Term
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Definition
| Moral Truth is culturally relative There is no basis for saying one culture's morality is better than anothers. |
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Definition
There is one true and correct moral standard.
A culture's morality that does not satisfy this standard is in error. |
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| Moral Realism & Objectivism |
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Definition
There are universal, mind-independent moral facts
There moral truths are true for all tines and places. |
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Term
| Premise 1 for Cultural Relativism |
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Definition
Right means "Right for a given society"
Wrong means "wrong for a given society" |
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Term
| Premise 2 for Cultural Relativism |
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Definition
| What is right and wrong in one society may differ from another. |
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Term
| "Conclusion" for Cultural Relativism |
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Definition
| It is wrong for one sociey to impose its ideas of right and wrong on another |
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Term
| Why is it inconsistent for a cultural relativist to say that it is wrong for one society to impose its ideas of right and wrong on another? |
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Definition
| Saying "It is wrong to criticize the practices of other cultures" is a universal moral statement |
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Term
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Definition
the view that there is at least one moral value (and usually more): that each culture has the right to moral self-determination.
There are limits to this however ie. Genocide is not cool. |
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Term
| The three arguments that moral relativism faces |
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Definition
1. Cultures are not hermetically sealed, they are very messy and overlapping
2. Cultures do not always reach a consensus on issues
3. Leaves no room to disagree with the culture |
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Term
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Definition
David Wong
All valid moral systems have a common core
examples: cooperation, conflict resolution, no harm, ideals of the good life. |
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Definition
Moral Isolationism:
Since we do not understand other cultures, we could not judge them. Since we cannot judge other cultures, we have no metric to compare our own culture to. |
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Term
| Midgley: Can we judge other cultures? |
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Definition
Yes!
However, we must form a proper opinion. The degree to which we understand a culture also matters |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| We have moral obligations from God |
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| Dilemma from Plato regarding God and Morality |
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Definition
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Definition
| God commands things because they are right. |
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Term
| Euthyphro Dilemma Horn 1 consequences |
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Definition
God has discovered the moral truth.
There must be something beyong God.
God is not the creator of everything.
We could have discovered morality ourselves.
Therefore, God is redundant |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
| Euthyphro Dilemma Horn 2 consequences |
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Definition
God has chosen the moral truth.
The moral truth is arbitrary.
He could command things that are bad. |
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Term
| Restricted/Modified Divine Command Theory |
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Definition
God is good and loving.
His commands are a reflection of that nature.
His commands are good because God is perfect and good. |
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Term
Moral Argument for the Existence of God:
Premise 1 |
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Definition
| If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist |
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Term
Moral Argument for the Existence of God:
Premise 2 |
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Definition
| Objective moral values do exist |
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Term
Moral Argument for the Existence of God:
Conclusion |
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Definition
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Term
| Is the moral argument for God logical and valid? |
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Definition
Yes.
There are no contradictions in the argument.
The argument is logical and valid. |
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Term
| Is the moral argument for God sound? |
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Definition
| Only if the premises are true, which is a subject for debate |
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Term
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Definition
| teleological - it says that human beings have a purpose. serves as a practical moral system. |
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Term
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Definition
| We can understand our moral obligations using either natural reason or moral conscience |
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Term
| How can we know moral laws in Natural Law Theory? |
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Definition
| We can find right and wrong using reason. |
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Term
| Objection 1 to Natural Law Theory |
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Definition
What is "natural"?
What is "unnatural"?
Introduces cultural bias.
Things some see as "unnatural": women's right to vote, same-sex relationships, interracial relationships. |
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Term
| Objection 2 to Natural Law Theory |
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Definition
Just because something is natural does not mean it is good.
Death is natural. Is death good?
What about predation?
Animals do a lot of things we would consider bad. |
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Term
| Objection 3 to Natural Law Theory |
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Definition
Disputes with God are hard to settle.
What if we disagree with God?
We are supposed to be able to reason our way to the truth.
We would have to go to a religious atuhority and thus we are back to Divine Command Theory. |
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| Natural Law Theory Objection 4 |
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Definition
| Natural Law theory may not respect the fact/value distinction |
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| Original Utilitarianism Founder |
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Definition
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Term
| Utilitarianism Building Block 1 |
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Definition
Consequentialism
The only thing that matters about an action are the consequences of that action |
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| Utilitarianism Building Block 2 |
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Definition
Theory of the Good/Hedonism
Pleasure is the only thing that is valuable |
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| Utilitarianism Building Block 3 |
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Definition
Principle of Utility
The right thing to do is the one that maximizes pleasure for the most people |
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Term
Bentham's Argument of Elimination:
Argument 1 |
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Definition
Ascetism - Maximize pain
If a society ran like that, its citizens would rebel
Most people do this for religious purposes to make it to the afterlife which is a much greater pleasure. Therefore, they are really just hedonists. |
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Term
Bentham's Argument of Elimination:
Argument 2 |
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Definition
Principle of Sympathy and Apathy - Follow your gut to decide what is good
Then there is no objective standard and this allows everyone to do what they feel like |
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Definition
A pleasure that makes more pleasure
ex: working out |
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Definition
A pleasure that does not result in pain.
ex: hardcore drugs - Very pleasureable, leads to a lot of pain |
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Term
| This philosopher improved on the original form of utilitarianism |
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Definition
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Term
| Mill addresses what critique of utilitarianism |
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Definition
| If pelasure is all that matters, then the pleasure of all beings is equal. |
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Term
| What pleasures are more important according to Mill? |
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Definition
Hugher pleasures are intellectual, artistic, or emotionally deep.
Human beings are the only beings (that we know of) that are capable of experiencing these pleasures. |
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Term
| How to decide if one pleasure is better than another? |
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Definition
| Get a majority ruling from a panel of competent judges. |
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Term
| What makes a judge competent |
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Definition
| Someone who has experienced both pleasures or has a deep understanding of them. |
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Term
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Definition
| A doctrine of hedonism is a system for humanity |
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| Happiness according to Mill |
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Definition
| Having the higher pleasures in your life |
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Term
| Contentment according to Mill |
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Definition
| Being satisfied with the lower pleasures |
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Term
| Mill on the value of different lives: |
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Definition
"Better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satsifed"
"Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a foll satisfied" |
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