Ethical Theory: Exam 1
True or False: Selfish equals self-interested
False
True or false: Self-interest equals the pursuit of happiness
False
What is "Cultural Relativism" What question must one as to determine whether Cultural Relativism is convincing? what is wrong with Cultural relativism?
-Cultural relativism is a matter of cultural practices, and moral judgments are radically diverse -For example, to respect the dead some cultures eat the people while others bury the dead. Both are meant to honor, but in different ways -premise is true, but argument invalid. You must judge to understand a culture.
Why does the ethical egoist warn us not to confuse egoism with egotism?
-Egoism is rational and regards self-interest, allows to be self-sacrificing and serve the interest of others as long as it serves self-interest -Egotism is solely about the self, not allowing for consideration of others
What is "Ethical Relativism"? What question must one ask to determine whether Ethical Relativism is convincing? What is wrong with Ethical Relativism?
-Ethical relativism is the view that there is no ethics (premise is normative claim...the people's of the world significantly diagnose about moral standards) --To know if something is better, you measure up to an objective universal standard. There is ethics
For what purpose does Martin Luther King, Jr. use Natural Law in the Letter from the Birmingham Jail?
-For civil disobedience -segregation is wrong because it violates natural law -more of an equality aspect -Selectively disobeying the law to show wrongness
For what purpose does Thomas Jefferson use Natural Law in the Declaration of Independence?
-He uses it to justify political outcomes -Laws of human behavior get laws of nature from nature's God (This is the resolution to segregation) -All men are created equal and have unalienable rights
What is "Natural Law Ethics"? How is Natural Law a solution to the problem of injustice in society?
-Natural law ethics is the idea that every human has universal and fundamental rights. There is no basis for discrimination. It rejects tyrannical politics -This is because despite racial or gender differences, everyone is born with the same inalienable rights that cannot be taken away because they are human. It preserves our freedom and dignity
How is ethical egoism incompatible with two important ethical tasks: advising and judging?
-One could only judge or advise based on his or her own self-interest, not what is the best for the other person
What is a value statement?
-Some expression on good or bad -places judgment or value on something; desirable
What is Abe Lincoln's argument for psychological egoism? Why is his argument unconvincing?
-The Drowning Pigs Story: since Lincoln himself thought that saving the pigs was a selfish deed (because otherwise he would not have peace of mind all day), this would make him a psychological egoist -A truly selfish person wouldn't have cared about any drowning pigs. So not only was Abe honest, he was also a decent human being who was capable of being moved by the plight of others, including nonhuman animals.
Why does the existence of human nature refute Moral Relativism?
-This is because there is no universal morality to make progress possible. Everything is an expression of change, but humans have progressed in some ways (medical ways)
What does it mean to say "ought implies can"? How does this apply to psychological egoism?
-This is the statement that is made in ethical egoism. ought implies a choice and free will -This refutes psychological egoism
Why does Moral Relativism lead to moral isolationism?
-This leads to moral isolationism because each culture will have it's own ideas. No matter what others do, their ideas and beliefs won't change. With moral relativism there is no condemnations, and no praise either
What is "the strategy of reinterpreting motives"? Why must psychological egoists rely on "the strategy of reinterpreting motives"?
-Thomas Hobbes---whatever a person does in life, one must do it because one most wants to do this -The strategy of reinterpreting motives is basically saying that everything anyone does is always selfish. It benefits themself in some way. For example, if a soldier jumps in front of a bomb to save the lives of others, he is ultimately selfish because he knows he is doing good in his last moment of life. He does this to feel a sense of satisfaction -They must rely on this because psychological egoists deny the aspect of free will and that everything someone does is for the basis of selfishness to benefit the self
How does ethical egoism claim to solve the central problem of ethics: why should human beings cooperate with each other?
-We should get along because it serves our own interest to have friends and to get along with people
Why are these arguments for psychological egoism unconvincing?
-What about the conflict between what one wants and one's sense of duty? -Isn't selfishness and unselfishness distinguished not because we merely want them, but because of the objects that we want
What is the difference between egoism and altruism?
-With egoism you are more focused on the self and call altruism into question (Harry Browne advocates) -With altruism, you are more focused on other people, and you do things for other people (Harry Browne rejects)
Why would someone suppose that moral relativism is a plausible answer to the question: "from where do our judgments about right or wrong originate?"
-because in moral relativism, there is no universal morality and our judgments about right and wrong originate from our cultures. You have your preferences and I have mine.
What is psychological egoism? Why is it a challenge to the possibility of ethics?
-believes that human nature is so constituted and we cannot help but always ask selfishly (B.F. Skinner) -We have no free will and no responsibility=no ethics -We are based on the principle of classical conditioning -Since this is a scientific theory, it is not an ethical theory because it's a determination that denies free will, and ethics advocates for free will
How does the psychological egoist confuse selfishness with self-interest and self-interest with the pursuit of pleasure?
-selfish does not equal self-interested and self-interest does not equal the pursuit of happiness 1) Criticism of fact: do we really always do what we want? 2) Criticizing logic: Isn't it what we want discriminated by the object of what we want, which can include unselfishness
What is the basis for "Unalienable rights?"
-the Constitution and Jefferson--rights that apply to all -They get this term from God
What are the first two standard arguments for ethical egoism? Why are they unconvincing?
