Introduction to Moral Philosophy and Ethical Theories

Moral Philosophy

Reflecting philosophically on morality's principles.

Morality

Rules and values about right and wrong behavior.

Philosophical Reasoning

Logical analysis of fundamental beliefs and values.

Metaethics

Studies the nature and meaning of morality.

Normative Ethics

Determines rules that govern right and wrong actions.

Applied Ethics

Applies moral theories to specific moral issues.

Natural Law Theory

Universal laws governing moral actions exist.

Religious Ethics

Moral codes derived from divine revelation.

Deontology

Moral duties dictate actions regardless of consequences.

Consequentialism

Actions judged by the outcomes they produce.

Moral Intuitions

Immediate, instinctive judgments about moral situations.

Reflective Equilibrium

Balancing moral beliefs with principles for coherence.

Socrates' Quote

Unexamined life lacks worth and meaning.

Moral Values

Beliefs about what is good or bad.

Cultural Relativism

Moral truths vary by culture or individual.

Objective Morality

Moral truths exist independently of human opinion.

Subjective Morality

Morality based on personal feelings or opinions.

Moral Statements

Assertions about right and wrong that can be true/false.

Just War Theory

Ethical framework for evaluating the morality of war.

Euthanasia

Ending a life to relieve suffering, raises ethical questions.

Ethical Treatment of Animals

Moral considerations regarding non-human animal welfare.

Abortion

The termination of a pregnancy before birth.

Euthanasia

The act of intentionally ending a life to relieve suffering.

Ethical treatment of non-human animals

Moral consideration for the welfare of animals.

Just war

A war deemed to be morally justifiable.

Logic

Study of correct reasoning and inference making.

Argument

Sequence of statements supporting a conclusion.

Deductive logic

Arguments where conclusions follow necessarily from premises.

Validity

If premises true, conclusion must be true.

Soundness

True premises combined with validity in an argument.

Fallacy of Circularity

Argument where conclusion is included in premises.

Begging the Question

Credibility of premises depends on conclusion's credibility.

Inductive Arguments

Arguments based on patterns from observations.

Strong inductive argument

Conclusion likely true based on premises.

Weak inductive argument

Conclusion not likely true based on premises.

Abductive Arguments

Reasoning to best explanation from settled facts.

Non-Deductive Logic

Arguments that do not guarantee truth of conclusions.

Inductive generalization

Probabilistic conclusion based on available evidence.

Abductive reasoning

Identifying most likely explanation for evidence.

Argument 1

Example of deductive argument about Socrates' mortality.

Argument 3

Invalid argument claiming Socrates is a flying tomato.

Argument 7

Valid but non-circular argument about God's existence.

Argument 8

Inductive argument predicting Socrates' death from hemlock.

Argument 10

Abductive argument about cheese disappearing and a mouse.

Deductive Argument

If premises true, conclusion must be true.

Validity

Premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion.

Soundness

Validity plus all premises are true.

Non-Deductive Argument

Premises do not guarantee conclusion's truth.

Strong Non-Deductive Argument

True premises likely lead to a true conclusion.

Weak Non-Deductive Argument

True premises unlikely lead to a true conclusion.

Premises

Initial assumptions supporting the conclusion.

Conclusion

Final statement derived from premises.

Argument Evaluation

Assessing support and truth of premises.

Moral Status

Ethical consideration of sentient beings.

Hasty Generalization

Inductive reasoning based on insufficient evidence.

Induction

Generalizing from past observed instances.

Inference to Best Explanation

Identifying the most plausible theory among options.

Reasoning by Analogy

Comparing two areas to draw conclusions.

Thought Experiments

Hypothetical scenarios testing theories or intuitions.

Moral Intuitions

Spontaneous reactions indicating moral approval or disapproval.

Utilitarianism

Ethical theory prioritizing the greatest good.

Philosophical Anarchism

Political theory advocating for minimal government.

William Godwin

Proponent of utilitarianism and philosophical anarchism.

Counterevidence

Evidence that contradicts a generalization.

Large Sample Size

Strengthens inductive arguments by representation.

Correlation

Statistical relationship between two variables.

Competing Theories

Different explanations for the same observation.

Mary Wollstonecraft

Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Mary Shelley

Author of Frankenstein, daughter of Godwin.

Godwin's Thought Experiment

Moral dilemma involving saving a capable individual.

Archbishop Fénelon

French author, exposed aristocratic corruption.

Utilitarianism

Ethical theory focused on maximizing overall good.

Filippa Foot

British philosopher, founder of contemporary virtue ethics.

Moral Puzzle

Questioning conflicting intuitions in similar situations.

Peter Singer

Contemporary philosopher known for practical ethics.

Drowning Child Scenario

Moral dilemma about saving a drowning child.

Singer's Principle

Prevent bad outcomes without significant sacrifice morally.

Deductively Valid Argument

Logical structure where conclusion follows from premises.

Famine Relief

Moral obligation to donate to prevent starvation.

Analogy

Comparison illustrating moral equivalence between situations.

UNICEF Statistics

5.3 million children die from preventable causes yearly.

Wealth Distribution

1% owns half of global wealth.

Luxury Goods

Items that can be sacrificed for charity.

GiveWell

Organization estimating costs to save lives.

Moral Wrongness

Ethical judgment of failing to help others.

Shallow Pond

Scenario illustrating moral duty to save lives.

Every 6 Seconds

Rate of child deaths from preventable causes.

Net Worth Thresholds

$871,320 for wealthiest 1%, $93,170 for 10%.

Moral Intuition

Innate sense of right and wrong actions.

Moral Responsibility

Obligation to act ethically in given situations.

Thought Experiment

Hypothetical situation illustrating a moral theory.

Moral Intuitions

Spontaneous thoughts about moral cases.

Counterintuitive

Moral theory contradicting common intuitions.

Counterexample

Example disproving a claim or theory.

Utilitarianism

Ethical theory maximizing overall happiness.

Framing

Influence of problem description on intuitions.

Confirmation Bias

Favoring evidence supporting existing beliefs.

Godwin's Case

Thought experiment supporting utilitarianism.

Foot's Trolley Problem

Moral dilemma about sacrificing one to save many.

Singer's Principle

Prevent bad outcomes without significant sacrifice.