1. Ethics20509Fall2010
MidtermExamStudyGuide Know the material on the handouts (available on the class SLU Global site) on the main divisions of ethics, the six desiderata of a moral theory, the different versions of utilitarianism, and Aristotelian Virtue Ethics concepts.
MaindivisionsofEthics
Ethics:philosophicalinvestigationofmorality NormativeEthics:attemptstoanswermoralquestions Moraltheory:generalmoralquestionsie:whattodo,howtobe Appliedethics:specificmoralquestionsaboutcertainmoralissues Metaethics:attemptstoanswernonmoralquestionsaboutmorality Moralsemantics:questionsthemeaningofmoralstatements Moralmetaphysics:questionsaboutthenatureorexistenceofmoralfacts Moralepistemology:questionsaboutknowledgeandjustificationofmoral statements
SixDesiderataofamoraltheory
Consistency:moraltheorythatshouldnotcontradictitselforhaveinconsistentmoral judgments Determinacy:moraltheoryshouldgiveguidance Intuitiveappeal:moraltheoryshoulddevelopandmakesenseofintuitivebeliefs Internalsupport:moraltheoryshouldgowithourpremoraltheorybeliefs Explanatorypower:moraltheoryshouldexplainwhyactionsareright/wrong Externalsupport:moraltheoryshouldgowithnonmoralbeliefs
TypesofUtilitarianism
Objectofevaluation ActUtilitarianism:act'smoralvalueisdeterminedbytheextenttowhichitactually producesthegood.Bentham'sversion RuleUtilitarianism:act'smoralvalueisdeterminedbytheextenttowhichthey conformtorulesthatleadtothegreatestgood.Mill'sversion MotiveUtilitarianism:act'smoralvalueisdeterminedbythetendencyofthemotive oftheacttoproduceactionsthatareproductiveofthegood. Evaluationmethod AverageUtilitarianism:tendencytoproducethehighestaveragegoodperperson TotalUtilitarianism:tendencytoproducethethehighesttotalgood Thetypeofgood
HedonisticUtilitarianism:pleasure:allarevaluedequally QualitativeUtilitarianism:pleasure:somearesuperiortoothers PreferenceUtilitarianism:preferencesatisfaction WelfareUtilitarianism:wellbeing FeltsatisfactionUtilitarianism:feelingsatisfied IdealUtilitarianism:anythingthatisintrinsicallygood NegativeUtilitarianism:minimizingofpain/pleasure/bad
AristotelianVirtueEthics
Virtue:aqualityorcharacteristicofsomethingthatmakesitagoodinstanceofthekindof thingitis. Formalcause:thenatureoressenceofathingthatmakesitthekindofthingitis. Finalcause:thepurpose,goal,orfunctionofsomething Humanbeing:RATIONALANIMAL. Finalcauseofhumanbeings:tolivealifecharacterizedbyactionsandactivitiesofthesoul thatrequiresorexpressesreason Eudaimonia:activityofthesoulinaccordancewithcompletevirtue. Natureofspecifichumanvirtue:stateofthesoulthatdecidesonthemeanbetweentwo vicesinactionorfeeling. Virtuesofthought:intellectualvirtues;gainedthrougheducation Virtuesofcharacter:moralvirtues;gainedthroughhabituation Actofvirtue:anactthatisthesortavirtuouspersonwoulddo,whetherornottheagentis actuallyvirtuous Virtuousaction:anactdonebyavirtuouspersoninaccordancetotheirvirtue.
2. Know the major divisions of philosophy given in class (metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics), and be able to briefly define each one.
MainDivisionsofPhilosophy
Metaphysics:studyofreality;thenatureofthings Epistemology:studyofknowledge;thehow Axiology:studyofvalue;ethics,aesthetics,true/false
3. For each of the normative theories we have covered, (1) know its account of obligatory, prohibited, and permissible action, (2) be able to state what is appealing about the view, and (3) be able to critique the view (according to the six desiderata, or other problems discussed in class).
DivineCommandTheory
RuleofAction: ActionisobligatoryifGodcommandsit ProhibitedifGodcommandsitnottobedone PermissibleifGoddoesn'tsayanythingaboutit Appeal: Givesjustificationbasedonahigherbeing Critique: ExplanatoryPower:Euthyphrodilemmaraisesconcernsastowhyactionsare right.
