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Ethics and Morals
Practice for test
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| moral objection | a strong feeling or statement of disagreement with an action, rule, or idea because you believe it is ethically wrong or unfair. (doesn't mean moral claims we make are true) |
| moral relativism | the view that right and wrong are not absolute, but change based on culture, time, or personal perspective. EX- Tipping the server: In the United States, leaving a 15% to 20% tip is seen as a moral, other places its not |
| Cultural Relativism | Moral truths are determined by a society's customs. Core Idea: No culture's values are superior to another's. Example: Some cultures view eating beef as a holy taboo, while others see it as a normal dietary staple. |
| descriptive relativism | Diverse cultures naturally hold different moral values. Core Idea: Morality varies by location and history. Example: Some cultures practice cannibalism; others find it horrific. |
| subjective relativism | ruth and morality depend entirely on an individual’s personal feelings. Core Idea: What is right for you is right for you, and what is right for me is right for me. Example: Choosing whether or not to lie to protect someone’s feelings. |
| cognitive relativism | Knowledge, truth, and reality itself are constructed by human frameworks. Core Idea: There is no objective "view from nowhere" or absolute truth. Example: Believing that modern science and traditional folklore are equally valid ways of explaining cosmos. |
| aesthetic relativism | Judgments of beauty, art, and taste are entirely relative to the observer. Core Idea: There is no objective standard for what makes art good or bad. Example: One person finding a modern abstract sculpture brilliant, while another considers it real garbage |
| Descriptive relativism | The factual observation that different cultures hold different values. Core Idea: This is a sociological fact, not a philosophical evaluation. Example: Documenting that one tribe practices polygamy while another strictly enforces monogamy. |
| fanciful | Concepts driven by imagination, whim, or unrealistic ideals rather than fact. Core Idea: Prioritizes creative possibility over practical constraint. Example: Designing a city entirely out of floating, self-sustaining clouds. |
| Realistic | Concepts grounded in actual facts, logic, and physical limitations. Core Idea: Prioritizes what is practically achievable in the real world. Example: Designing a city using steel, concrete, and existing zoning laws. |
| moral objectivism | Universal moral truths exist independently of human opinion. Core Idea: What is right or wrong applies to everyone everywhere. Example: Torturing innocents for fun is objectively wrong, even if an entire society approves of it. |
| Normative Relativism | The claim that people ought to follow their culture's specific moral rules. Core Idea: It is wrong to judge or interfere with other societies' practices. Example: Concluding it is wrong to criticize a foreign nation's lack of women's rights. |
| Ethical Egoism | The normative theory that individuals ought to act exclusively in their own self-interest. Core Idea: Your only moral duty is to yourself; altruism is unnecessary. Example: Refusing to donate money to charity because keeping it benefits you more. |
| Utilitarianism | A consequentialist theory stating actions are right if they maximize overall happiness. Core Idea: Focus entirely on creating the greatest net pleasure over pain for everyone. Example: Sacrificing one person's property to save ten people's lives. |
| Deontology: | A duty-based theory stating morality is about following universal rule-based constraints. Core Idea: Right actions are inherently right, never justified by good consequences. Example: Refusing to lie, even if lying would save someone from harm. |
| Standard Form of Argument: | A structured layout where numbered premises lead logically to a final conclusion. Core Idea: Strips away rhetoric to easily test an argument's validity. Example: 1. Stealing harms others. 2. Harming others is wrong. 3. Therefore, stealing is wrong. |
| Valid Argument: | A structural property where true premises guarantee a true conclusion. Core Idea: The logic works perfectly, even if the premises are factually false. Example: 1. All philosophers are immortal. 2. Socrates is a philosopher. 3. Socrates is immortal. |
| Sound Argument: | A deductive argument that is structurally valid and has entirely true premises. Core Idea: The gold standard for logically proving a point. Example: 1. All humans are mortal. 2. Socrates is human. 3. Socrates is mortal. |
| Begging the Question: | A logical fallacy where the premises assume the truth of the conclusion. Core Idea: Circular reasoning that fails to provide independent evidence for a claim. Example: Murder is morally wrong because killing people is an immoral act. |
| deductive argument | An argument aiming to provide absolute proof for its conclusion. Core Idea: If the premises are true, the conclusion must logically be true. Example: 1. All mammals have backbones. 2. Dogs are mammals. 3. Therefore, dogs have backbones. |
| Moral Judgment: | An evaluation of whether an action, character trait, or choice is right or wrong. Core Idea: Passing a value verdict on human behavior. Example: Deciding that breaking a promise to a friend is a morally bad act. |
