ethics quiz #1

introductory material

is philosophy a science?

no, as there is no set database or body of knowledge.

philosophy is interested in gaining knowledge-philosophy gave birth to the sciences (math, psychology, etc)

what did betrand russell call philosophy and why?

the “residue” of the sciences. philosophy is concerned with unanswered questions, identification of issues. it’s primary focus is to attempt to resolve these issues.

metaphysics

nature of reality. also known as first philosophy. theology and “being”

epistemology

nature of issues

aesthetics

nature of beauty

logic

nature of argument and reasoning

ethics

nature of right and wrong

what is the backbone of critical thinking?

logical reasoning

normative ethics

(moral theory) development of an ethical system designed to help make moral decisions

what are the three pieces of the framework of normative ethics?

deontological, teleological, relativism

deontological

list of rules/moral laws

teleological

some goal in mind

relativism

social norms are how we should live (social rel.)

or (subjective rel.) individualism based on individual moral laws

meta-ethics

studies the logic of moral systems and the use of key terminology in a moral system (ex. happiness, right)

applied ethics

the application of a moral system to issues requiring moral import

pre-socratic

focused on explaining nature. example: atonomists

socrates (470-399 BCE)

first to focus on self-development and how one should live (ethical concerns). served in the military, was executed in 399.

two famous dictums: “know thyself” and “the unexamined life is not worth living”. no lecture notes survived, much of what we know was spread through plato and xenophan.

created the socratic method

socratic method (elenchus)

giving birth to admitted facts, or instances, which seem to be the basis of an idea. method of modifying, correcting, or destroying the proposed instance or definition

plato (428-348 BCE)

taught by socrates. rejected political life and founded the academy. very strong socratic influence found in his writings.

no lecture notes survived history. most important contribution: the theory of forms

aristotle (384-322 BCE)

entered the academy at 18 years old-studied there for 20 years. tutored alexander (the great). founded the lyceum. when alexander died, aristotle was forced to flea athens to avoid being executed.

1st scientific philosopher; contributions to biology, psychology, etc.

“historian of western thought”, discusses both his theories and those before him, attempts to distinguish the various branches of human knowledge. known for distinguishing rationality as the basis of a moral person

rationality

distinguishes human beings

what are the three types of rationality?

theoretical (theoretike), productive (poietike), practical (praktike)

theoretical

understand the workings of reality without changing it. theory and contemplation. 3 subdivisions: mathematics, physics, metaphysics

productive

the end to which reason is employed is the production of a product, which is used for serving needs. example: writing poems

practical

ethics is a practical science, the goal is to act in a certain way

why are critical thinking skills essential in every area?

because new theories and ideas are constantly emerging, making any knowledge base not stagnant.

what is the hardest part about college?

learning how to learn

what does it mean to have your working knowledge tested?

gathering information from sources like videos and articles, and then displaying that knowledge in things like tests, papers, and projects.

what is a major?

something that defines you as an expert in that field. the knowledge needed to become an expert is deep but narrow in scope.

what is a degree?

a much broader scope of knowledge.

what is the purpose of a liberal arts education?

to provide a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the process involved in the successful gathering, evaluating, and use of information

what is the philosophical element of your discipline?

the unanswered questions, the yet-to-be discovered facts, new and untested theories, and methods of solving problems…in other words, the “cutting edge stuff”…constitutes raw material

what is the goal of philosophers?

to try to clearly understand and articulate their perspective of the problems and issues they are contemplating

the philosophers perspective of a problem and any possible solutions they might offer are directly connected

successful philosophers will anticipate their readers concerns and address those concerns in the arguments they present

reading comprehension

if you can read and understand philosophy, you can read and understand just about anything.

first of the two learning skills

critical thinking

examination and evaluation of ideas for a deeper understanding and possible acceptance of those ideas

second of the two learning skills

what separates humans from animals?

rationality

rationality is the defining function of humans

why do we study ethics?

to find principles upon which a discussion of moral problems can be based

ethics is not a perfect science, as the rules of moral conduct are not as rigorously as the principles found in theoretical sciences

aristotles ethics is teleological since HAPPINESS is the aim of all human action

true

what is happiness

“living well” or “doing well”

what is the best way to achieve happiness?

living a virtuous life

virtue

a functional excellence, and it defines the proper function of a thing or concept

what are the two kinds of virtue?

moral virtues (human actions) and intellectual virtues (rational element)