Utilitarianism
RuleofAction: Actionisobligatoryifitwieldsthebestpleasure/painratio Actionisprohibitedifsomethingelsegivesbetterratio Actionispermissibleifmultiplethingshavesameratio Appeal: Theendsjustifythemeans Critique: IntuitiveAppeal: Nowaytogoaboveandbeyondthecallofduty Isunjust Nothumancentered ExperienceMachine
KantianDeontology
RuleofAction: Anactionisobligatoryifnotdoingitviolatesone'sduties Anactionisprohibitedifdoingitviolatesone'sduties Anactionispermissibleifneitherdoingitnornotdoingitwouldviolate duties Appeal: thenatureoftheactisimportantregardlessoftheoutcomes. Critique: Absoluteduties?
4. Regarding Relativism (see the slide presentation on the SLU Global site):
know the difference between moral relativism, moral skepticism, and moral nihilism;
MoralRelativism
Moraltruthisrelativetoperspective ThereAREmoraltruths,butnouniversalones AgreeswithMSaboutnoobjective/universalknowledge,butthereissubjective knowledge AgreeswithMNaboutnoobjective/universaltruths,butthereismoraltruth.
MoralSkepticism
Nomoralknowledge
MoralNihilism Nomoraltruth/facts
know the difference between cultural relativism and individual moral relativism (subjectivism);
CulturalRelativism
Moraltruthdependsonone'sculturalperspective
Subjectivism
Moraltruthdependsonindividualperspective
know what moral universalism and moral objectivism are, as discussed in class;
MoralUniversalism
Thereareuniversallytruefactsthatapplytoallsituations
MoralObjectivism
Thereareobjectivelytruemoralfactsthatdon'tdependonsubjectiveperspective,but couldnotbeuniversal
know what expressivism is (a form of moral nihilism, according to which moral judgments are really just expressions of emotional responses);
Expressivism Moralclaimsaremerelyexpressionsofone'sfeelings
know the critiques of moral relativism.
CritiquesofMoralRelativism Disallowsmoralcritiqueofothercultures
Disallowsmoralchangewithinaculture Condemnsculturaliconoclastsasimmoral
5. Regarding Moral Value: . Know the two basic kinds of answers to question of the of source moral value (transcendent vs. immanent), and what is meant by each.
Transcendent
Outsideofthenaturalorder
Immanent
Partofnaturalorder
Regarding the Divine Command Ethics case study: know that, according to this system, the source of moral value is Gods commands, and that the source of moral knowledge is divine revelation. . Know what the Euthyphro dilemma is, how it presents a problem for DCE, and know at least one of the possible ways out of the dilemma.
EuthyphroDilemma EitherGodcommandsanactbecauseitisright(1),orthatactisonlyrightbecause
Godcommandsit(2) (1):ThentheactwasalreadyrightbeforeGodcommanded;doesn'texplainwhythe actisright (2):Thenmoralityisultimatelyarbitrary; EitherGod'scommandfailstoexplainmorality,ormoralityisarbitrary Waystogetout: AdmitthatGod'scommandcreatesmoralobligation Result:Moralitybecomesarbitrary;God'sgoodnesslosesmeaning GroundGod'scommandinhisperfectnature Result:NotaDCtheory;focusesonGod'snature.SourceofGod's goodnessisunanswered.
6. Regarding Utilitarianism: . Be able to define both consequentialism and utilitarianism in general.
Consequentalism
Consequencesarethemostimportantfactorinmoralevaluation
Utilitarianism
AspecificnormativesystemofConsequentialism;thegreatestgoodforthegreatest number
Know when Jeremy Bentham lived, that he was an English philosopher and social reformer, that he is considered the father of classical utilitarianism, and that he influenced John Stuart Mill.
JeremyBentham
18th19thcentury(17481832) Englishphilosopher,socialreformer fatherofclassicalutilitarianism promotedwomenequalityandanimalrights.
HedonisticActUtilitarianism
Thegood=happiness=pleasure;maximizepleasureforgreatestnumber Act:moralevaluationisapplieddirectlytoallactions Objections: 1.Treatsallpleasuresasequal;bettertobeSocratesonbaddaythanpigon bestday? 2.Calculatingactishard 3.Noindividualrights
JohnStuartMill
19thcentury Britishprodigy,,philosopher,politician WroteUtilitarianism DevelopsQualitativeRuleUtilitarianism MostinfluentialformofclassicalUtilitarianism Differentqualitiesofpleasure RulesjustifiedonlyiftheyfulfilltheUtilitarianprinciple;judging consequencesisdifficult. Individualrightsarerulesofutility
Know the utilitarian rules of action, in both the objective and subjective forms. Also be able to say why both forms are needed.
