Test/midterm

Question 1

What is a value judgment?

Answer 1

A claim that a particular human action or object has some degree of importance, worth, or desirability

Question 2

Are value judgements objective?

Answer 2

No, they can be argued and people will have differing opinions.
Should you fly or drive to Vancouver? You will have people on both sides with valid points, your answer depends on what you value… saving time or seeing the country.

Question 3

What is a moral value judgement?

Answer 3

They focus on human actions, depicting them as good/bad, or right/wrong

Question 4

What is an example of a moral value judgment?

Answer 4

Murder is wrong
You should always tell the truth

Question 5

What is the difference between a preference and a moral value judgment?

Answer 5

Preferences only affect you (directly). Ex: I like chocolate ice cream the best
Moral value judgements affect other people. Ex: murder is good

Question 6

Moral theories focus on what two things?

Answer 6

The consequences of human actions
Inherent rightness/wrongness of human actions

Question 7

What does emotivism think towards moral value judgements?

Answer 7

Moral value judgements are merely expressions of our attitudes/emotions
Rejects the idea that moral value judgements are descriptions of objective moral facts
Moral value judgments are the same as personal value judgments

Question 8

What is a criticism of emotivism?

Answer 8

if emotivism is correct, there would be no objective moral aspect to consider in legal cases and moral disputes involving neglect, responsibility, and blame

Question 9

What is consequentialism?

Answer 9

The moral value of human action or behaviour is determined solely by its outcomes (consequences)

Question 10

What is teleology? (consequentialism)

Answer 10

The philosophical belief that the value of an action or object can be determined by looking at the purpose or the end of the action or object

Question 11

What is egoism believe?

Answer 11

Believes that everyone should act in order to maximize his or her own individual pleasure or happiness.

Question 12

What is egoism’s belief in regard to moral value judgements?

Answer 12

It reduces the moral value of an act to the outcome of its consequences to one person.
Consequentialism –> reduced down to the acting agent thinking about themselves.

Question 13

What are criticisms of egoism?

Answer 13

How can we know all the future consequences of our actions?
How can we define happiness or pleasure for everyone?
How do we measure or quantify amounts or degrees of happiness or pleasure?

Question 14

What does utilitarianism think?

Answer 14

All humans ought to act in order to maximize the greatest pleasure or happiness for the greatest number of people.

Question 15

What is the driving force of utilitarianism?

Answer 15

avoidance of pain and seeking of pleasure

Question 16

What are criticisms of utilitarianism?

Answer 16

It is similar to egoism

Question 17

What is deontology?

Answer 17

It is the study of duties

Question 18

What does deontology think about moral value judgements?

Answer 18

What makes an action right or wrong is the thinking process you had beforehand
Regardless of consequences

Question 19

What is a universal rule deontology goes by?

Answer 19

Your actions or behaviour towards others should always be such that you would want everyone to act in the same manner
Do to others as you would want done to you

Question 20

What is a criticism of deontology?

Answer 20

Performing a particular duty may not have immediate positive consequences.

Question 21

What two claims does relativism make?

Answer 21

What I and everyone know good from bad is relative to their culture
there are no objective or universal moral value judgments.

Question 22

What is the naturalistic fallacy?

Answer 22

Since it is natural for humans to desire pleasure and to avoid pain, human behaviour ought to be directed to these two ends

Question 23

What is a criticism for the naturalistic fallacy?

Answer 23

value judgments cannot be logically derived from statements of fact

Question 24

what are the difference between inductive and moral arguments?

Answer 24

inductive says that someone “probably” believes (insert outcome)
moral arguments say that someone “ought” to believe (insert outcome)

Ninety percent of Christians believe that stem cell research is morally wrong. Gerry is a Christian. Therefore, Gerry (probably / ought) to believe that stem cell research is wrong

Question 25

What question does general normative ethics attempt to answer?

Answer 25

Which general moral norms for the guidance and evaluation of conduct should we accept? and why?

Question 26

What is descriptive ethics concerned with?

Answer 26

Describing ethical practices within a group

Question 27

What is meta-ethics concerned with?

Answer 27

Developing an understanding of the meaning and function of ethical terms like good and bad

Question 28

What is a moral theory?

Answer 28

an explanation of what makes an action right or what makes a person or thing good

Question 29

What is consequentialist theory?

Answer 29

A theory asserting that what makes an action right is its consequences

Question 30

What is non-consequentialist theory?

Answer 30

A theory asserting that the rightness of an action does not depend on its consequences, some of these theories are referred to as deontological theories

Question 31

What is another name for non-consequentialist theories?

Answer 31

Deontological theories

Question 32

What is ethical egoism?

Answer 32

An action is right when it promotes the INDIVIDUALS best interests

Question 33

What is utilitarianism?

Answer 33

The morally right action is the one that produces the most favourable balance of good over evil, the most happiness, FOR EVERYONE

Question 34

What is Kantian ethics?

Answer 34

the morally right action is the one done in accordance with the categorial imperative
our actions do not depend on results
We are good because we have good will

Question 35

What is virtue ethics?

Answer 35

Highlights the role of the agent in moral deliberations making virtue the central concern

Question 36

What is criticism of utilitarism?

Answer 36

Some actions are wrong even if they produce good results.
The trolly problem

Question 37

Is bluffing in business ethical?

Answer 37

Yes, bluffing in business is ethical. You are playing by the rules of the game.

Question 38

What is the categorial imperative? (two parts)

Answer 38

For any action, the principle that one is acting on must be applicable as a universal law
We must not treat people as a mere means to an end