Key Concepts in Ethics and Moral Reasoning

Minimum Conception of Morality

The idea that morality requires reason and impartiality when making ethical decisions.

Conscientious Moral Agent

A person who acts rationally, considers all relevant facts, revises beliefs based on new evidence, and treats everyone fairly.

Impartiality

Giving equal weight to everyone's interests without bias.

Pre-theoretic Intuitions

Gut-level moral reactions formed before critical analysis.

Cognitive Bias

Systematic errors in thinking that distort reasoning and judgment.

Egocentrism

The tendency to see everything from one's own perspective, leading to self-centered reasoning.

Heuristic

A mental shortcut used for quick decision-making, sometimes leading to errors.

Ethical Relativism

The belief that moral truths are determined by cultural norms.

Ethical Subjectivism

The idea that moral truths are determined by individual preferences.

Divine Command Theory

The belief that morality is based on God's commands.

Ethical Egoism

The belief that moral actions are those that maximize one's self-interest.

Utilitarianism (Consequentialism)

The ethical theory that actions are right if they maximize overall happiness.

Kantian Deontology

The view that moral actions are determined by duty and universal moral laws, not consequences.

Virtue Ethics

A moral theory that focuses on developing good character traits to lead a flourishing life.

Social Contract Theory (SCT)

The idea that morality arises from agreements among individuals in a society.

Arbitrariness

Making a decision without good reason or justification.

Euthyphro Dilemma

A challenge to Divine Command Theory: is something moral because God commands it, or does God command it because it is moral?

Closed Ideology

A belief system that dismisses opposing views by reinterpreting evidence to fit pre-existing ideas.

Reinterpreting Motives

The argumentative move of explaining away opposing views by assuming hidden motives.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out information that supports pre-existing beliefs.

Wishful Thinking

Believing something because one wants it to be true, rather than because of evidence.

Framing Effect

The way a problem or question is presented influences decision-making.

Priming/Recency Bias

The tendency to be influenced by recent or repeated exposure to information.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overemphasizing personality traits rather than situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Groupthink

Conforming to a group's opinion to maintain harmony, even when it leads to poor decisions.

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing successes to oneself and failures to external factors.

Value-Laden Observation (VLO)

The idea that all perception is influenced by values and prior beliefs.

Value-Laden Editing (VLE)

The claim that editing decisions introduce bias, even in attempts to be objective.

Retribalization

A term from Marshall McLuhan, predicting that electronic media will push societies into more polarized, tribal-like group dynamics.

Cherry-Picking Evidence

Selecting only the evidence that supports one's beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Moral Law vs. Cosmic Lawgiver

The debate over whether ethics can exist without a divine source.

Fear of Punishment vs. Moral Thinking

The idea that acting morally out of fear of consequences is not genuine ethical reasoning.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others. Ethical egoists argue altruism is just disguised self-interest.

Batman vs. Joker (Moral Objectivism vs. Relativism)

Batman represents belief in objective justice, while Joker embodies moral relativism.

Solipsism

The philosophical belief that only one's own mind is certain to exist. Used to challenge ethical subjectivism.

Two Donors Problem

A thought experiment showing how ethical egoism fails by prioritizing self-interest over genuine moral good.