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Ethics Final
Intro to Ethics
67
Other
Undergraduate 2
08/02/2011

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Term
Myth
Definition

Stories that are passed down in cultures. Unitive, figurative, and symbolic. Not intended to be literally true but not totally false.

It's fragile.

Term
Philosophy
Definition

Then Seeking of Wisdom

-its literal

Disruptive - asks "why"

offers logical and rational method to answer

Term
Sophism / Sophistry
Definition
Sophists -> trained argument makers. Master of rhetoric. Masters at manipulating things in the favor of what they were arguing. claimed to "possess" wisdom.
Term
Pelopponesian War
Definition
story -> Sparta went to war with Athens. Sparta won and philosophy was born in the wake of this crisis. Sophists moved in. They hired themselves and took advantge of broken Athens confidence.
Term
"Transcendental"
Definition
Higher forms above the lower forms: truth, beauty, and goodness (most real).
Term
"Mathematicals"
Definition
Lower forms: imagination, perception
Term
Golden Age
Definition

saw the birth of democracy, advances in medicine, great philosophers.

Athens: industrialized, democracy, and heaviliy commercial

Sparta: Agricultural, authoritarian, heavily militaristic

Term
Secondary End
Definition
a means to the primary end.
Term
Sophia
Definition
greek word for Wisdom
Term
Relativism
Definition
no absolute standard for ethics
Term
Hylomorphism
Definition
a theory developed by Aristotle which analyzes substance into matter and form.
Term
Vice
Definition

-Selfishness

-Bad habit

-Enslaves

 

Term
Virtue
Definition

-Selflessness

-Good

-Good habit of choosing according to our nature

Term
Primary End
Definition
more final goals
Term
The "Good" -- Plato
Definition
[image]
Term
Formal Cause
Definition
Relates to the idea. Has not gone away but it is in some other realm like Plato.
Term
Material Cause
Definition
Relates to the materials. Description of something; accounts for something. What its made of.
Term
Efficient Cause
Definition
Relates to tools. Something that brings something else about.
Term
Final Cause
Definition
Relates to the endpoint. It's the end when the project is completed and you have a finished thing.
Term
Natural Law
Definition

1. Humans are ethical because they are rational.

2. The good/ethical choice is the rational choice.

3. The rational choice is to choose to act according to our nature as humans.

Term
Dialectic
Definition

gives rational, logical method for answering why (strength).

Two rationalities; the encounter between two rational beings.

Term
Metaphysics
Definition
Dedicates itself to whatever is beyond physical. What is most real.
Term
Scientific Method
Definition

1. Observe

2. Question

3. Hypothesis

4. Design Experiment

    - Control Group

    - Independent Varable

    - Dependent Variable

5. Record findings

6. Analyze Results

7. Conclusion

Term
Epistomology
Definition
the study of knowledge
Term
Form
Definition

comes from the greek word "Eidos" meaning "idea".

It is objective, absolute, and independent of the material world.

Term
The "Republic"
Definition

-written by Plato

-The Divided Line

-its as if the world were divided into different segments

Term
The Academy
Definition

-was founded by Plato.

-the first proto-university.

Did what you universities did much later.

-institution of learning dedicated to learning for the sake of learning.

Term
Subjectivism
Definition
experience as a subject
Term
The Cave
Definition

-written by Plato

-people are threatened by things they do not know as real.

-illustrates degrees of reality and degrees of truth.

Term
Eudaimonia
Definition

means happiness

life well lived

the excellent life

Term
Realism / Absolutism
Definition
point to the fact that our minds work this way and all that we have is our universal ideas and our minds are designed to pick up on a deeper order and then point to language and senses.
Term
3 Tasks of Philosophy
Definition

1. Problem of Knowledge

2. Problems of Conduct

3. Problem of Governance

Term
Theory of Homomorphism
Definition
matter + form = individual object!
Term
Wisdom
Definition

-intuitive

-comes from experience and not necessarily the same thing as knowledge.

-when processed the right way it is a better way of living.

- comes from your character

-is something that cannot be possessed.

Term
Socrates
Definition

know about him from the writing to his followers.

Was Plato's teacher.

Never wrote anything down.

Term
Plato
Definition

Wrote a bunch of dialogues.

