ethics exam one

question were always asking (chapter 2)

are there any objective moral facts? aka are there any moral truths that are universal?

A group of statements, one of which is supported by the rest, is called a(n)

argument

careful evaluation of statements and arguments

critical reasoning

action is right if ones culture approves of it and wrong if they disapprove of it

cultural relativism

cultural values cannot be criticized from outsiders

cultural relativism

entire cultures morally infallible

cultural relativism

objective moral truth is a myth

cultural relativism

right and wrong are relative to culture

cultural relativism

sometimes exaggerate moral differences by focusing on non-moral divergences

cultural relativism

no objective moral principles

cultural relativsm

An argument that is supposed to give logically conclusive support to its conclusion is said to be

deductive

logically conclusive proof

deductive

moral disagreements arent disagreements but instead difference in feelings and attitude

emotivism

no moral facts, only attitudes about moral judgements

emotivism

reduces morality to strategy

emotivism

the view that moral judgements cannot be either true or false, but are instead expressions of emotion or attitude

emotivism

most philosophers reject emotivism because

emotivism cannot account for moral truths or falses (no such thing as good/bad, right/wrong)

certain rules that are not relative to personal judgment or culture judgments, but rules apply to everyone

ethical objectivism

A typical moral argument consists of premises and a conclusion, with the conclusion being a nonmoral statement, or judgment.

false

All norms are moral norms.

false

All objectivists are absolutists.

false

An inductive argument that manages to give probable support to the conclusion is said to be valid.

false

Embracing moral objectivism entails intolerance.

false

Emotivism says that people can disagree about moral facts but not about moral attitudes.

false

Ethics gives us a royal road to moral truth.

false

Feelings are not an important part of moral experience.

false

Legal norms dominate moral norms.

false

Mary Midgley argues that one should never make moral judgments about others.

false

Objectivism is the doctrine that some moral norms are rigid rules that have no exceptions.

false

People's judgments about right and wrong do not differ from culture to culture.

false

Religious believers have no need to do ethics.

false

The fallacy of assigning two different meanings to the same term in an argument is known as faulty analogy.

false

The validity or invalidity of an argument is a matter of its content, not its form.

false

There are never any good reasons for treating someone differently from the way we treat others.

false

There is a necessary connection between tolerance and cultural relativism.

false

Very few arguments have implied premises.

false

People often differ in their moral judgments because they...

have divergent nonmoral beliefs

Descriptive ethics involves the systematic investigation of...

how people do in fact behave

In evaluating an argument, it is important to explicitly state

implied premises

trying to convince you something is more likely than not

inductive arguments

Things that are valuable because they are a means to something else are said to be...

instrumentally valuable

critical reasoning applied to moral arguments

moral reasoning

A statement affirming that an action is right or wrong or that a person is good or bad is called a(n)

moral statement

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

moral theory

Subjective relativism implies that each person is...

morally infallible

If we wish to study the moral principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions and judgments, we must delve into...

normative ethics

Some argue that a core set of moral values must be universal, otherwise cultures would...

not survive

Cultural relativism is the view that an action is morally right if...

ones culture approves of it

What is ethics?

philosophical study of morality "use of critical reasoning to answer the more fundamental questions of life"

Premise indicator words include

since and given that.

An assertion that something is or is not the case is called a(n)

statement

basic building blocks of an argument

statements (aka claims, something is either true or false)

each person is morally infallible

subjective relativism

genuine moral disagreements b/w individuals are nearly impossible

subjective relativism

moral judgments are a matter of reporting your own opinion

subjective relativism

no such thing as objective truth (no right/wrong, good/bad, its all a preference)

subjective relativism

action is right if one person approves of it, everyone has own opinion

subjective relativism (aka simple subjectivism) "if you say something is good= personally agree with it"

Nonmoral premises, like all premises, must be

supported by good reasons

According to the divine command theory, right actions are those that are willed by God.

true

An inductive argument is intended to provide probable, not decisive, support to the conclusion.

true

Cultural relativism implies that other cultures cannot be legitimately criticized.

true

Cultural relativism implies that social reformers of every sort will always be wrong.

true

Emotivists assert that moral disagreements are not conflicts of beliefs but rather are disagreements in attitude.

true

Hasty generalization is a fallacy of inductive reasoning.

true

Many critics reject emotivism because it offers an implausible view of moral reasons.

true

Modus ponens is symbolized by: If p, then q; p; therefore, q.

true

Morality is both accessible and meaningful to us whether we are religious or not.

true

Noncognitivism denies that moral judgments are statements that can be true or false.

true

Objectivists claim that some moral norms are universal.

true

The fallacy of arguing that a claim should be rejected solely because of the characteristics of the person who makes it is called argument to the person.

true

The misrepresenting of someone's claim or argument so it can be more easily refuted is called the fallacy of the straw man.

true

We properly use the terms good, bad, blameworthy, and praiseworthy to refer to concepts or judgments of value.

true

you can have an invalid argument where all premises are true

true

Its possible to report feelings and be lying

true (can still be judged as true and false)

We can test the truth of a moral premise by

using counterexamples

how moral language works (emotivism)

(not claims) -use a command: goal is to influence and is not subject to true or false -cheering: expressing emotion

moral argument =

1 moral premise + 1 nonmoral premise + 1 conclusion

what are the 3 moral criteria of adequacy?

1) consistency with considered judgements (consistent w/ scientific background knowledge) 2) consistency w/ our moral experience (consistent w/ moral background knowledge) 3) usefulness in moral problem solving (all good theories are useful)

always valid:

1)affirming antecedent 2) denying the consequent 3) hypothetical syllogism

always invalid

1)denying antecedent 2) affirming consequent

The principle of universalizability demands that a moral statement that applies in one situation must apply in...

All other situations that are relevantly similar

Morality is...

Beliefs concerning right and wrong, good and bad

All major religious thinkers have accepted the divine command theory.

False

Subjective relativism...

Implies that moral disagreements cannot happen

subjective relativism

No, all moral claims are relative to the individual

Ethics, or moral philosophy, is...

The philosophical study of morality

Cultural relativism implies that...

There are no universal moral standards

Embracing without question the moral beliefs of your culture can undermine your personal freedom.

True

Many great religious thinkers have relied on reason to understand the truths of morality.

True

The principle of impartiality demands that we treat equals equally.

True

What makes an argument a moral argument is that its conclusion is always

a moral statement

According to subjective relativism, an action is right if...

a person approves of it

inductive

a) is it strong? b) is it cogent?

deductive

a) is it valid? ( has to do w/ form) b) is it sound? (are premises true?)

violated moral principle = bad NO EXCEPTIONS

absolutism

The fallacy of arguing that the absence of evidence entitles us to believe a claim is called

appeal to ignorance

The application of moral norms to specific moral issues or cases is known as...

applied ethics