Term
| Four Classic Branches of Philosophy |
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Definition
Metaphysics- Elements that don't change
Ethics- What is the right way to live
Logic- Rules for proper thinking
Epistemology- Theory of Knowledge |
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Term
| Definitions of the Logical Fallacies |
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Definition
Logical Fallacies invalidate a moral viewpoint just as they do any other kind of view point.
HASTY GENERALIZATION- HAVE YOU HEARD SOMEONE CLAIM THAT BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN CHEATED BY TWO AUTO MECHANICS, NO AUTO MECHANICS CAN BE TRUSTED?
APPEAL TO AUTHORITY-SOMEONE WHO IS AN EXPERT IN ONE FIELD AND CLAIM TO BE AN AUTHORITY IN ANOTHER
BEGGING THE QUESTION-WHEN SOMEONE TRIED TO PROVE A POINT JUST BY REPHASING IT
SLIPPERY SLOPE- ASSUMING DRASTIC CONSEQUENCES WILL FOLLOW A CERTAIN POLICY
FALSE DICHOTOMY- PRESENTING AN EITHER/OR SITUATION THAT ISN'T AN EITHER/OR SITUATION
RED HERRING- DEFLECTION AWAY FROM THE TRUTH; DISTRACTION
AD MISERICORDIAM-APPEAL TO PITY; NOTHING BUT EXCUSES
AD BACULUM- USING PHYSICAL THREATS
AD HOMINEM- ASSUMES THAT WHO A PERSON IS DETERMINES THE CORRECTNESS OR INCORRECTNESS OF WHAT HE OR SHE SAYS
STRAW MAN- INVENTING A VIEWPOINT SO RADICAL THAT HARDLY ANYONE HOLDS IT, SO YOU CAN KNOCK IT DOWN |
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Term
| Four Major Paths to deal with moral differences |
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Definition
MORAL NIHILISM- VIEW THAT THERE IS NO ULTIMATE RIGHT OR WRONG; DIFFICULT POSITION TO UPHOLD BECAUSE IT IS SO EXTREME
SKEPTICISM- WE CAN'T KNOW WHETHER THERE ARE ANY MORAL TRUTHS
SUBJECTIVISM- SUPPORTS THAT MORAL VIEWS ARE SIMPLY INNER STATES IN A PERSON AND THAT THEY CAN'T BE COMPARED TO THE INNER STATES OF ANOTHER PERSON, SO A MORAL VIEW POINT IS VALID FOR THE PERSON WHO HOLDS IT
ETHICAL RELATIVISM- EMPHASIZES THAT THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL MORAL TRUTH, THAT EACH CULTURE HAS ITS OWN SET OF RULES THAT ARE VALIF FOR THAT CULTURE AND WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE
SOFT UNIVERSALISM- THIS IS THE BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF A FEW UNIVERSAL MORAL TRUTHS
HARD UNIVERSALISM- THERE IS ONE UNIVERSAL MORAL CODE; ATTUTUDE TOWARD MORALS IN EVERDAY LIFE TO WHICH MANY PEOPLE RELATE TO; DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE POSSIBILITY OR THE LEGITIMACY OF MORE THAN ONE SET OF MORAL CODES |
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Term
| Descriptive vs. Normative |
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Definition
DESCRIPTIVE- MERELY DESCRIBES WHAT IT SEES AS FACT OR WHAT IT SEES AS BAD, DESCRIBES WHAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO OR THINK
NORMATIVE- ADDS A MORAL JUDGEMENT, EVALUATION, OR JUSTIFICATION; CONCERNED WITH CLASSIFYING ACTIONS AS RIGHT OR WRONG |
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Term
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Definition
THEORY THAT THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL MORAL CODE, EACH CULTURE HAS ITS OWN SET OF RULES THAT ARE VALID FOR THAT CULTURE AND WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE
MAJORITY CONSIDERS MORALLY RIGHT= MORALLY RIGHT FOR THAT CULTURE |
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Term
| 6 problems of Ethical Relativism |
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Definition
MAJORITY RULE: FORCES US TO BOW TO MAJORITY RULE
WHAT IS A "MAJORITY"?- WHAT IS CONSIDERED MORALLY RIGHT FOR SOME MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED RIGHT FOR OTHERS IN A CULTURE
WHAT IS A "CULTURE"?- HOW CAN WE DECIDE WHAT IS NORM FOR A CULTURE IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT A CULTURE IS
NO CRITICISM- NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE OTHER CULTURES
PROFESSED OR ACTUAL MORALITY
CAN TOLERANCE BE A UNIVERSAL VALUE |
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Term
| Define Psychological Egoism |
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Definition
| THEORY THAT EVERYONE IS SELFISH, HOW WE ACTUALLY DO BEHAVE |
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Term
| Shortcomings of Psychological Egoism |
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Definition
1.Falsification is not possible- Doesn't allow the possibility to question it
2. Doing what we want isn't always selfish- it is what you want that matters not just that you want something
3. The fallacy of the suppressed correlative- That everyone is selfish to the bone then it is false, but if it says we have selfish streak then it is not trivial |
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Term
| Ethical Egoism of Hobbes and Rand |
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Definition
| THEORY THAT EVERYONE OUGHT TO BE SELFISH, YOU SHOULD LOOK AFTER YOURSELF, HOW WE OUGHT TO BEHAVE |
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Term
| Shortcomings of Ethical Egoism |
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Definition
1. Objectivism is nothing but a blatant defense of capitalism
2. Doesn't create a better world
3. Fallacy of bifurcation |
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Term
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Definition
| CONCERN FOR THE INTEREST OF OTHERS |
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Term
| 3 major schools of thought on source of values |
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Definition
VALUES ARE A RESULT OF SOCIALIZATION, REFERRED TO VENNER'S THEORY: SUGGESTS THAT PERSONAL VALUES DERIVE FROM SITUATIONS WITH THE EXTERNAL WORLD, LEARN BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG
VALUES ARE AN OUTCOME OF THE HUMAN CAPACITY FOR RATIONAL THOUGHT
VALUES ARE NATUALLY EMBEDDED IN OUR HUMAN CAPACITY FOR EMOTIONS, EMOTIONALISM |
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Term
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Definition
| ALSO KNOWN AS THE GREATEST-HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE; WHEN CHOOSING A COURSE OF ACTION, ALWAYS PICK THE ONE THAT WILL MAXIMIZE HAPPINESS AND MINIMIZE UNHAPPINESS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE |
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Term
| Bentham and the Hendonistic Calculus |
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Definition
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