| Moral Principle: | A fundamental rule or standard that guides ethical conduct. Core Idea: A foundational guideline used to determine right actions consistently. Example: Following the rule "do not steal" across all areas of your life. |
| Ethical Theory: | : A structured framework of principles used to evaluate and justify moral claims. Core Idea: An overarching system that explains why actions are right or wrong. Example: Using Utilitarianism to evaluate the morality of public healthcare policies. |
| Consequentialism: | An ethical approach stating that the morality of an action is judged solely by its outcomes. Core Idea: The ends justify the means; focus strictly on results. Example: Lying to a thief to protect an innocent person's safety. |
| Utility: | The net amount of pleasure, happiness, or well-being produced minus the pain or suffering caused. Core Idea: The currency of moral calculation. Example: Measuring the joy a new park brings against the financial cost of taxes. |
| Scope: | The total number of conscious beings affected by an action's consequences. Core Idea: How widely the moral impact spreads. Example: Factoring how a nationwide tax policy impacts millions of citizens versus just one town. |
| Duration: | The length of time that the pleasure or pain resulting from an action lasts. Core Idea: How long the consequences endure. Example: Choosing a permanent career path that brings lifelong satisfaction over a fleeting, fun vacation. |
| Intensity: | The strength or vividness of the pleasure or pain caused by an action. Core Idea: How deeply the experience is felt. Example: Winning a major championship feels intensely joyful, whereas finding a dollar on the street is minor. |
| Probability: | The likelihood or chance that an action will actually lead to the expected consequences. Core Idea: Factoring risk into moral calculations. Example: Investing in a proven local charity rather than a high-risk, unverified global scheme. |
| Intrinsic Value: S | something that is valuable in and of itself, for its own sake. Core Idea: It has inherent worth, independent of any external usefulness. Example: Happiness, love, or conscious life itself. |
| Instrumental Value: | Something that is valuable as a tool or means to acquire something else. Core Idea: Its worth depends entirely on what it helps you achieve. Example: Money, which is useless alone but valuable because it buys goods. |
| Categorical Imperative (C.I.): | Immanuel Kant’s supreme command of morality that applies unconditionally to all rational beings. Core Idea: A rational duty you must follow, regardless of your personal desires. Example: Refusing to steal, even if stealing would make you wealthy. |
| Hypothetical Imperative: | A conditional command of reason that applies only if you desire a specific goal. Core Idea: An "if-then" rule based purely on personal wants. Example: If you want to pass Exam 1, then you must study tonight. |
| Categorical Imperative Formulations: | The different conceptual lenses Kant uses to explain the single universal moral law. Core Idea: Alternate wordings meant to clarify our single, absolute rational duty. Example: Analyzing an act through both the Universal Law and Formula of Humanity. |
| Universal Law Formulation: | Act only on maxims that you can rationally will to become universal laws for everyone. Core Idea: If everyone doing it makes the action impossible, it is wrong. Example: Rejecting lying, because if everyone lied, the concept of truth collapses. |
| End in Itself: | Treating a rational being with total respect for their inherent value. Core Idea: Recognizing a person’s autonomy, never reducing them to an object. Example: Listening to a patient’s medical choices rather than forcing treatment upon them. |
| Mere Means: | Using a person purely as an object or tool to achieve your own goals. Core Idea: Deceiving, manipulating, or forcing someone, violating their consent. Example: Befriending a wealthy classmate solely to copy their homework and use their car. |
| Problems with Deontology: | criticisms that duty-based rules can ignore extreme consequences or create conflicting obligations. Core Idea: Absolute rules can be too unreal for complex real situations. (ex): Being morally forbidden from lying even to save someone from a murderer. |
| Virtue Ethics: | A character-based approach emphasizing the cultivation of good moral habits. Core Idea: Morality is about who you are rather than just following rules. Example: Practicing honesty daily until telling the truth becomes your natural disposition. |
| Virtue: | A positive, excellent character trait that aligns with moral goodness. Core Idea: The golden mean or healthy balance between behavioral extremes. Example: Courage, which stands perfectly between cowardice (deficiency) and rashness (excess). |
| vice: | A negative, flawed character trait or moral deficiency. Core Idea: A bad habit of character that leads to immoral behavior. Example: Cowardice, greed, or vanity. |
| Principle-Based Ethics: | A practical framework that resolves moral dilemmas by balancing core duties like autonomy and justice. Core Idea: Applying mid-level principles rather than relying on one grand theory. Example: Medical ethics balancing patient autonomy against good duty |
Created by:
Marcusmadden44