Ethical Theories Module Assessment Study Guide

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key terms, philosophical theories, and spiritual concepts for the Ethical Theories Module Assessment.

Altruism

Describes actions that are motivated purely by the will to help others, also known as good will.

artificial purpose

A purpose invented by an individual person or society (i.e., person-made).

asceticism

The notion that depriving oneself of pleasure (food, drink, friends, sex, material things) is conducive to wisdom/enlightenment.

Buddha

An exemplar of enlightenment, rather than a deity, revered by Buddhists for his spiritual wisdom.

care ethics

An approach to ethics that emphasizes the role of partiality, compassion, and emotion in ethical decision-making.

Consequentialism

The view that the rightness or wrongness of an action is relative to the desirability of the consequences produced by that action.

cosmic purpose

A purpose ordained by nature or god.

Cultural Relativism

The view that moral truths are contingent upon the entrenched norms of any given culture.

dharana

An object onto which one can focus their attention whilst meditating, such as one’s breathing, a sunset, or a talisman.

Egoism

The notion that human beings are (or ought to be) motivated purely by self-interest.

Emotivism

The view that there is no moral truth and that moral principles are merely the interpretation of feelings resulting from witnessing or considering an action.

eudaimonia

A Greek term that refers to a state of happiness that is achieved by fulfilling one’s purpose.

humanness

Refers to an intrinsic desire to do good for the sake of goodness itself, especially when actions involve the well-being of others.

instrumental good

Something that is good for the sake of some other good, such as sit-ups being conducive to core strength.

integrity

Refers to honesty in all forms; especially in regards to promise-keeping.

intrinsic good

Something that is good in-and-of-itself, as opposed to being desirable for the sake of some other good.

knowledge

Refers to an understanding of intrinsic moral norms.

Lao-Tzu

The (perhaps fictitious) man who founded Taoism and is alleged to have composed the tao-te-ching.

mara

‐Evil demons‐ that exist in our consciousnesses; a metaphor for distracting, egotistical thoughts.

Mirror Neurons

Specialized brain cells that can evoke feelings of empathy and play an important role in ethical discourse and decision-making.

Mosaic-Brain Model

A cognitive model of sexually-dimorphic brains and subsequent cognitive output that are more similar than they are different.

Natural Kinds Ethics

The view that certain objective moral principles are ingrained in human biology and that moral disagreements arise from differences in nonmoral beliefs.

Nirvana

A Sanskrit word that literally means ‐blowing out‐; an enlightened state achieved when one clears the mara from one's mind.

Objectivism

The view that moral principles are universal and eternal.

proper right

Maintaining a reverence and humble respect for social hierarchies (basically Xiao).

righteousness

Refers to an adherence to rationality and self-restraint, acting with adherence to reason rather than being persuaded by emotion.

Siddhartha Guatama

The young prince who left a life of comfort to achieve enlightenment and eventually became the Buddha.

Social contract

A theory claiming government emerges from humankind’s willingness to surrender certain liberties to a sovereign power in exchange for protection.

Strong Relativism

The epistemic claim that all moral statements lack truth value and cannot possibly be true nor false.

Subjective Relativism

The view that moral truths are contingent upon the beliefs of any given individual.

teleological

Refers to arguments in philosophy that invoke a thing’s design as evidence of a thing’s purpose.

the Golden Mean

Refers to the virtue to be found between two vices, such as courage being between cowardice and brashness.

the tao

The cosmic law that underwrites every process in the universe and balances nature.

value theory

The study of methods by which humans evaluate things, often placing value on things that serve their purpose.

Weak Relativism

The view that some objective moral principles exist, but cultural/subjective differences cause them to be applied differently.

wu-wei

Literally means ‐without‐; the path of ‐non-doing‐ involving surrendering to the natural order of the universe.

Xiao

Refers to ‐filial piety,‐ prescribing respect for natural superiors like parents and elders to maintain a harmonious hierarchy.

Zen

A school of Buddhism that emphasizes the role of meditation in the path to enlightenment.