Untitled Flashcards Set

Ethics

The study of moral principles that govern human behavior, focusing on what is considered right and wrong in human actions.

Moral Universe

The concept that morality is essential to human existence and should not be reduced solely to our physical or material needs.

Instrumental Questions

Questions that address practical actions, aimed at achieving commonplace or mundane objectives.

Non-Instrumental Questions

Questions that delve into ethical principles that transcend basic survival and convenience.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of reality, including concepts such as being, existence, and the universe.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, scope, and limitations of knowledge and belief.

Aesthetics

The philosophical study focused on the nature of beauty, art, and aesthetic experience.

Logic

The study of correct reasoning, argumentation, and the principles of valid inference.

Ideal Theory

Ethical theories that propose guiding principles for moral behavior, though seldom fully applicable in real-world situations.

Monistic Theories

Ethical theories that rely on a single principle or value to determine what is morally right.

Pluralistic Theories

Ethical approaches that consider multiple principles to address moral dilemmas.

Consequentialism

An ethical framework that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions based solely on their outcomes or consequences.

Non-Consequentialism

An ethical framework that evaluates actions based on their adherence to rules or principles, irrespective of the outcomes.

Kant’s Deontology

An ethical theory founded by Immanuel Kant, which emphasizes moral duties and adherence to rules over outcomes.

Categorical Imperative

Kant's formulation of a universal moral law that dictates ethical behavior, applicable to all rational beings.

Formula of Universal Law

A principle from Kant's ethics stating that one should act only according to maxims that could be universalized.

Formula of Humanity

Kant's principle that individuals must be treated as ends in themselves and not merely as means to an end.

Formula of Autonomy

The idea in Kantian ethics that one should act as if they are legislating moral law for all rational beings.

Autonomy

The capacity to make one's own moral decisions and self-govern according to ethical principles.

Dignity

The inherent worthiness and value of rational individuals that must be respected.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory primarily associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill that seeks to maximize overall happiness and minimize suffering.

Principle of Utility (Greatest Happiness Principle)

The principle stating that the morally right action is the one that results in the greatest overall happiness.

Higher vs. Lower Pleasures

The distinction in utilitarianism where higher pleasures (intellectual and artistic) are considered more valuable than lower pleasures (bodily and sensual).

Eudaimonia

A key concept in Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics referring to human flourishing or the highest good that one can achieve.

Arete

The excellence or virtue of fulfilling one’s potential and purpose, central to Aristotelian ethics.

Doctrine of the Mean

Aristotle's principle that virtue is achieved by finding a moderate position between extremes of excess and deficiency.