Phil 1200 Midterm: RJ Leland (Revised) FLIPPED

A sequence of statements, intended to support one or more conclusions
The truth of the premises gives you a reason to believe the conclusion

Arguments in philosophy

Statements that are simply asserted without proof in the context of the present argument.

Premises

The side of the argument leads to the main point and is supported by premises.

Conclusion

An argument can only be valid If Its premises entails to a conclusion. It's impossible for the conclusion to be invalid.

Validity

If it is raining, then the streets are wet. It's raining. Therefore, the streets are wet.

By logic, raining makes the street wet.

Example of a Valid argument

An argument can only be Invalid If Its premises does not entail to the conclusion, thus, making the conclusion false.

Invalidity

If it is raining, then the streets are wet. The streets are wet. Therefore, It's raining.

It could be a construction. A movie play about flooding. It doens't have to be rain for the streets to be wet.

Example of a Invalid argument

The premises are true and the conclusion is true therefore, must be valid.

The argument is valid and their premises are true.

Soudness

All rabbits are mammals. Bugs Bunny is a rabbit. Therefore, Bugs Bunny is a mammal.

Sound Argument Examples

An argument is unsound when the argument is invalid, or if at least one of the premises is false.

Unsoundness

All pigs can fly. Pinky is a pig. Therefore Pinky can fly.

Pigs can't fly by logic, so It makes Premise 1: False. The argument is still valid, however.

Example of Unsound argument

When an argument is an instance of a scheme all of whose instances are valid, the argument is said to be formally valid.

Formal Validity

If p, then q
Not q
Therefore not p

Modus Tollens

If p then q
p
Therefore q

Modus Ponens

Either p or q
It is not the case that p
Therefore q

Disjunctive Syllogism

If p then q
If q then r
If p then r

Hypothetical Syllogism

If p then q
If it is not the case that q, then it is not the case that p

Contraposition

This reasoning leads to the absurd conclusion that no number of objects is something indistinguishable from the other.

What is the Sorites Paradox?

Acceptability: Is your argument logical and a reasonable one?

Relevance: Are your arguments relevant?

Sufficiency: Is there sufficient evidence?

It is important for someone to accept the premises first before the conclusion. If the conclusion is doubted, then the premises did nothing to support the conclusion.

What makes a good argument?

Arguments that aim to be valid.

It entails Its conclusion

Generate an argument where It leads an entailment to the conclusion from its premises.

Includes proof. The conclusion is supported and entailed

Demonstrative Arguments

Premises entail somewhat of the conclusion. Premises can doubt the conclusion but may still be valid.

Non demonstrative Arguments

Started with a particular observation to a generalized claim. Tactically relies on the idea that the particulars are a guide to the general. Typically, Hypothetical.

Inductive Argument

A form of inductive reasoning in which we reason from premises about a state of affairs to an explanation for that state of affairs.

Which one infers a theory that would if true, provide the best available explanation for one's evidence?

Inference to Best Explanation

Socrates and Euthyphro are both on trial, Euthyphro prosecuting his father who killed an employee for having killed an enslaved person, and Euthyphro is confident hes acting piously/righteously, so Socrates is asking him what piety/righteousness is to him.

Euthyphro

If something is loved by the gods because it is pious, or pious because It’s loved by the gods.

Euthyphro's Dilenma

Morally required/forbidden actions are required because of god's commands, permissible actions are those where god neither commands nor forbids.

Divine Command Theory

The practice of judging a culture by its own standards. Proposes that what is ethical is relative to, or depends on cultural attitude.

Cultural Relativism

Rightness/wrongness of an action is determined only by its effects on the world. Try to avoid the worst case scenario.

Consequentialism

The principle of Utility: Ought to do what action best maximizes happiness and minimizes unhappiness.

Utilitarianism

a practice where one gets rid of worldly pleasures and focuses on thinking, particularly for religious or spiritual purposes (e.g. Buddhist Monk)

Principle of Asceticism

Its intensity, duration, certainty or uncertainty, its nearness and remoteness, fecundity (its chance of being followed by sensations of the same kind) purity (its chance of not being followed by opposite sensations), and its extent (the number of persons to whom it extends or whos affected by it)

Measures of pleasure and pain (Utilitarianism)

charges utilitarianism with being overly permissive. To
maximise the sum total of well-being, utilitarianism might be thought to allow
infringing upon others’ rights or violating other apparent moral constraints.

the rights objection (utilitarianism)

claims that utilitarianism is overly demanding
because it requires excessive self-sacrifice from us in order to help others.

The demandingness objection (utilitarianism)

holds that utilitarianism is not sufficiently concerned
with distributive justice and the value of equality.

The equality objection (utilitarianism)

claims that utilitarianism treats people as “mere
means” to the greater good rather than as ends in themselves

The mere means objection (utilitarianism)

charges utilitarianism with
aggregating well-being in an unacceptable way, neglecting the significance of
the boundaries between individuals.

The separateness of persons' objection (utilitarianism)

alleges that the moral reasons posited by
utilitarianism are troublingly cold and aloof, alienating us from the particular
people and projects that (rightly) matter to us

The alienation objection (utilitarianism)

holds that utilitarianism is excessively
impartial, and does not sufficiently account for the special obligations that we
have to our friends and family.

The special obligations objection (utilitarianism)

Overemphasizes food insecurity and population size. Poverty in general.

Singer

If It's in our power to prevent something seriously from bad happening without hereby sacrificing anything of moral importance, we ought to do it.

Principle of Assistance

She believes there are 2 types of moral saints; the loving saint, and the rational saint. Both have lives organized around satisfying the demands of mortality, though they relate differently to those demands.

Susan Wolf

Wants what we want but gives it up of our commitment to morality. They are not enjoying doing so, just for the sake of obligation.

Rational Saint

Being exceptionally morally good is what makes him happy. Enjoys and dedicate their life to kindness.

Loving Saint

An ethical theory that says actions are good or bad according to a clear set of rules. Actions that align with these rules are ethical, while actions that don't, arent.

Deontology

At first glance duty. Morals reasons against doing acts that can be defeated by competing considerations.

Defeasible.

Prima Facie Duty

If you make a promise, you have to keep it. You have an obligation not to lie.

Fidelity

If I have wronged you in the past that gives me a duty in the present to make it up to you, If you steal you owe compensation

Reperation

Responding to other people's duties of past conduct, going above and beyond, and repaying the favor when someone else is in need.

Gratitude

Fairness and distribution, duty to contribute to forming and maintaing fair distribution, about distributing things according to merit so that good persons get more and bad persons get less.

Justice

In position to help people, confer on them a benefit or protection from harm. Singer's views.

Beneficence

Make yourself a better person over time

Self improvement

A duty not to harm

Non-maleficence