Ethics Key Terms Flashcards
dispositions
Our character traits or our tendency to behave in certain ways
imperative
a command
agent
a free,rational being who is capable of action
argument
a series of propositions intended to support a conclusion
consequentialist ethics
ethical theories that focus on the outcome of an action
deontological ethics
ethical theories where the moral value of an action lies in the action itself, regardless of the consequence
descriptive
a statement that tells us the way things are
meta-ethics
the study of the meaning of moral language and moral judgement
normative ethics
ethical theories that offer rules, principles or standards by which we can make moral judgements
applied ethics/practical ethics
the application of ethical theories to moral issues/ problems such as abortion or euthanasia
prescriptive
a statement that tells us what we ought to do
rationalism
the view that knowledge comes from reason
relativism
the view that moral judgements vary according to social context in which they are made
virtue ethics
a type of ethical theory which focuses on the moral worth of agents, rather than actions
In which country did western ethics originate from?
Ancient Greece
