Moral Philosophy

PPT Notes

• A statement is meaningless if it cannot be empirically observed. Verificationism

• A moral statement is simply an expression of one’s passion or sentiment. Emotivism

• The field of ethics that looks for the truthmaker for right or wrong. Meta-Ethics

• The truthmaker for moral statements is God’s commands. Divine Command Theory

• A standard test that an ethical theory is FALSE. Requires Intuitively Wrong Actions

• Admitting that God would never say torturing babies is moral, is admitting…? That moral truthmakers are External to God’s commands

• If “Good” is defined only by what God commands, then “God is Good” means? God isn’t Worthy of Moral Admiration

• Filling our ignorance of a moral truthmaker, the supernatural is known as…? Mystery, therefore, Magic Fallacy

Ethics Truthmakers

• God/Fictions Emotivism Society

• Happy (Consequtionism)/ Hedonism 3 kinds of Utilitarianism

• Logic

• Virtue

PPT Notes

• A Moral Truthmaker is based on the future results that an action causes. Consequentialism

• We want $ to be happy, but being happy is a good in itself, AKA…? Intrinsic Good

• Theory that one should seek pleasure & avoid pain. Hedonism

• Obj: You don’t have to care about aging parents b/c a less happy life. Hedonism

• The Happiness of many outweighs the happiness of the few. Utilitarianism

• Happy Criteria: Intensity, Duration, Proximity, Certainty, Purity, Fecundity, Extent? Hedonic Calculus

• Just tallying the Bodily Pleasure of Masses Only? Quantitive Utilitarianism

• Are intellectual pleasures more important than Bodily Pleasures? Qualitative Utilitarinism

• Saving from a burning building over getting a massage is a? Higher Quality Pleasure 

• How to distinguish Higher from Lower Pleasures? By Experiencing Both

• Obj1: Tallying the choice not made depends upon…? Counterfactual

• Obj2: Accidentally causing happiness for Masse. Is it considered Moral? Utilitarianism

• Following the Rule/Guideline that would bring greater happiness to the masses? Rule Utilitarianism

• Obj3: Recommends a Stimulated Happier World to a Sadder Real World? Experience Machine

PPT Notes

• A Moral Truthmaker is based on Logic (a Duty determined by Logic). Deontological Ethics

• If “what if everybody did that?” makes the rule illogical, then it’s immoral? 1st Categorical Imperative

• Never treat people as a means to your ends only, but as an end in themselves. 2nd Categorical Imperative

• You can’t use people b/c we are rational & therefore have…? Free Will

• Murerer asks where the victim is. You must both LIE & not LIE (Logical Contradiction)

• But you can’t Lie & not Lie at the same time. This is an Objection to which theory? Deontological Ethics

PPT

This theory doesn’t focus on actions being right/wrong, but on the person’s character. Virtue Ethics

“Arete” Translation? Virtue

“Phronesis” Translation? Practical Wisdom

“Eudaimonia” Translation? Best of all Possible Lives (Objectively)

Seeking the balance of courage (between cowardice & recklessness is? Golden Mean

Offering her “Frozen” DVD to a grieving divorcee lacks…? Practical Wisdom

Wealth & Power alone don’t objectovely provide (Greek Word)...? Eudaimonia

Stoics say events don’t disturb us, our ______ of Events disturbs us? Interpretation

Theory says it’s more moral to save your own child than 20 strangers? Ethics of Care

Feminine Virtues: Patience, Nurturing, Self-Sacrifice, & Caring? I’ll add False (& which is not)

7 Steps of Moral Exemplar theory: 1) Admiration identifies 2) Heroes, 3) Their personality 4) Reveals list of virtues. 5) By imitating those virtues, 6) they become habits in us that 7) make up our own characters. I’ll add false (& which is not)

b/c of different brains or immoral upbringing, not everyone has an equal opportunity to adopt virtuous habits. This is an objection to…? Virtue Ethics

Objections (Michael Stocker 1944-Present) (Christopher Toner 1973-Present)

Obj 1: We can’t identify the Moral Exemplars w/o knowing the virtues, & we can’t identify the Virtues w/o identifying the moral exemplars. Circular Fallacy

Michael Stocker’s “The Schizophrenia of Modern Ethical Theories”

You visit a friend in the hospital b/c you care, not b/c it’s what a virtuous person would do, or because God told you to, or produces the Greatest Happiness for the Greatest Number, or b/c the Categorical Imperative

Christopher Toner says Virtue Ethics is Self-Centered

But it Underestimates How Other-Centered Virtues Are

Caring about them means it’s other-centered

Free will

Obj 2: Of course, Virtue Ethics says that people who aren’t virtuous are morally blameworthy

What about those who lack access to Moral Exemplars?

Not everyone has an equal opportunity to be virtuous.

If our desire to be virtuous is a product of our Genetics & upbringing, then we can’t be morally blamed for being unvirtuous

Distinguish morally blameworthy vs. Morally deficient

Or embrace compatibilism & say that we’re free and morally responsible as long as our actions spring from our learned wants, desires, reason, & our logic/phronesis

Instead of trying to the right kind of actions, virtue ethics focuses on becoming the right kind of person

Then your virtuousness leads to a life most worth living