Systematized Socrates' philosophy.

Was Aristotle's teacher.

Founded "The Academy"

Term
Aristotle
Definition

Student of Plato

Founded "Lyceum" -- similar to the Academy.

Develops a very thorough ethical system called Natural Law.

Term
Metaphysics by Plato
Definition

Material Realm -- lowest realm

-divided in half

--bottom half is shadows and images (least real)

--top half is objects. solid and more real than images.

Formal Realm -- Above the level of objects

-divided in half

-- bottom half -> mathematicals (lower forms)

--top half -> transcendentals --truth, beauty (higher forms)

Term
Teleology
Definition
Purpose Oriented. (final causality)
Term
Epistemology by Plato
Definition

Realm of Material

-imagination: loosely connected to reality.

Not good knowledge: coincides with level of shadows and images; least true.

-Perception: percieve actual knowledge, more reliable than imagination.

Not perfect, our senses can lie to us & we dont see everything at once.

Realm of Form

-Where knowledge can be found. Reasoning. Coincides with the lower forms. Much more perfect than perception.

-Wisdom: coincides with higher form. Those who apprehend truth,beauty..

Term
Ancient Philosophical Mindset
Definition

- concerned with universal truth

- eternal reality

- deductive certainty

- FORM

Term
Modern Philosophical Mindset
Definition

- Simplicity -> Occhem's razor

- Anti-authoritarian

- Innovation

- Material mechanisms & processes

- Metaphysics is a materialist

- Epistemology is a relavist

- Most concerned with the material and efficient causes in Aristotle's 4 causes

Term
Consequentialism
Definition
the belief that consequences are what matter for morality of an act.
Term
Pleasure Principle
Definition
Term
Utilitarianism
Definition

-Usefulness is the criterion

-the greatest good for the greatest # of people

- pleasure principle

 

greater good -> usefulness ->pleasure

Term
Temperance
Definition

meaning: self-control

lack of: gluttony (over-indulgance)

excess of: prudishness

Term
Justice
Definition

lack of: Injustice

excess of: Legalism

Term
Fortitude
Definition

meaning: courage

lack of: Cowardice

excess of: Recklessness

Term
Prudence
Definition

lack of: Ignorance

excess of: Overanalysis

Term
Appetite
Definition

must be controlled by man along with emotion.

a want for a material thing

 

Term
Social Contract
Definition

theory of ethics that says individuals should pursue their own desires but enter into a contract with a larger group to assure their success

*self-interest*

Term
Deontological
Definition
duty based ethics
Term
Ockham's Razor
Definition
simplest explanation is likely the correct one
Term
Objectivism
Definition
There is no real truth.
Term
Describe the main difference between the ancient philosophical quest and the modern quest.
Definition
The acient quest is performed and the modern quest is science.
Term
What does the statement "if our natures were different, our duties would be different" mean?
Definition

-if we were anything other than human, morality would be different.

ex: it is not immoral for a lion to kill a person b/c it is an animal, not human.

Term

Define Virtue.

Define Vice.

Definition

Virtue: good habit, selflessness

Vice: bad habit, selfishness

Term
What does it mean to say that a vice is the result of either a defect or an excess of a virtue?
Definition
an excess and a lack of a virtue is a vice.
Term
What is eudaimonia?
Definition
happiness, like well lived, the excellent life.
Term
How is utilitarianism different from ancient philosophical theories of virtue? How is it different from Plato's ethical theory?
Definition
It differs because ancient theories were not materialist and utilitarianism is.
Term
What's the difference between the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative?
Definition

Hypothetical: if / then reasoning in morality.

Categorical: absolute moral command.

Term
How can morality be based on a "social contract"?
Definition
It's self-interest.
Term
Three overarching issues that comprise the quest of philosophy.
Definition

Problem of knowledge: epistomology & metaphysics.

Problem of Conduct: ethics

Problem of Governance:theory of law, political science.

Term
3 Synonyms of FORM
Definition

1. Eidos

2. Idea

3. Order

Term
How does the problem of knowledge lead to the problem of conduct?
Definition
because we know what is out there and need to know how to use it.
Term
How does Aristotle overcome the problem of separation?
Definition

by Hylomorphism:

a theory developed by Aristotle which analyzes substance into matter and form.

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