WEEK1 Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are central issues in moral judgement?
Issues of conflict and choice are central to moral judgement and moral decision.
What is the ethical dilemma regarding animal rights and human rights?
Both human and animal rights should be respected, but they may conflict in practices like industrial farming or scientific research.
What is human exceptionalism?
Human exceptionalism is the idea that humans are morally superior to animals, which has been criticized in the context of speciesism.
What is synthetic life?
Synthetic life forms are organisms artificially created or engineered by humans through biotechnological methods.
Who is George McDonald Church?
George McDonald Church is an American geneticist and pioneer in synthetic biology, known for changing the genetic code of E. coli bacteria.
What ethical challenges arise from synthetic life forms?
Ethical challenges include questions about creating life, safety and unintended consequences, and the potential for bioweapons.
What are the potential risks of synthetic organisms escaping into the environment?
Synthetic organisms could cause harm by interacting with natural ecosystems or evolving in unforeseen ways.
What are bioweapons?
Bioweapons are harmful organisms, including weaponized bacteria or viruses, that can be created using synthetic biology techniques.
What is ethical pluralism?
Ethical pluralism is the idea that multiple, equally valid moral principles can coexist and sometimes conflict.
How does ethical pluralism approach multicultural practices?
Ethical pluralism acknowledges differing cultural practices and seeks to find a middle ground that respects both cultural traditions and individual rights.
What is ethical fundamentalism?
Ethical fundamentalism is the belief in a single, absolute moral code that governs all human behavior.
What characterizes moral fundamentalists?
Moral fundamentalists believe in absolute moral principles, certainty about moral truth, and reject ethical relativism.
What is an example of ethical fundamentalism?
Religious fundamentalism promotes ethical principles based on sacred texts, such as the Ten Commandments in Christianity.
What is Islamic Ethical Fundamentalism?
In some interpretations of Islamic law (Sharia), certain moral behaviors—such as the prohibition of alcohol, theft, and blasphemy—are seen as fundamental laws that must be strictly followed by all adherents of Islam, regardless of personal beliefs or cultural context.
What is Legal Fundamentalism?
A country or legal system might follow a particular set of laws that are viewed as divinely inspired or historically sacred.
For example, some societies might hold constitutional law as an immutable set of rules that must be followed strictly, without room for interpretation or reform.