1) EE encourages ways of life which make people happier. This could be self-interest or the interest of others (whatever makes you happy). If you want to live in a better world, ethical egoism is the prescription --Not really an egoist argument, but an altruistic argument 2) Altruism is to be condemned because it debases the individual, and the individual is robbed of his dignity or happiness by turning the individual into a servant for others --the experience of happy altruists belies this argument
What are two alternative types of egoism?
1) Psychological--scientific theory about how humans must behave 2) Ethical--person has a choice; one ought to pursue his or her own self-interest exclusively
What are the two standard arguments for psychological egoism?
1. You do what you want 2. whenever a person behaves "unselfishly" or "altruistically" it brings satisfaction, which is the true motive for such an action. These are unconvincing because we don't always do what we want, duty is different than want. It doesn't follow that if you want something that makes you selfish - the object you want determines if you are selfish. You can want something and still be unselfish.
What is a descriptive statement?
A descriptive statement describes something evident to your senses in some way. They do not give insight into good or bad. -RU is a school in KC -FR. Curran is our president.
What is an argument? What is the "Cultural Differences" argument?
An argument is a claim to what you are trying to prove. The evidence is in reason or substantive claim of fact. -There are cultural differences, so value judgments will be different because grew up in different climates, different places, with different people, with different ways of life
Why would Divine Command Theory nullify ethics as traditionally understood?
Because DCT denies the possibility of philosophical ethics, and they consider this a meaningless term because we would be trespassing on God's territory. Everything is up to God.
While psychological egoism professes to be scientific, it actually fails to qualify as a scientific theory. Why?
Because it violates the standard of a genuine scientific theory (it cannot be tested). Falsifiability is not possible
What is civil law How does ethics differ from civil law?
Civil law is the rules and regulations created by society not necessarily morals but instead reflects true moral maturity and customs of the given societal expectation. Civil law does not equal ethics. Civil law is not necessarily value judgments, it's just a way to keep people in check. You yourself cannot change civil law but can change ethics
Why do ethicists argue that ethical egoism, in the last analysis, disqualifies itself as an ethical theory?
EE can't be an ethical theory in the last analysis because it nullifies objectivity and non-arbitrariness which are necessary conditions for psychological thought
How does ethical egoism differ from psychological egoism?
Ethical egoism believes that a person has a choice and has free will to pursue his or her own self-interest exclusively
Why does the definition of moral relativism imply two claims about right and wrong?
Ethics is implied as a discipline and also as a moral or right way to live....There is a descriptive and normative claim -Most of life is about taste and preference (no ethics) -OR moral judgments are radically diverse
True of False: Value judgements are always ethical judgments
False
True of False: ethics equals religious morals
False
Why would Freud find psychological egoism to be an unacceptable theory?
Freud believe that all people had a Death wish, and so every action we made was destructive, and not in our self-interest.
How does Harry Browne inconsistently combine psychological and ethical egoism?
He says that we are programmed by nature to be selfish, but then says we should be selfish, which means we'd have the choice to be unselfish
While ethical egoism professes to solve the problem of ethics, it appears potentially to rationalize wicked acts. How so?
It would make wicked acts acceptable because they are serving your self-interest
Why is it inconsistent for a Moral Relativist to advocate tolerance?
Moral relativism does not believe in universal value. When you are advocating for anything, you are telling someone what to do which would be considered a universal value
What must a philosopher do to analyze and criticize moral relativism adequately?
Test reasonableness of descriptive claim to find out if it is false
What are types of value statements rather than just ethical ones?
Real which ethics is a set of references or propositions, ettiquette, religion, ETHICS
What does Harry Browne mean by the "unselfishness trap"?
The Unselfishness Trap is the belief that you must put the happiness of others ahead of your own. -If everyone would become unselfish, everyone would become unhappy because feeling good=happiness=selfish
What is Ethics?
The philosophical or critical examination of what of what constitutes good and bad human conduct -we have the right to change this
What is the descriptive claim?
There is a radically difference in moral judgments between cultures
What is the normative claim?
There is no ethics
What is moral relativism? Why does a criticism of moral relativism refute the claim that ethics is reducible to "morals"?
There is no objective, universal, absolute morality. Moral relativism is based on cultures that practice differences and developments. -Ethics cannot be reducible to morals because morals are value judgments. Not all value judgments (morals) are ethical, however morality is a noun that encompasses all of moral reasoning.
How does Divine Command Theory interpret religious morals? In other words, what does the expression "religious morals" mean for a Divine Command Theorist?
They believe that knowledge of good and evil is the exclusive possession of God. We are not given this
Why does Moral Relativism make the idea of progress impossible?
This is because opinions don't change and cannot be change because you cannot judge. -If one society changes, if they change back, they are just changing. They don't regress, but relativists do not allow this.
Why is psychological egoism attractive to some people?
This is because psychological egoism implies that there is no right and wrong
True of False: Ethics does NOT equal civil law
True
True or False: All ethical judgments are value judgments
True
True or False: Egoism does not equal egotism
True
True or False: Ethics does equal morality
True
True or False: ethics does NOT equal morals
True
What Socratic question can one ask the Divine Command Theorist to show that his or her theory is unconvincing?
What is holiness? Does God make it holy or love something because it's holy? -God is and ethicist if he reasons.......PLOT TWIST
What is religious morals? How does ethics differ from religious morals?
religious morals are beliefs that rely on revelations. Relgious morals rely on God's supernatural reasoning whereas ethics is a branch of philosophy and is a natural aid
