Ethics Test 3: Rights, Justice, & Virtue Ethics - Herston IDS 102 SUSCC

Human

Inevitable facts: having physical and spiritual needs, being a social creature, and being subject to illness and aging. Defined by DNA and species.

Person

Someone who is capable of psychological and social interaction with others, capable of deciding on a course of action and being held responsible for that action.

A Person can also be referred to as/considered...

A moral agent

Difference between Human and Person

Biological term vs philosophical and legal category. Defined by DNA and species vs defined by capabilities, consciousness, rationality, and the possession of legal rights.

Kant on Personhood

Defined by rationality and moral autonomy, gives human beings an intrinsic, absolute value; dignity. Capable of self-legislation.

Patria Potestas

The right of the father to treat the entire family in any way that he pleases.

Stem Cell Research

The unborn or the already born? What about human-animal hybrid cells that aren't to be transplanted to a womb? Where do we draw the line?

Ronald Dworkin

Have to find a balance between rights of individual and demands of society - individual rights against each other when claims collide. Invading rights is far worse than inflating them.

Virtue Ethics

The study of moral rules pertaining to the building of character or "How to be".

The idea that doing the right thing doesn't guarantee that you are a person of good character, but if you develop good character you'll automatically do the right things.

Ethics of Conduct

The study of moral rules pertaining to decisions about what course of action to take, or "What to do/What should I do?".

Virtuous

A person who does what he/she does best, does it excellently on a regular basis. Think virtuoso

Virtuoso

A person that is the master of a craft, provides high quality/highly skilled/talented/perfected something.

Socrates and the Unexamined Life

"The unexamined life is not worth living".

Unexamined life is one lived on autopilot.

Characterized by blind compliance, ignorance of self, and illusory knowledge.

Not worth living as we would be "living like animals", not using our soul as a priority, and not using our true freedom.

Socratic Dialectic Method/Socratic Dialectic

A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue used to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas. Instead of a lecture, a teacher asks a continuous series of targeting questions to expose the contradictions, limitations, and gap's in a person's beliefs. Objective is to move from unexamined/unverified opinion to genuine truth and knowledge. Process included 4 steps; Thesis, Refutation, Aporia, and Revision.

Genetic Engineering

An issue raised by biotechnology that involves stem cell research, hybrid/custom genes, and cloning. Where do we draw the line?

Problems with Genetic Engineering

Eliminate certain genes, everyone has advantages from birth, questions if it is moral/ethical. Where do we draw the line?

Cloning

Issue raised by biotechnology, therapeutic and reproductive. Should scientists exercise some form of moral responsibility. Where do we draw the line?

Five Approaches to Punishment

Deterrence, Rehabilitation, Incapacitation, Retribution, and Vengeance

Deterrence

Keeping the criminal from doing it again (specific), or keeps others from doing it (general).

Rehabilitation

Making a better person out of the criminal.

Incapacitation

Makes the criminal incapable of committing the crime again.

From the 5 Approaches to Punishment, select the ones that are considered Forward-Looking Punishment

Deterrence, Rehabilitation, and Incapacitation

Retribution

A person should be punished because they committed a crime. Logic based, public act, and wants punishment in proportion to the crime.

Vengeance

Revenge. Emotional response, private enterprise, and may go beyond and exceed what damage has been done by the criminal.

From the 5 Approaches to Punishment, select the ones that are considered Backward-Looking Punishment

Retribution, and Vengeance

Retribution vs Vengeance

Retribution is based on logic, a public act, and wants punishment in proportion to the committed crime while Vengeance is an emotional response, a private enterprise, and my go beyond and exceed what damage has been done by the criminal.

Why Do People Do Morally Wrong Acts According to Socrates

Out of pure ignorance, not because they are inherently evil.

What is a Virtuous Person According to Plato

The Tripartite Soul

Reason and Spirit together will keep the body healthy and the soul balanced.

Reason, spirit, appetite.

3 Theories of Metaphysics

Materialism, Idealism, Dualism

Materialism

The metaphysical theory that reality consists of matter only, not mind. Only things that you can see, touch, smell, feel, and hear are real/reality.

Idealism

The metaphysical theory that reality consists of mind only, not matter. Can't quantify or measure it. Ex. Love.

Dualism

The metaphysical theory that reality consists of both matter and mind. Acknowledges and confirms the two other theories ; combines them. Also used as a term for any theory of opposite forces.

