Module 6 - Blackboard

Flashcards covering key concepts in Kantian ethics and social contract theory.

Utilitarianism

A moral theory stating that the best action is the one that maximizes happiness or utility.

Deontology

An ethical theory that uses rules to distinguish right from wrong and stresses the importance of duty.

Kant

Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher known for his work in deontology and the formulation of the categorical imperative.

Maxim

The principle or rule that one acts upon, used in Kant's ethical reasoning.

Perfect Duty

Duties linked to the universalizability of maxim (first question); violated if the purpose of a maxim cannot be fulfilled once everyone is required to act on it.

Imperfect Duty

Duties linked to the desirability of a maxim (second question); violated if I don’t want to live in a world in which everyone was required to act on my maxim.

Categorical Imperative

Kant's central philosophical concept in moral philosophy, stating that one must only act according to that maxim which they can will to become a universal law.

Autonomy

The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision; moral reasoning based on reason.

Kingdom of Ends

Kant's concept that all rational beings should act in accordance with maxims that can be universalized, treating others as ends in themselves.

Veil of Ignorance

A thought experiment by John Rawls where principles of justice are determined without knowledge of one's personal circumstances.

State of Nature

A theory by Thomas Hobbes describing a hypothetical condition where there is no established authority or governance.

Social Contract Theory

The theory that moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among individuals in a society.

Prisoner's Dilemma

A standard framework in game theory illustrating that two rational individuals might not cooperate, even if it appears in their best interest.