Midterm Ethics

introduction to ethics

the three difficulties

meta-ethics, applied ethics, and arguing heartward

meta-ethics

arguing backwards; attempting to provide rational foundation for fundamental virtues like justice and kindness

applied ethics

arguing forward; applying ethical principles to resolves complex contemporary dilemmas like freedom of speech

arguing heartward

to care about the things one ought to care about

ethics is the pursuit of

goodness, rightness, obligation

divine command theory

"because God said so” (God’s will); moral obligations are grounded in God’s commands

euthyphro’s dilemma

“whether the pious or holy is beloved by the god bc it’s holy or holy bc it’s beloved of the gods”

ethical egoism

might makes right; self interest (euthyphro also advocates)

thrasymachus’ definition of justice #1

“justice is in the apparent advantage of the stronger”

thrasymachus’ definition of justice #2

“justice is in the real advantage of the stronger”

virtues of a person

wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice

virtues of the body; wisdom is the…

mind

virtues of the body; courage is the…

chest

virtues of the body; self-control is the…

belly

virtues of the body; justice is the…

harmony

virtue according to aristotle

habit of choosing the mean between two extremes

moral responsibilities according to aristotle

knowledge, choice, and no coercion/intentionally

hedone to epicurus

“pleasure”; its absence of feeling pain or mental disturbance (subjective)

eudaimonia to aristotle

“happiness” or well-functioning”; its activity of virtuous living (objective)

“for this reason we can call pleasure the alpha and omega of a happy life” what does this mean according to epicurus?

from the beginning to the end, everything is for pleasure

what’s pleasure to epicurus?

content, at peace; subjective state of tranquility

main stoic virtues according to epictetus

detachment, courage, and wisdom

stoic virtue; wisdom is…

knowing the difference between detachment and courage

laozi’s ethics

passive; withdrawal of desires and attention from external reality so no one can see the “tao”

“tao”

way of nature; cause of all things that is invisible

“wu wei”

effortless action (against action); thinking of nothing intentionally

which title or label did your instructor use to describe confucius’s role and impact on eastern philosophy?

the aristotle of the east

what is jesus’s countercultural ethic?

followers (like the poor and hungry) are “blessed” for what they have in store rather than what they have now

full satisfaction according to augustine

not in this life, in another eternal life

the four laws

eternal, natural, divine, and human

eternal law

the way the world should work; what God had in mind

natural law

how the created world participates in eternal law

divine law

special revelation

human law

laws that humans make

foundation debate is…

whether there are moral absolutes; whether “goodness” is an objective reality or a subjective construct

according to Augustine, which specific virtue actually serves as proof that the virtuous life still involves internal struggle and pain?

self-control/temperance

when jesus says "do not judge", what specific behavior did your instructor suggest he was condemning?

the hyper-critical spirit or hypocritical form of judgmentalism

the first principle of practical reasoning

the good is what all things desire

Aristotle argues that the "good" of a thing is tied to its function. Based on the reading and lecture, which three examples does Aristotle use to demonstrate that "goodness" is found in performing a specific function well?

A lyre-player, a sculptor, and an artist

According to Aristotle, how does a "farm boy" acquire soldierly virtues like courage and obedience?

By habituating the actions of a soldier through repetitive practice

How does Aristotle define virtue?

The habit of choosing the mean between two extremes

What are Aristotle’s three requirements for assigning praise or blame to an action?

Lack of compulsion, knowledge of circumstances, and choice

On what specific (metaphysical) grounds does Epicurus argue that death is "nothing to us" and should not be feared?

Death is the deprivation of sensation; therefore, we have no awareness in it

According to the lecture, Epicurus’s philosophy is best categorized under which ethical framework?

Ethical Egoism

Epicurus claims pleasure is the "alpha and omega" (the beginning and end) of a blessed life. What are the implications of this view regarding our treatment of others?

Since you cannot experience what another person experiences, you should only care for others if you enjoy doing so

According to the instructor, under which ethical framework should the philosophy of Epictetus and the broader Stoic tradition be categorized?

Virtue Ethics

According to the course material, which of the following best describes the fundamental difference between Laozi and Confucius regarding ethical behavior?

Confucius emphasizes active effort and ritual, while Laozi emphasizes passive alignment with the Way (Wu Wei)

According to the instructor's explanation of Confucian thought, what is the definition of "perfect virtue"?

To subdue one's self and return to propriety

According to the lecture, what makes an action more morally worthy than the action for Jesus?

The heart or disposition from which actions stem

In the excerpt provided on The City of God, what is the central question Augustine is addressing regarding our pursuit of the "Good Life"?

Is this world capable of bearing the weight of our longings for eternal happiness?

Which figure in U.S. history applied Aquinas’s "Natural Law" to advocate for justice and civil rights?

Martin Luther King Jr.

According to Aquinas, what makes a truth "self-evident"?

When the predicate is contained within the definition of the subject

What is the central, self-evident moral principle of practical reason according to Aquinas?

"The good is that which all things desire"

the goodness is…

the ideal/morally desirable

the rightness is…

actions compliant with moral law

the difference between aristotle’s eudaimonia and epicurus’s hedone?

aristotle is objective state of well-functioning while epicurus is subjective state of tranquility

stoic virtue; detachment is…

resign oneself to the unchangeable (ataraxia)

stoic virtue; courage is…

the courage to change the changeable

In Tao Te Ching, Laozi emphasizes that "non-existence" or "emptiness" is what makes an object useful. Which two specific illustrations did the text and your instructor use to demonstrate this principle?

The emptiness inside a cup and the open center of a wheel’s hub

four concepts of confucius ethics

chun tzu, jen, li, and wen

chun tzu

morally and psychologically mature person

jen

basic goodwill and benevolent disposition toward others

li

habit of propriety; way of conforming to one’s actions to natural and societal rules

wen

the arts one practices and habituates to achieve chun tzu

what do the followers of confucius aim for?

chun tzu

the golden rule according to jesus

“whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them”

virtue ethics

be kind; developing good character traits is the foundation for making moral decisions

natural law theory

“listen to your conscience”; there are a set of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles which are discoverable through reason

who are advocates of natural law theory?

aquinas and martin luther king jr.

who proposed virtue ethics?

aristotle and epictetus