RulesofAction
ObjectiveRoA: Anactisobligatoryifitproducesthebestbalanceofquality/quantityofpleasure overpain
Anactisprohibitedifthereissomethingelsethatproducesabetterbalance Anactispermissibleifmultipleoptionswieldthesamebalance SubjectiveRoA: Anactisobligatoryifitisexpectedtobringthebestbalance Anactisprohibitedifitisexpectedthatthereissomethingelsethat producesabetterbalance. Anactispermissibleifitisexpectedthatmultipleoptionswieldthesame balance. Needstohaveadistinctiveprocedurewhenthingsgowrong. Utilitarianismleadstoabsurdities AverageUtilitarianismcouldrequirekillingpeople TotalUtilitarianismcouldrequireshrinking/growingpopulations ExperienceMachine Utilitarianismforcespeopletogoin Highlightsthefactthatpeoplewantmorethanjustpleasure Utilitarianismisnothumancentered couldrequiretheextinctionofhumansifitmakesotheranimalshappy. Utilitarianismfailstotakepromisesseriously keepingpromisesonlymattersifthepromiseewouldfindoutyoudidn'tkeep it. Utilitarianismiselitist/undiscerning HedonisticUtilitarianismallowsforbigots,sadistsandothermoral degeneratestobecatered. QualitativeUtilitarianismbecomeselitist,asonlytheeducatedwouldknow whichpleasuresweresuperiortoothers.
7. Regarding Kant and Deontological Ethics:
ObjectionstoUtilitarianism
ImmanuelKant
17241804(18th19thcentury) Germanphilosopherandscientist Starryskyabovemeandthemorallawwithinme AuthorofCritiqueofPureReasonandGroundingfortheMetaphysicsofMorals. TheGoodWill theonlythingthatisgoodwithoutqualification itcanneverbeusedwrongly.
thefoundationforeverythinggood producedbyreasonsolelyforreason'spurpose Actionstohavemoralvalue mustbedonefromduty mustbedoneinthemaxim Maxim:generalstatementofconduct mustbedoneoutofrespectforthelaw;excludesinfluencesofinclinations FormulationsoftheCategoricalImperative Actonlyaccordingtothatmaximwherebyyoucanatthesametimewillthat itshouldbecomeauniversallaw Actasifthemaximofyouractionweretobecomethroughyourwilla universallawofnature Actinsuchawaythatyoutreathumanityasanendandneverameans. Categoricalv.HypotheticalImperative Hypotheticalisonlyvalidduringcertainconditions Ifsomethinghappens,thendothis Categoricalisvalidinallcircumstances RulesofAction: Actisobligatoryifnotdoingitviolatesone'sduty Actisprohibitedifitwouldviolateone'sduty Actispermissibleifitdoesn'teitherway. Actsneedtobeproperlymotivated. PerfectvImperfectduty Perfect:absolutesthathavenoleewayinhowoneacts Imperfect:allowsonetogoaboutfulfillingtheduty
W.D.Ross
primafacieduty:dutyatfirstglance sansphraseduty:considereverythingandusingjudgmenttochooserightaction ultimafacie:finalglance PrimaFacieduties Fidelity,Reparation,Justice,Gratitude,Beneficience,Selfimprovement,
Nonmalevolence.
8. Regarding Virtue Ethics:
VirtueEthics
Virtue:qualityorcharacteristicsofsomethingthatmakesitagoodinstanceofthe kindofthingitis;themeanbetweenvicesofexcessanddeficiency Example: Honestyvirtue:vicebetweenboastfulnessandselfdeprecation Couragevirtue:vicebetweenfoolhardinessandcowardice Aristotle 4thcenturyBC AuthorofNicomacheanEthics ViewofHumanNature: Purposeofhumansdependsontheirnatureasrationalanimals Rationalanimal'spurpose:tolivealifethatexpressesorrequires reason VirtueofIntellect:gainedthrougheducationandtime VirtueofCharacter:gainedthroughhabituation ClassicalVirtues:Prudence,Justice,Temperance,Courage MoralExemplar:avirtuousperson;bestwaytogetvirtuesistofollowavirtuous person CoreVirtues:Justice,Honesty,Courage AuthorofAfterVirtue
AlasdairMacIntyre