3/4 Philosophy

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on the prisoner's dilemma, ethics, and game theory. They aim to reinforce understanding of complex ethical theories and their implications.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A situation in game theory where two individuals may either cooperate or betray each other, with the outcome depending on the choice made by both.

Totalitarian state

A political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and seeks to regulate every aspect of public and private life.

Confess

To admit to a crime or wrongdoing, often to secure a lesser penalty.

Rational self-interest

A principle suggesting that individuals will act in their own best interests, making decisions that maximize their personal benefits.

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States from the end of World War II until the early 1990s.

Arms race

A competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons.

Veil of ignorance

A method of determining the morality of a certain issue based upon the premise of not knowing one's social status, race, or any other distinguishing characteristics.

Rawlsian contractualism

A theory of justice that asserts moral rules are those that rational individuals would agree upon under a veil of ignorance.

Consensual agreement

A decision reached by all parties involved based on mutual consent and understanding.

Basic goods

Resources, liberties, and protections that are beneficial for all rational beings.

Inconsistent evils worry

A concern that some maxims can be consistently willed to be universal laws even if they promote immoral outcomes.

Sly universalizer worry

A worry that individuals can manipulate their maxims to pass Kant's moral test by embedding specific details that only apply to them.

Kant's theory

Ethical framework proposing that moral actions are those that can be universally willed as a law without contradiction.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory that evaluates the morality of actions based on their outcomes, specifically the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Littering dilemma

A specific example of the prisoner's dilemma involving the choice of whether to litter or dispose of trash responsibly.

Moral significance

The importance attributed to an action or decision based on its ethical implications.

Risk seeking/risk averse

Economic terms describing individuals' tendencies toward taking risks or avoiding them in decision-making.