Question | Answer |
Six values that all cultures have in common | 1. Truthfulness 2. Prohibition of murder 3. Tolerable of other cultures 4. Mix of good and bad practices. 5. Welfare of cultural members. 6. Care of young. |
Cultural relativism in terms of the cultural differences argument | 1. Different societies have different moral codes 2. Moral code determines what is right within that society. 3. No objective standard can be used to judge one's societal code as better than another. 4. Moral code of our own society has no special |
Ethical Subjectivism | Moral judgments are nothing more than expressions of personal opinion |
Psychological egoism | 1. Theory of human nature, not an ethical theory. 2. Human nature to act out of self-interest. |
Ethical egoism | How we should behave |
Hero stories | Earliest known writings about heroes who exemplified virtues most admired |
Legal codes | Earliest know writings that defined acceptable and non-acceptable conduct and instructional formulations |
Ethics in ancient Mesopotamia | Value concepts can be discerned from commercial documents, law codes, wisdom sayings, hero stories and myths. |
Royal Archives | Earliest know writings provide the boasts of monarchs who conquered and often devastated neighboring territories. |
Gigamesh, King of Uruk | One of the earliest monarchs was said to be the product of the union of a high priest and the goddess Ninsun. |
Work ethic | One fulfils ones destiny through service and through fidelity to whatsoever becomes ones responsibility. |
The law code of Semitic King Lipit Ishtar | One of several early royal prescriptions recovered by archeologists. Each ruler declared that he was divinely chosen for office, thereby linking earthly rule to divine wishes. |
The book of the Dead | Earliest known writings contains a negative confession in which the deceased recited before a panel of 42 divine judges a list of 42 sins no committed. |
Hebrew scriptures | One of the earliest known writings – Bible |
School documents | One of the earliest known writings |
Aristotle's theory | Involves a virtuous way of life by its relation to happiness |
Key element of Aristotle(2) | 1)highest happinessnot in the ethical virtues of active life, but contemplative or philosophic life of speculation, in which the dianoetic virtues of understanding, science and wisdom are exercise.
2)Happiness not identical to pleasure |
Virtue | Moral excellence, or having the courage to do what is right. |
Ethical egoism | Each person ought to do whatever will best promote his or her own self-interest |
Utilitarianism | We ought to do whatever will promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. |