Ethics Lecture Notes

A comprehensive set of 300 English vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from lecture notes on rules, moral standards, ethical theories, moral dilemmas, freedom, culture, and cultural relativism.

Rules

Codified directives that guide behavior within a group or society to maintain order.

Social Order

A state of predictable, coordinated behavior among members of a community.

Predictability

The assurance that actions will follow expected patterns, enabling stability in society.

Harmonious coexistence

Peaceful living together achieved through mutual respect and adherence to shared rules.

Rule as tool

The idea that regulations exist to serve human welfare rather than to be obeyed for their own sake.

“Rules are made for man, not man for rules”

A principle emphasizing that laws should promote human well-being, echoing Jesus’ teaching on the Sabbath.

Sabbath principle

Interpreting a religious day of rest as serving human needs, not mere ritual compliance.

Human flourishing

A condition in which individuals and communities thrive physically, mentally, and morally.

Ideal society

A community where citizens act ethically without external coercion.

Self-governance

Regulating one’s behavior based on internalized moral values rather than external enforcement.

Internalized moral principles

Ethical rules absorbed into personal conscience, guiding autonomous action.

Mature citizen

An individual who acts virtuously without needing external laws to compel good behavior.

Confucius on ethics

The view that moral cultivation leads to a society where formal laws become unnecessary.

Lao Tzu on fewer laws

The Taoist notion that excessive legislation can breed wrongdoing and unrest.

Goods protected by school rules

Safety, fairness, academic integrity, and a focused learning environment upheld by regulations.

No ID No Entry rule

A policy requiring identification cards to ensure campus security and authorized access.

Anti-cheating policy

A school rule designed to preserve fairness and academic honesty.

Safety in schools

Measures ensuring physical security for students and staff.

Academic integrity

Adherence to ethical standards in scholarly work, forbidding plagiarism and dishonesty.

Repeal of constricting laws

The removal of regulations that unnecessarily limit freedom or hinder progress.

Ethics

The philosophical study of moral judgments, choices, and character.

Ethos (Greek)

Root word for ethics meaning character or moral custom.

Philosophy of moral judgment

Systematic inquiry into standards of right and wrong decisions.

Morals

Actual practices or beliefs about right and wrong within a group.

Mores (Latin)

Customs or habitual practices forming the basis of moral behavior.

Moral standards

Rules whose violation seriously harms human welfare or dignity.

Serious harm principle

The idea that moral rules protect against significant injury or injustice.

“Don’t lie”

A moral injunction protecting truthfulness and trust.

“Don’t steal”

A moral rule safeguarding property rights.

Environmental preservation

A moral obligation to protect natural resources for present and future generations.

Non-moral standards

Rules of etiquette, aesthetics, or technique that do not entail grave ethical consequences.

Social etiquette

Conventional manners governing polite behavior.

Folkways

Informal norms shaping routine social interactions without heavy moral weight.

Dress codes

Prescribed attire guidelines considered matters of convention.

Grammar rules

Standards of linguistic correctness classified as non-moral norms.

Table manners

Accepted behaviors at meals reflecting social courtesy rather than morality.

Consequentialism

Ethical theory judging actions by their outcomes.

Teleological theory

Another term for consequentialism, focusing on goals or ends.

Utilitarianism

The view that right actions maximize happiness for the greatest number.

Greatest good for greatest number

Utilitarian principle of maximizing overall pleasure or welfare.

Non-consequentialism

Ethical approach assessing actions by duty or intent, not results.

Deontological theory

Moral system where duty and rules determine rightness, regardless of outcomes.

Kantian deontology

Immanuel Kant’s view that morality stems from acting out of duty to universal laws.

Duty-based ethics

An approach emphasizing moral obligations over consequences.

Universal moral rules

Principles that apply to all rational beings without exception.

Natural law

Theory that morality is grounded in human nature and discoverable by reason.

Virtue ethics

Framework focusing on cultivating good character rather than specific acts.

Character-centered morality

Ethics emphasizing virtues like honesty, courage, and temperance.