Plato's Forms

Metaphysical theory of a higher reality that gives meaning and existence to the world we experience through our senses. This higher reality is accessible through the mind.

Ideal abstractions and the sole source of each thing that resembles it.

Tripartite Soul

Reason, Willpower/Spirit, Appetites/Desires

Tripartite Soul Pyramid : Reason

Royalty/Philosophers

Tripartite Soul : Willpower/Spirit

Military

Tripartite Soul : Appetites/Desires

Common People

View of Women - Aristotle

Women are a "deformed male". Men produce semen which is blood transformed with the added element of soul or essence. The father provides the soul, the mother only provides the physical part - the body.

The Golden Mean

The Greek idea of moderation. Aristotle's concept of virtue as a relative mean between the extremes of excess and deficiency.

Every action or feeling must be done in the right amount. We are prone to go toward one extreme or the other and we must beware of this tendency. We find the balance through proper reasoning and trial and error. An act must be done on a regular basis over time in order for it to characterize us. Some acts are outright wrong and cannot be done in a "right amount". Some things are just right by themselves and cannot be done "too often".

Aristotle's 4 Causes

MEFF : Material, Efficient, Formal, Final

MEFF : Material

The stuff something is made of. Ex. Flour, sugar, eggs = cake

MEFF : Efficient

The force that brought the thing into being. Ex. Baker made the cake

MEFF : Formal

The shape or form of the thing. Ex. The cake is a sheet cake.

MEFF : Final

The purpose of the thing. Ex. The cake's purpose is to be eaten.

Teleology

A theory of purpose proposed by Aristotle. Assumes that everything has a purpose. Also used to designate theories interested in the outcome of an action, that is, consequentialist theories.

Ultimate Form of Human Happiness According to Aristotle

Being virtuous makes you happy, that's the sole reason for developing a virtuous character. Happiness and pleasure are DIFFERENT. Happiness is what's "good for man". We can only be happy if we are good. Indulging in too many pleasures is unhealthy and fades is value/appeal/experience over time. Good reasoning or contemplation is forever, therefore the ultimate happy life is the life of a thinker ; although having friends, money, and good looks doesn't hurt.

Thomas Aquinas

Believed that if everything has a purpose, then it was designed by God, God determines what is right and wrong.

Natural Laws

We are obliged to :

1. Preserve our own lives

2. Procreate within marriage

3. Live as good citizen's among other people

4. Seek knowledge - primarily about God and the Creation

Aquinas' Reason for Natural Laws

The Natural Laws are natural to use because we have been designed in that way. If we decide not to follow those rules, it is due to sinful willpower.

Rediscovery of Aristotle

Aristotle's works found their way into Christianity through Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Criticisms/Problems Regarding Teleology

Must what is good for someone always be linked with that they do best? Why must we talk about purpose at all? Not all humans are excellent at rationing. Why should there be just one purpose for humans?

Flight of Icarus Story

A young man who ignores his father's warnings and flies too close to the sun.

Flight of Icarus Story Lesson

Example of the Golden Mean; showed that there was dangers with flying too low (deficiency), and flying too high (excess), therefore Icarus had to stay on the middle path to remain safe (mean). Warning against hubris/excessive pride.

Distributive Justice

A social philosophy of justice consisting of theories regarding how to distribute goods of a society fairly.

Criminal Justice

A philosophy of justice consisting of theories regarding how to respond to criminal acts and those who commit them.

Negative Rights

Specify what ought not be done to you.

Positive Rights

Specify what ought to be provided for you.

Which best represents/describes a Negative Right

Others must not interfere with your freedom of speech.

According to Ronald Dworkin, when individual rights conflict with societal demands, which principle should guide decision-making?

Invading rights is far worse than inflating them.

Rawls asks us to imagine designing a society without knowing our place in it. This thought experiment is called the...

The Veil of Ignorance / Original Position

Michael Walzer's 'Spheres of Justice' argues that what we consider 'social goods' depends primarily on...

The values and context of our specific communities.

Friedman's critique of Wolgast warns that an overly strong communitarian approach risks...

Reinforcing unjust historical norms such as the oppression of women.

Forward-Looking Justice

Sees the purpose of justice as creating a fair system of distribution of social goods in the future.

Backward-Looking Justice

Asks how we can make amends for the injustices of the past.

Retributive Justice

Sees crime as a violation of rules and relationships for which the criminal should pay.

Restorative Justice

Sees crime as harm caused to people and asks how can we prevent the continuation of harm.