philosophy final

Bentham's Hedonic Calculus

(1) intensity (2) duration (3) certainty (4) remoteness (how soon) (5) fecundity, whether similar pleasures or pains will follow (6) purity, whether pleasure is mixed with pain (7) extent, the number of people affected.

Jame's Rachel's: Cultural Relativism

- every standard is culture bound -cultural relativism challanges ordinary belief in the objectivity and universality of moral truth -our own code has no special status, merely one among many

James Rachels Trouble with cultural differences argument

-conclusion not follow premise -attempts to derive substantive conclusion about morality from the fact people disagree with it

james rachels statement of consequences of cultural relativism

-we could no longer say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own -we could decide whether actions are right or wrong just by consulting the standards of our society -the idea of moral progress is called into doubt

Second Categorical Imperative

Always treat people as a end and never as more means -focus more concretely on the persons with whom we interact

Kant on good will

Good will = Good intention As long as you are acting out of Good Will, you're good. Consequences are out of your control MOST IMPORTANT

Utilitarianism mills

Happiness is the only thing that is desirable in itself *** qualitative

utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham

The theory, proposed that government actions are useful only if they promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people. -attempt to provide rational and scientific foundations for law and morality **quantitative

Categorial Imperative 1

approach ethics at the level of formal principles 1) state maxim on the basis of which you are planning to act 2) Try to formulate your maxim in terms of a universal law 3) see if you can consistently and rationally will that everyone follow universalized maxim

Conventional Ethical Relativism (cultural relativism)

claim that what is really right or wrong is relative to each particular society and is based on what that society believes is right/wrong - all moral principles justified by virtue of cultural acceptance -no universal moral standards

ethical absolutism

claims that not only are moral principles objective but also they cannot be overridden and there cannot be exceptions to them

teleological ethic

consequentialist believes that alls well that ends well

Utilitarianism

greatest happiness principle -principle of utility -identify value with happiness

Kant's ethical absolutism

if there is to be morality at all, then moral rules must hold for all people at all times in all circumstances and with no exceptions

Ross' deontological ethics

intuitionist theory -duties prescribe general kinds of acts, and they do not rest on their possible consequences

deontological ethics

judges the moral rightness or wrongness of an act in terms of the intrinsic moral value of the act itself

kant goodwill

like a jewel shine by its own light as a thing which has its whole value in itself external circumstances cant add/subtract from its worth

Bentham's Hedonic Calculus

method to scientifically quantify and calculate the value of different pleasures

Ruth Benedicts view of morality

morality exists solely as a creation of society therefor it can be changed by society - "morality differs in every society and is a convenient term for socially approved habits"

prima facie duty

one that is morally binding unless it conflicts with a more important duty (at first glance)

actual duty

one that we are morally obligated to perform in a partiular situation after we have taken all circumstances into account

subjective ethical relativism

there are no moral principles other than those that each individual chooses for themselves

Norcross' Argument comparing harms

there is a point at which the cumulative amount of minor individual headaches would produce a sum of pain such that the elimination of this quantity of pain would outweigh the bad consequence of sacrificing one individual

Ethical Objectivism

view that there are universal and objectively valid moral principles that are relative neither to the individual nor to society