Ethics Unit 1

Question 1

value theory

Answer 1

what is valuable in and of itself (by itself); what a good life consists in.

Question 2

normative ethics

Answer 2

looks for the supreme principle(s) of right action.
regarding how one ought to act morally.

Question 3

metaethics

Answer 3

ask questions about the fundamental status of moral claims. Are moral claims capable of being true? What makes them true? How can we know that moral claims are true? Is it always rational to be moral? Is morality objective?

Question 4

3 components of a typical moral argument

Answer 4

1. One premise states a normative principle.
   “If we can benefit someone without harming anyone else, we should.”
2. A factual premise which describes the situation in a way that shows how it falls under the normative principle.
   “Transplanting Baby Theresa’s organs would benefit the other children without harming Baby Theresa.”
3. The conclusion states what you should do.
   “Therefore, we ought to transplant the organs.”

Question 5

valid deductive argument

Answer 5

An argument in which, assuming the premises are true, it is impossible for the conclusion to be false. In other words, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.

Question 6

validity is independent of ___

Answer 6

the truth of the premises or the conclusion.

Question 7

a statement is a

Answer 7

sentence with truth value (true/false)

Question 8

~ means

Answer 8

isnt

Question 9

soundness =

Answer 9

an argument that is logically valid but also the premises are true.

Question 10

⊃ or 🡪 means

Answer 10

If ____ then____

Question 11

if
Socrates is a man = M
Socrates is a unicorn = U
how do you say socrates is not a unicorn?

Answer 11

~U

Question 12

if
Socrates is a man = M
Socrates is a unicorn = U
how do you say If Socrates is a man, then he is a unicorn

Answer 12

M🡪U

Question 13

if
Socrates is a man = M
Socrates is a unicorn = U
how do you say If Socrates is a man, then he is not a unicorn

Answer 13

M🡪~U

Question 14

The statement following “if” is the called the

Answer 14

antecedent

Question 15

the “then”-statement is the

Answer 15

consequent

Question 16

modus ponens

Answer 16

p ⊃ q
p
—————
q

Question 17

valid example of modus ponens

Answer 17

if its raining, then the streets are wet.
its raining.
—————
the streets are wet.

Question 18

invalid example of modus ponens

Answer 18

if its raining, then the streets are wet.
the streets are wet.
—————
its raining.

Question 19

T/F: if an argument has modus ponens or modus tollens, then it is valid always.

Answer 19

True.

Question 20

modus tollens

Answer 20

p ⊃ q
~q
—————
~p

Question 21

invalid modus tollens

Answer 21

p ⊃ q
~p
—————
~q

Question 22

the statement following “only if” is the _____. and the other statement is the ______

Answer 22

consequent, antecedent.

Question 23

how to translate this universal affirmative/neg. statement as a conditional statement? “All men are mortal”. And “No cats are dogs”.

Answer 23

1. If something is a man, then it is mortal.
2. if something is a cat, then it is not a dog.

Question 24

An if statement goes on the ____ side of the arrow/horseshoe.

Answer 24

left.

Question 25

An if only statement goes on the ____ side of the arrow/horseshoe.

Answer 25

right

Question 26

An if and only if statement goes where?

Answer 26

on either side of a biconditional (triple bar, arrow pointing both ways)

Question 27

4 steps for identifying an argument

Answer 27

1. Find the conclusion. 2. List the stated premises. 3. Determine validity. 4. Determine the truth of the premises.

Question 28

how do you formalize an argument?

Answer 28

listing the premises first and the conclusion last.

Question 29

what is the principle of charity?

Answer 29

if the argument is invalid, but intended to be valid, you can add the necessary premise that was left unstated, and probably use the MP magic trick. (gives them the benefit of the doubt)

Question 30

fact vs opinion vs truth

Answer 30

fact is how things are in the world. opinion/belief is representations of reality truth is when beliefs correspond with the facts

Question 31

utilitarianism

Answer 31

greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Question 32

social contract theory

Answer 32

people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior.

Question 33

virtue ethics

Answer 33

person rather than action based. If___ were here, what would they do?

Question 34

the motivation argument

Answer 34

1. Moral judgments have an influence on the actions and affections. 2. Reason alone can never have any such influence on the actions and affections. 3. Therefore, moral judgments cannot be derived from reason.

Question 35

the representation argument states that emotions do not have ____ because they don't _______

Answer 35

truth value, represent anything. (Angry towards Neil is neither true nor false). (your desires, emotions, choices are not produced by arguments bc they are not truth value statements)

Question 36

Hume's big idea (rep. and mot. argument main point)

Answer 36

reason alone produces beliefs, but beliefs do not affect us (ECA) unless they work together with our desires, but reason alone won't do anything.

Question 37

relation/fact argument by Hume

Answer 37

there is no objective fact in a vicious action itself that makes it wrong, its in the observer.

Question 38

all moral claims are ________ statements

Answer 38

ought

Question 39

Hume's is/ought argument main point

Answer 39

you cant get an ought statement from an is statement.

Question 40

reason is the discovery of ____

Answer 40

truth or falsehood

Question 41

(according to Harmen) why don't moral observations confirm theories

Answer 41

because the best explanation of why you observed that the act of cat-burning is wrong is NOT that causing needless suffering is wrong, But is simply that you BELIEVE that Causing needless suffering is wrong.

Question 42

Harmen's main point

Answer 42

there is no scientific observational support for moral facts, therefore, we have no reason to believe there are such things as moral facts.

Question 43

The error theory

Answer 43

there are no objective moral facts. * But when people make moral claims, they are claiming that there are moral facts. * So all moral claims are false; they are errors.

Question 44

Mackie's reasoning that we have moral beliefs

Answer 44

-When we think we are recognizing objective moral facts, we are actually just projecting our own moral attitudes. -We internalize socially established behavior patterns. -shows that our beliefs are not caused by any reliable data gathering process.

Question 45

a key premise in the argument from relativity is that

Answer 45

different societies have different moral beliefs

Question 46

moral isolationism def and who rejects it?

Answer 46

the view that we can never understand any culture except our own well enough to make judgments about it Midgely

Question 47

antirealism versus moral realism

Answer 47

AR: there are no objective moral values/facts. MR: there are objective moral values, such that a moral claim may be either true or false.

Question 48

one of the most popular forms of antirealism is cultural relativism, which is ____

Answer 48

right and wrong are relative to culture.

Question 49

the open question argument

Answer 49

moral properties are not identical with natural properties.

Question 50

enoch (realist) relies on ________ as a source of moral knowledge

Answer 50

intuition

Question 51

reflective equilibrium

Answer 51

evaluating your moral beliefs and making sure on doesn't contradict the other (lying to mom and max. happiness example)

Question 52

disagreement: Sarah mcgrath

Answer 52

1. If our epistemic peers (equally informed, thoughtful people) disagree with us, then our beliefs are unjustified. 2. But epistemic peers disagree about virtually every moral question. 3. Therefore, no moral beliefs are justified.