Ethics as a Learning Experience

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, philosophical definitions, and concepts introduced in Chapter 1 on ethics, moral values, and open-minded thinking.

Prejudice

Literally meaning "pre-judgment," it is a strong negative feeling about someone of a different ethnicity, gender, age, or social class, representing one way of not really paying attention.

Dogmatists

People who are unshakably committed to one answer to an ethical question, or to all ethical questions, and refuse to change their minds or engage in open-ended thinking.

Ethics of belief

A concept put forward by philosopher Joshua Halberstam that places value on the way opinions are arrived at, requiring judgments to be based on sound evidence.

Offhand self-justification

A kind of automatic excuse-making, defensiveness, or rationalizing when challenged, used to paper over uncertainties and avoid genuine critical thinking.

Relativism

A perspective that starts from the observation of differing moral values across individuals and societies and concludes that no single standard is right and that any moral opinion is as good as the next.

Descriptive relativism

The claim that moral values differ in fundamental ways between different people and cultures.

Prescriptive relativism

The philosophical position asserting that there is no single provable "right" answer to moral questions and that no moral standard is objectively correct.

Values

Things that we care about and that matter to us, including goals or ideals to which we aspire and by which we measure ourselves, others, or our society.

Moral values

A specific subset of values that give voice to the needs and legitimate expectations of others as well as ourselves.

Ethics

The study of moral values, involving deliberate reflection on how best to think about, clarify, prioritize, and integrate them.

Declarations of Interdependence

Statements emphasizing that humans are deeply dependent on the rest of the biosphere for health, wealth, and survival, requiring nature to be treated with respect.