Theist moral view

Belief that moral law originates from God.

Divine command theory

Position that actions are right if commanded by God.

Moral law “written in hearts”

Natural law idea that humans innately know basic moral truths.

Non-theist moral view

Perspective that ethics arises from human reasoning or societal consensus.

Societal consensus morality

Ethical norms formed through collective agreement within a community.

Evolutionary ethics

Account of morality as an adaptive trait favored by natural selection.

Altruism in primates

Evidence of cooperative behavior in primate species supporting evolutionary morality.

Moral dilemma

Situation requiring a choice between actions each violating a moral principle.

Incompatible duties

Obligations that cannot be fulfilled simultaneously in a dilemma.

Damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t

Feeling of inevitable moral failure regardless of chosen action.

Moral failure

Unavoidable violation of an important ethical principle in a dilemma.

False dilemma

A choice between a right action and a mere temptation, not a real moral conflict.

Genuine dilemma

Decision between options all carrying serious moral costs.

Right vs temptation

Scenario where moral duty competes with convenience, constituting a false dilemma.

Wrong vs wrong

Core feature of a genuine moral dilemma where all choices incur moral loss.

Pregnant Lady and Dynamite scenario

Thought experiment illustrating utilitarian versus deontological tension.

King Herod and John the Baptist dilemma

Biblical case of conflicting duties to an oath and to protecting innocence.

Individual dilemma

Personal ethical conflict affecting mainly the agent and immediate relations.

Heinz dilemma

Case where stealing life-saving medicine conflicts with respecting property law.

Organizational dilemma

Ethical conflict within a group or institution impacting many stakeholders.

Catholic school tuition debate

Organizational dilemma balancing affordability and staff welfare.

Structural dilemma

System-wide ethical conflict rooted in policy or institutional design.

Policy gaps

Areas where existing regulations fail to address emerging moral issues.

Decentralization vs integration

Structural tension between local autonomy and centralized coordination.

Louis Raths’ principle

Guideline to resolve dilemmas by creative alternatives or least harmful choice.

Creative moral alternatives

Innovative solutions satisfying multiple ethical principles in a dilemma.

Greater good

Outcome producing the most overall benefit in conflicting situations.

Lesser evil

Option inflicting the least moral harm when perfect choices are impossible.

Freedom in ethics

Human capacity to choose, forming the basis of moral responsibility.

Rational choice

Decision-making guided by reasoned deliberation.

Self-awareness

Consciousness of oneself as an agent capable of moral judgment.

Moral responsibility

Accountability for actions freely chosen.

Accountability

Obligation to answer for one’s decisions and their consequences.

Internalized rules

Norms adopted into personal conviction rather than externally imposed.

Owned conviction

Freely embraced belief motivating authentic moral action.

Culture

Integrated pattern of knowledge, belief, art, law, and custom acquired socially.

Material culture

Concrete artifacts and technology created by a society.

Non-material culture

Intangible elements like values, language, and norms.

Enculturation

Process of learning one’s native culture from birth.

Inculturation

Adaptation of religious messages within a particular cultural context.

Acculturation

Adoption of a second culture by individuals or minority groups.

Moral influence of culture

Effect of societal norms on perceptions of right and wrong.

Levirate marriage

Custom of marrying a deceased brother’s widow to continue family lineage.

Female genital mutilation

Cultural practice condemned as a violation of human rights.

Cultural relativism

Doctrine that moral standards are valid only within their cultural context.

Relativist thesis

Claim that no universal moral yardstick applies to all societies.

Tolerance benefit

Cultural relativism’s promotion of understanding and respect for differences.

Ethnocentrism avoidance

Steering clear of judging other cultures by one’s own standards.

Critique of relativism

Argument that it hinders criticism of harmful practices like genocide.

Moral anarchy risk

Danger that anything becomes permissible if all morals are equally valid.

Logical paradox of relativism

Self-contradiction in claiming absolutely that no absolutes exist.

Absolute claim contradiction

Relativism’s assertion that all truths are relative while making a universal statement.