Moral Nihilism

• Doctrine that there are no moral facts, no moral truths, and no moral knowledge 

• Nothing is right and nothing is wrong = everything is permissible 

Emotivism

• Doctrine that moral claims are simply expressions of feelings 

• “Murder is wrong” = “I don't like murder” or “murder makes me feel bad”

Ethical Relativism

• Doctrine that morality is relative to the society that you live in and the way that you were brought up

Utilitarianism

• Theory from John Stuart Mill and explicitly going against Kant 

• All about happiness 

Happiness

• All people want to be happy = pleasure and the abstinence from pain

• Goal is to maximize happiness 

Greatest Happiness Principle

• Actions are right if they promote happiness and actions are wrong if they promote the opposite 

Utilitarian Standard

• Not just oneself greatest happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness all together 

• Equal happiness for ALL 

Principle of Equality

• Maximize happiness for the most amount of people

Kantian Ethics (Deontology)

• Study of duty 

• What makes humans different is that we have a free will

• Do the right things for the right reasons 

Good will

• Highest good for human beings 

• Humans can choose to turn free will into good will and do the right things for the right reasons 

Duty

• Have a duty to not oneself but to fellow human beings to respect their interests because they also have a free will 

Hypothetical Imperative

• If I want this goal, then I should do this (perform these means) 

• Ex: If I want to pass this class, then I should do the readings and listen to the lectures

Categorical Imperative

• Treat everyone as an ends in itself and never merely as a means 

• Dont treat persons like things - making a category mistake - humans have a say in their life compared to things 

• Whenever your doing something ask yourself, “Could everyone else in the same situation act in the same way I am” 

  • Do not make yourself the exception to the rule 

• How to treat other rational persons regardless of our own interests or desires 

Autonomy

• We give ourselves laws 

Virtue Ethics

• The way you act forms how you are 

• Pleasure in doing virtuous acts is a sign that the virtuous disposition has been acquired 

Arete

• Excellent traits of the self 

• Ex: bravery, generosity, truthfulness, friendliness, and hardworking

Eudaimonia

• Living the good life or living well 

• Acitivty of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue (arete)

"Know Thyself"

• Know what you are good at and what you are not good at 

• Use a rational nature to think through things you are not good at