Concise Intro to Ethics Chapter 1 Brain FC

Atheism

The belief that God does not exist

Conventional Morality

The system of widely accepted rules and principles created by and for human beings, that members of a culture or society use to govern their own lives and to assess the actions and the motivations of others

What are the characteristics of critical morality?

1. does not have its origin in social agreements

2. is untainted by mistaken beliefs, irrationality or popular prejudices

   1. Can serve as the true standard for determining when conventional morality has got it right and when it has fallen into error

What are the 3 core areas of moral philosophy?

1. Value Theory

2. Normative Ethics

3. Metaethics

What is value theory?

The area of ethics concerned with identifying what is valuable in its own right, and explaining the nature of well-being

What are normative ethics?

The area of ethical theory focused on identifying which kinds of actions are right and wrong, examining the plausibility of various moral rules, and determining which character traits qualify as virtues and which as vices

What kinds of questions are asked in value theory?

What is the good life?

What is worth pursuing for its own sake?

How do we improve your lot in life?

What is happiness, and is it the very same thing as well-being?

What is metaethics?

The area of ethical theory that asks about the status of normative ethical claims. It asks about whether such claims can be true and, if so, whether personal cultural, or divine opinion makes them true (or none of the above). It also considers issues about how to gain moral knowledge, and whether moral requirements give us reasons to obey them

What questions are asked in normative ethics?

What are our fundamental moral duties?

What makes right actions right?

Which character traits count as virtues, which as vices, and why?

Who should our role models be?

Do the ends always justify the means, or are there certain types of action that should never be done under any circumstances?

What are the questions asked in metaethics?

What is the status of moral claims and advice? 

Can ethical theories, moral principles, or specific moral verdicts be true? If so, what makes them true?

Can we gain moral wisdom? If so, how?

Do we always have good reason to do our moral duty?

What are examples of reasonable constraints that can guide us when thinking about how to live?

• Neither law nor tradition is immune from moral criticism

• Everyone is morally fallible

• Friendship is valuable

• We are not obligated to do the impossible

• Children bear less moral responsibility than adults

• Justice is a very important moral good

• Deliberately hurting other people requires justification

• Equals ought to be treated equally

• Self-interest isn’t the only ethical consideration

• Agony is bad

• Might doesn’t make right

• Free and informed requests prevent rights violations

Why is neither law or tradition immune from moral criticism?

The law does not have the final word on what is right and wrong. Neither does tradition. Actions that are legal, or customary, are sometimes morally mistaken

Why is everyone morally fallible?

Everyone has some mistaken ethical views, and no human being is wholly wise when it comes to moral matters

Why is freindship valuable?

Having friends is a good thing. Friendships add value to your life. You are better off when there are people you care deeply about, and who care deeply about you.

Why are we not obligated to do the impossible?

Morality can demand only so much of us. Moral standards that are impossible to meet are illegitimate. Morality must respect our limitations.

Why do children bear less moral responsibility than adults?

Moral responsibility assumes an ability on our part to understand options, to make decisions in an informed way, and to let our decisions guide our behavior. The fewer of these abilities you have, the less blameworthy you are for any harm you might cause

Why is justice an important moral good?

Any moral theory that treats justice as irrelevant is deeply suspect. It is important that we get what we deserve, and that we are treated fairly

Why does deliberately hurting other people require justification?

The default position in ethics is this: do no harm. It is sometimes morally acceptable to harm others, but there must be an excellent reason for doing so or else the harmful behavior is unjustified.

Why should equals be treated equally?

People who are alike in all relevant respects should get similar treatment. When this fails to happen then something has gone wrong ( ex: sexism, racism)

Why is self-interest not considered the only ethical consideration?

How well-off we are is important. But it isn’t the only thing of moral importance. Morality sometimes calls on us to set aside our own interest for the sake of others.

Why is agony bad?

Excruciating physical or emotional pain is bad. It may sometimes be appropriate to cause such extreme suffering but doing so requires a very powerful justification.

Why does might not make right?

People in power can get away with lots of things that the rest of us can’t. That doesn’t justify what they do. That a person can escape punishment is one thing, whether his actions are morally acceptable is another

Why do free and informed requests prevent rights and violations?

If, with eyes wide open and no one twisting your arm, you ask someone to do something for you, and she does it, then your rights have not been violated even if you end up hurt as a result

What is a normative system?

System made up of a set of norms, standards for how we ought to behave, ideals to aim for, and rules that we should not break.

What are the four most important normative systems?

1. Law

2. Etiquette

3. Self-Interest

4. Tradition

What is the Divine Command Theory?

The view that an act is morally required just because it is commanded by God, and immoral just because God forbids it

Omniscient

All-knowing

What are the arguments against Divine Perfection Theory?

1. If the divine command theory is true, then a morally perfect God could have created a flawless morality that required us to rape, steal, and kill, and forbade us from any acts of kindness or generosity

2. A morally perfect God could not have issued such commands, anyone who did so would be morally imperfect.

Therefore, the Divine Command Theory is false

Theists

Those who believe that God exists

What conditions must be met for those seeking divine guidance to succeed in living a moral life?

1. God Exists

2. We can be justified in believing this

3. Theists must be justified in selecting a particular source of religious and moral wisdom

4. Theists must also defend specific interpretations of those sources