ETHICAL THOUGHT KEYWORDS Flashcards
(26 cards)
Moral agent
Someone who may choose to act contrary to a given framework and so to be said to be acting immorally or wrongly
Meta-ethics
The study of the nature of ethical thinking, why do we act as we do
Normative ethics
The study of the content of or the principles that underline a specific ethical theory
Who said “The unexamined life is not worth living”
Socrates
Who said “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world”
Camus
What ethical theory believes that there exists a standard of right and wrong that is totally binding on all human beings
Absolutism
What ethical theory believes that there is no absolute right or wrong, they do not see morality as imposing a binding obligation on human beings to behave in a particular way
Relativism
What is a theory described as if the truth is dependent on the persons view
Subjective
What is a theory described as if the truth is independent of a persons view, aka moral realism, idea that moral values are like mathematical numbers
Objective
A theory concerned with the end purpose or goal of an action
Teleological
An ethical theory based on considering consequences
Consequentialism
A theory that explores obligation or duty
Deontological
What is a greek word used by Aristotle for a persons manner of behaviour
Hexis
A greek word used by Aristotle for character of a person
Ethos
A greek word used by Aristotle to define the end purpose of human life to be happiness, flourishing or fulfillment
Eudaimonia
Greek word meaning virtues
Arete
Another name for virtue theory
Aretaic ethics
According to Aristotle what are the three aspects to happiness
1 a life of enjoyment
2 a life with freedom
3 being a philosopher (a life of reflection and contemplation)
Where can we find Aristotle’s ideas about virtue theory?
In his book The Nichomachean ethics
How many types of virtues are there according to Aristotle
2 - Moral virtues gained through habit and practice and intellectual virtues gained through education
Doctrine of the mean
For Aristotle cultivating virtues was to balance the two extremes of excess and deficiency to achieve the golden mean
Sophron
One of the three types of person that the doctrine of the mean produces, one who effortlessly lives according to the mean
Enkrates
One of the three types of person that the doctrine of the mean produces, one who is tempted but remains strong and lives in the mean
Akrates
One of the three types of person that the doctrine of the mean produces, weak willed person who is weak and overcome by vices
