Lecture Notes on Duty and Moral Philosophy

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms and concepts from a lecture on duty and moral philosophy.

Devoir (Duty)

An obligation that implies freedom; it is something one ought to do, and failure to do it results in blame or punishment.

Obligatoire (Obligatory)

An action for which one can be blamed or punished for not doing.

Autorisée (Authorized)

An action that one can do without incurring blame or punishment.

Interdite (Forbidden)

An action that one cannot do without incurring blame or punishment.

Surérogatoire (Supererogatory)

An action that one can choose not to do without blame, but which is praised or rewarded if done.

Conséquentialisme (Consequentialism)

A moral theory that the moral quality of an action depends on its consequences.

Déontologisme (Deontology)

A moral theory where the quality of an action depends on its conformity with certain moral principles.

Éthique des vertus (Virtue Ethics)

A moral theory that the quality of an action depends on its conformity with certain objective moral qualities (virtues).

Impératif catégorique (Categorical Imperative)

A moral command that is absolute and unconditional, dictating actions that must be taken regardless of one's desires or goals.

Hétéronomie (Heteronomy)

Obedience to a will other than one's own.

Autonomie (Autonomy)

Obedience to one's own will only.

Biais de disponibilité (Availability Bias)

A cognitive bias where decisions are based on information that is readily available, leading to potentially skewed judgments.

Naturalisme moral (Moral Naturalism)

The view that morality is grounded in facts about nature or human nature.

Principe d’utilité (Principle of Utility)

Approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question.

Principe de non-nuisance (Harm Principle)

Suggests the actions of individuals should only be limited to prevent harm to other individuals.