Ethic Final Exam (TERMS)

Appetitive Soul

According to Aristotle, this type of soul gives one the capacity for sensation and the ability to experience pleasure and pain. It is found in animals and humans, and it is also called the Sensitive Soul.

Negative Engineering

This type of genetic engineering has as its goal the use of bioengineering to overcome defects and diseases

Positive Engineering

This type of genetic engineering has as its goal the use of bioengineering to make improvements over and above the elimination of defects

Premises

These are the supporting grounds, reasons or evidence for accepting a conclusion.

Conclusion

This is the statement or proposition that someone is arguing in favor of. Examples are: therefore, so, thus, in conclusion, it follows that, and as a result of

Argument

In philosophy this consists of at least one premise and a conclusion

Ethics

Generally speaking, it is that branch of philosophy that is concerned with the right and the good for human beings

Telelogical Theories of Ethics

These theories of ethics assert the priority of the good over the right

Deontological Theories of Ethics

These theories of ethics assert the priority of the right over the good

Objectivism

This view states that the source of human values lies outside human beings although it does not specify where or what that source is.

Trancendentalism

This is a form of objectivism, and it holds that the source of human values lies in an extrahuman order- which is either God or Nature

Theism

This is the belief that a god or gods exists

Subjectivism

This view holds that human beings invent and create their own values.

The Golden Mean

According to Aristotle, this is the virtue or good trait that lies between the Vice of Defect and the Vice of Excess.

Therapy

In biotechnology, this is an intervention that helps restore normal function to an organism that is suffering from an impairment due to disease or injury

Enhancement

In biotechnology, this gives some people a fair or an unfair advantage over others, providing better than normal functioning

Bias Towards the Future

Derek Parfit holds that human beings psychologically invest themselves in their thoughts, dreams and plans for their futures.

Bias Towards the Past

Derek Parfit claims that not being born earlier is a bad thing if it keeps us from things we would regard as good.

Retributivism

This is a form of deontological theory,and it aims at justice and fairness

Equality Retributivism

This form of retributivism says that the punishment must be equal to what the victim suffered, and it cannot be less extreme

Mens Rea

This is a form of retributivism. It takes both the action and the motive into account

Hedonism

This ethical theory claims that happiness, defined as hedone'/pleasure, is the one intrinsic, highest good. Epicurus is a representative of this ethical viewpoint

Stoicism

This is a philosophy that originated in Ancient Greece and later flourished in Rome under the teacher Epictetus

Apatheia

For the Stoics, this is the highest good for human beings, and the word means serenity, a calm state of mind, an inner sense of balance, tranquility

Existentialism

This 20th Century, Continental philosophy arose in France and Germany after the devastation of WW2. Its representative include Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Schophenhauer, and Jean-Paul Sartre

The Will to Power

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, this is the basic dynamic energy that is present in all living things.

Naturalism

This view states that the whole of reality is the physical world and the physical universe. Nature is all there is; there is no supernatural, transcendent realm such as Heaven or Nirvana

Nutritive Soul

According to Aristotle, this type of soul gives one the ability to nourish oneself, grow and reproduce. It is found in plants, animals and humans. It is the only type of soul that plants possess, and it is also called the Vegetative Soul.

Rational Soul

According to Aristotle, this type of soul gives one the ability to reason. It is found in humans only.

Teleology/Teleological

According to Aristotle all of nature, including human nature and human action, is directed towards ends, purposes, goals and aims.

Biotechnology

This is the use of biological organisms and processes to provide useful products in industry and medicine

Atomism

According to Epicurus, the universe is composed of two ultimate, fundamentally real things - bodies (also called atoms) and space (also called the void).

Duty to Respect Oneself

Immanuel Kant holds that every individual has a moral obligation to treat him/herself as a person who is intrinsically valuable and worthwhile in him/herself and should never treat him/herself as a means or a thing.

Duty to Perfect Oneself

Immanuel Kant holds that every individual has a moral obligation to develop and enhance and make the fullest possible use of their natural talents and abilities

Active Euthanasia

This form of euthanasia involves killing a patient. This patient is given a lethal (though humane) treatment (usually a drug overdose), and this treatment causes the patient's death

Passive Euthanasia

This form of euthanasia involves letting the patient die. The patient dies because the doctors have refrained from doing something. The death occurs because of the withholding or withdrawing of all extraordinary treatment that could prolong the patient's life. The patient dies from his ailment and not from any artificially administrated treatment

Voluntary Euthanasia

In this form of euthanasia, the patient makes a conscious and clear request for euthanasia.

Involuntary Euthanasia

This form of euthanasia is considered to be murder. The patient, in spite of severe suffering and in spite of facing a painful end, has expressed the desire not to die but is killed or allowed to die anyway.

Nonvoluntary Euthanasia

In this form of euthanasia, patients are incapable of requesting or indicating a desire for death, often not being able to form judgments in the matter. Examples include: comatose or senile patients who are incapable of rational thought and have no Living Will and defective newborns (E.G. those with Down's Syndrome) or with extreme brain incapacity

Utalitarianism

Developed by Jeremy Bentham, this moral theory is a form of ethical hedonism. Its guiding principle is called the Principle of Utility or the Greatest Happiness Principle

The Principle of Utility

Developed by Jeremy Bentham, this states that "one ought always to aim at the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people/" It is also called the Greatest Happiness Principle, and it is the guiding principle of Bentham's utilitarianism

Hedonic Calculus

Developed by Jeremy Bentham, this method provides a way to judge between alternative courses of action based on the consequences of each one in terms of the amount of pleasure and pain they produce

Self Regarding Conduct

According to John Stuart Mill, this kind of conduct affects only the individual (or also others with their consent). Society has no right to interfere with this kind of conduct

Other Regarding Conduct

According to John Stuart Mill, this kind of conduct affects other people, and one does not have their consent. The individual is responsible for and accountable to society for this type of conduct

The Deontological Theory of Punishment

This theory of punishment says that punishment is good in itself; it is the right thing to do to criminals

The Utilitarian Theory of Punishment

This theory of punishment says that punishment can be good because of the consequences it brings about

Lex Talionis

This is the doctrine of "an eye or an eye." It is also called the Law of Retaliation and Equality Retributivism

Proportional Retributivism

This form of retributivism says that the punishment can be less extreme than the crime

The Prevention Theory of Punishment

This theory of punishment says that punishment can be good because a criminal is kept from committing further crimes

The Rehabilitation Theory of Punishment

This theory of punishment says that punishment can be good because the criminal is being rehabilitated or reformed

The Deterrance Theory of Punishment

In this theory of punishment the aim is to prevent would-be criminals from becoming criminals

Will to Live

Arthur Schopenhauer claims that humans are driven by this blind, irrational force

"Man is Condemned to be Free"

Jean-Paul Sartre uses this phrase to assert that human beings are radically free