhoeffer

Labeled: Christian Philosopher and Culture Critic (often wrote on ideas of Ethics)

Ideas: Advocated for an active faith in action and the necessity of personal commitment to Christ, especially in the face of injustice, known for His works such as The Cost of Discipleship, where he emphasizes the importance of living out one's faith authentically

Francis Schaeffer

Labeled: Christian Philosopher, Cultural Critic

Ideas: Emphasized the integration of faith and reason, and critiqued modern secularism and relativism, known for his works such as The God Who Is There and How Should We Then Live?, which explore the implications of Christianity on culture and philosophy.

Truth

That which corresponds to reality

Logic

a science that deals with the principles and criteria of validity of inference and demonstration: the science of the formal principles of reasoning

Ethics

The branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles

Moral

Standard of behavior

Epistemology

The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. The investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.

Ideological/intellectual Progression of Moral Authority

Ancient World Authority from "the gods" etc. truth revealed through rulers/priests

Reformation Authority from Scripture individuals evaluate truth

Enlightenment Authority from reason humans determine truth

Postmodernism Truth claims questioned knowledge seen as social construct