GEC 3 Ethics Flashcards
Midterms Exam (165 cards)
What is ethics?
Ethics can be summed up as a set of moral precepts that impact how people live their lives and make decisions.
What does the term ‘ethos’ refer to?
‘Ethos’ is a Greek word that can refer to custom, habit, character, or temperament.
What are the three main elements of moral experience?
- Agent, including context (cultural, communal, and environmental)
- The act
- Reason or framework (for the act)
What are the three categories of ethical theories according to philosophers?
- Meta ethics
- Normative ethics
- Applied ethics
It examines the nature of moral judgment, where ethical ideals came from, and what they mean.
Meta-ethics
It focuses on what constitutes moral judgments and the standards for what is right or wrong.
Normative ethics
It examines contentious issues such as animal rights, war, and the death penalty.
Applied ethics
True or False: Ethics always provides the best solution to moral issues.
False
It refers to the lack of certainty about whether something is right or wrong.
Moral ambiguity
These are beliefs about what behaviors are morally acceptable or unacceptable, and they establish the rights and obligations that people should have.
Moral standards
These are criteria used to determine what is good or bad, right or wrong, such as etiquette standards, legal standards, and aesthetic standards.
Non-moral standards
Fill in the blank: Ethics is the study of _______.
[right and wrong, as well as moral duty and obligation]
It is a situation in which a person is faced with two or more conflicting options, neither of which is morally acceptable.
A moral dilemma
It is a situation in which choosing between two possible moral obligations is difficult because neither is clearly preferable or acceptable.
An ethical dilemma
What are the three types of moral dilemmas?
- Personal moral dilemma
- Organizational moral dilemma
- Structural moral dilemma
According to Immanuel Kant, what is the foundation of moral acts?
Freedom is considered the fundamental basis for a moral act.
He was one of the most influential philosophers of the 18th century, known as the father of modern ethics, aesthetics, and philosophy.
Immanuel Kant
What is Kant’s view on freedom and morality?
Kant argues that true morality can only exist if individuals act out of free will and rational duty.
According to Kant this must be done freely, allowing for moral responsibility, and moral laws should be universal.
Moral actions
True or False: Moral dilemmas always have clear solutions.
False
What does it mean when moral arguments conflict?
It means that one moral reason is in opposition to another, making it impossible for the agent to comply with all reasons.
What are characteristics of moral standards?
- Beliefs about acceptable or unacceptable behavior
- Values associated with what is considered morally good or bad
- Can be held by individuals or groups
It influences moral views, leading to different beliefs about what is morally significant.
Cultural context
Fill in the blank: The moral arguments against returning the weapon outweigh the moral arguments in favor of doing so, so overall Brad _______.
[morally ought not to return the weapon]