Week 1-4

Question 1

What is emotivism?

Answer 1

Emotivism is the theory that ethical and value judgements are only expressions of feeling/attitude(as opposed to objective truths)

Question 2

What did AJ Ayer have to say about moral disagreements?

Answer 2

They are about stating relevant facts in order to convince your opponent to adopt the same moral attitude as yours.

Question 3

According to Ayer, value claims are _____

Answer 3

an expression of emotion, cannot be scientific/objective

Question 4

What is error theory and from which philosopher does this idea come?

Answer 4

Error theory is an idea from J.L. Mackie that all moral claims are false

Question 5

Why does Mackie believe moral facts to be strange to exist?

Answer 5

If moral facts did exist, they would provide an overriding reason to act on them, independent of context. No other facts function to provide motive to do something, thus moral facts are strange.

Question 6

What is the Spectator Theory of Knowledge and from which philosopher does this idea come?

Answer 6

If we want to learn about reality we simply need to observe it (and reflect it without regards to our desires). John Dewey.

Question 7

What did Lepley say about the distinction of facts and values?

Answer 7

Verifiability of Value: All factual statements are translatable into valuative ones & all valuative statements are translatable into factual ones.. i.e. Facts and values are NOT distinct

Question 8

What is the distinction between what is valued and what is valuable?

Answer 8

This idea, coming from Dewey, is that we can test the effects of valuing something to determine where what is being valued is in fact valued. That is, all things considered, what is initially valued does not interfere with our other desires (is this is best decision to be made?)

Question 9

Consequentialism

Answer 9

The moral theory that something is morally right based on the outcome it produces (consequences>intention)

Question 10

Deontology

Answer 10

The moral theory that things are morally right based on if it is done with the intention of following moral duties (intention>consequences)

Question 11

Divine Command Theory

Answer 11

Something is morally right if it is what god commands us to do

Question 12

What is the Euthyphro problem?

Answer 12

The issue that results from divine command theory: is something wrong merely because it is what God says so?

Question 13

What is the distinction between instrumental and inherent value?

Answer 13

Instrumental: valuable because it is useful
Inherent: valuable in of itself (e.g. “goodness”)

Question 14

Everything we do is for the sake of getting pleasure or avoiding pain. Which philosopher does this idea come from?

Answer 14

Jeremy Bentham

Question 15

What is the principle of utility?

Answer 15

An action is moral if it increases happiness, it is immoral if it decreases happiness. (also known as Utilitarianism)

Question 16

What problems did Mill have with Bentham’s Utilitarian philosophy?

Answer 16

Mill believes that there are higher and lower pleasures (quality>quantity). Bentham’s philosophy does not distinguish this.
-Believes intellectual pleasures are higher pleasures

Question 17

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 17

Judging an ACT based on its capacity to bring out the greatest amount of happiness

Question 18

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 18

Judging a RULE based on its capacity to bring about greatest amount of happiness

Question 19

Is Kant’s philosophy consequential or deontological?

Answer 19

Deontological

Question 20

What is a good in itself according to Kant?

Answer 20

A good will

Question 21

Hypothetical Imperative

Answer 21

Determines what to do as a means to an end

Question 22

Categorical Imperative

Answer 22

Determines what to do as an end-in-itself

Question 23

What is the Humanity Principle?

Answer 23

Acting to treat humanity as an end, never merely as a means (e.g. using someone for your own gains goes against the humanity principle.)

Question 24

According to Kant, moral facts must be _____ and context is _____

Answer 24

moral facts must be UNIVERSAL and context is IRRELEVANT

Question 25

What issues does Anscombe have with Kantian ethics?

Answer 25

- The idea of "legislating for oneself" is absurd (How can we meaningfully obligate ourselves?) - The idea of morality as a law comes from Christian ethics.

Question 26

What is teleology?

Answer 26

The theory that everything has a purpose, and something is good if it fulfills that purpose. (e.g. a knife is good if it cuts well)

Question 27

Eudaimonia

Answer 27

To live a virtuous life according to reason

Question 28

According to Aristotle, what makes a virtuous character trait?

Answer 28

A character trait is virtuous if it is the middle ground between two extremes. (e.g. Courageousness is the middle ground between Rashness and Cowardliness)

Question 29

Virtue Theory

Answer 29

The moral theory that emphasizes virtuous character - to be virtuous, requires wisdom and understanding - it must make you happy to act in a virtuous way

Question 30

Sandler suggested a "Natural Goodness Approach" to virtue ethics to address some of its issues. Explain.

Answer 30

The Natural Goodness Approach is the idea that what is good for humans is similar to what is good for other living beings. There are traits that support our biological ends, psychological ends, and rational ends. These can be seen as virtues.

Question 31

The Natural Goodness Approach(of virtue ethics) is not about being ___ or ____, but being ____ or ____ as a _____.

Answer 31

Not about being GOOD or EVIL, but being BETTER or WORSE as a human being.

Question 32

According to Hurthouse(virtue ethics), and act is morally right if and only if ____________.

Answer 32

iff it is what a virtuous person would do in those circumstances.

Question 33

What is moral pluralism?

Answer 33

The idea that there are several values that can be correct and that they /can/ conflict with each other. That is... two different virtuous agents can make different decisions depending on a situation and both can be moral (there is no one right answer).

Question 34

Which moral theory is compatible with moral pluralism? Which ones are not?

Answer 34

Virtue theory is compatible. Kant and UT ethics not.

Question 35

What is the Ethics of Care?

Answer 35

The theory from Gilligan that there /is/ moral significance in our relationships in life. We need to promote the well being of our care givers/receivers.

Question 36

According to Baier, how can we create a moral theory that accommodates both women's and men's moral intuitions?

Answer 36

a moral theory that makes TRUST its central problem could speak to men's and women's moral intuitions (can accommodate both love and obligation)

Question 37

What issues did Held have with traditional moral theories?

Answer 37

Traditional moral theories are impartial to our personal relationships. According to Held, relationships are morally significant and should be given priority.

Question 38

Who are the three feminist moral philosophers discussed in this class?

Answer 38

Baier, Held, Gilligan

Question 39

Why does Lepley Believe facts and values are not distinct ?

Answer 39

1) Factual sentences can be misleading. We cannot understand them without context. (ex. "water is h20") 2) Factual statements are not independent of our interests (ex. "the ball is in the hole") 3) Both facts an values express relationships between events