Spring Study Guide on Ethics and Moral Philosophy

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Ethics

The study of character, proper conduct, and living justly/rightly. It involves reflecting on what it means to live a good life and make morally sound decisions.

Secular Moral Philosophy

The use of reason and logic to understand right and wrong without relying solely on religious teachings. It acknowledges that while religion can inform moral thinking, reason can lead to universally applicable ethical principles.

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person instead of their argument.

Straw Man

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.

Appeal to Emotion

Using emotion instead of logic to persuade.

Red Herring

Introducing irrelevant information to distract from the main issue.

Slippery Slope

Assuming one small step will lead to a chain of negative events.

Bandwagon

Arguing something is right because many people believe it.

Relativism

The belief that moral truths are not absolute but vary by culture, individual, or context. It suggests we shouldn't judge others' moral beliefs, but critics argue this can prevent ethical accountability.

Virtue Ethics

A moral philosophy attributed to Aristotle, emphasizing the importance of character and the virtues as central to ethical behavior.

Golden Mean

Virtue lies between two extremes (e.g., courage is between cowardice and recklessness).

Bent Stick Remedy

To correct a vice, we may need to aim toward the opposite extreme.

Eudaimonia

Human flourishing or living a full, virtuous life through rational activity.

Deontology

Ethics is based on duty and reason.

Categorical Imperative

Act only according to principles that could be universal laws.

Utilitarianism

Aim to produce the greatest good for the greatest number.

Jeremy Bentham

Focused on quantifying pleasure and pain.

John Stuart Mill

Emphasized quality of pleasures and individual rights.

Human Rights and the Social Contract

The idea that individuals agree (explicitly or implicitly) to give up certain freedoms in exchange for the benefits of society (e.g., safety, law, and order).

UN Declaration of Human Rights

Asserts that all human beings are born with dignity and rights.

Natural Law Theory

Founded by Thomas Aquinas, who combined Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy.

What Difference Does God Make in Moral Reasoning?

Religion introduces theological virtues (faith, hope, charity) in addition to natural virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, courage).

Biblical Worldview

A perspective that includes concepts of Human Nature, Original Justice/Sin, and the Kingdom of God.

Free Will

The capacity to choose between different possible courses of action.

Determinism

The belief that all actions are determined by prior causes (e.g., biology, environment, upbringing).

Formation of Conscience

Built through personal experience, education and critical reflection, and listening to the wisdom of others.

The Three Parts of a Moral Act

Intention, Act, Outcome (Consequences) - All three must be morally good for the act to be morally good overall.

Key Ethical Principle

Morality is about the choices we make - how they align with reason, virtue, duty, outcomes, and often, a higher purpose.

Existentialism

Finding meaning and purpose in your life. Father of existentialism is Soren Kierkegaard.

John Locke and the theory of rights

The Catholic church argued that rights come from God/nature and not the government.

Biblical criticism

Looking critically at the text of the bible to understand the meaning of the text, including the author, audience, and when it was written.

Virtue

Moral worth and excellence.