chpt 3
the idea that the right actions are those that result in greater overall well-being (or utility) for the people involved than any other possible actions.
the principle of utility
moral __ explains why an action is right or wrong or why a person or a person's character is good or bad.
theory
Moral norms, like nonmoral ones, also possess the property of __: they apply not just in a single case, but in all cases that are relevantly similar.
universality
The most influential consequentialist theory is __ , the view that right actions are those that maximize the overall well-being of everyone involved.
utilitarianism
in __, the foremost consequentialist theory, the only thing of intrinsic value is well-being.
utilitarianism
Moral __ concern those things that we judge to be morally good, bad, praiseworthy, or blame-worthy
values
focuses not on rules and right actions, but on the development of character
virtue ethics
in this belief, the central task in morality being and becoming a good person, someone possessing the virtues that define moral excellence.
virtue ethics
virtue ethics and ethics of care are __ __ theories
virtue oriented
in utilitarianism, there are no absolute prohibitions or mandates (except for the principle of utility itself); there is only the goal of maximizing __ __
well-being
in __ theory, an action is right only if it conforms to a universal rule, and we are morally praiseworthy only if perform it for duty's sake a lone.
Kant's
states that the core of morality consists in following a rational and universally applicable moral rule and doing so solely out of a sense of duty.
Kant's theory
claims [the] happiness which forms the utilitarian standard of what is right conduct, is not the agent's own happiness, but that of all concerned...utilitarianism requires him to be as strictly impartial
Mill
__ theories say the effects of an action are all that matter; our only duty is to ensure that the effects are a maximization of the good
consequentialist
utilitarianism and ethical egoism are two __ theories
consequentialist
how well a theory fits with established faces, with what scientists already know.
conservatism
consistency with our __ moral judgments means any plausible scientific theory must be consistent with the data that the theory is supposed to explain; there should be no conflicts between the theory and the relevant facts.
considered
We arrive at them after careful deliberation that is as free of bias, self-interest, and other distorting influences as possible.
considered moral judgements
Like, a moral theory must also be consistent with the data it is supposed to explain: our __ moral judgments, some call our moral __ __
considered; common sense.
the idea that moral theories should be consistent with moral background knowledge
consistency with the facts of the moral life
Like subjective relativism, this implies moral infallibility
cultural relativism
argues that I. If people's moral judgments differ from culture to culture, moral standards are relative to culture (there are no objective mora l standards) 2 . People's moral judgments do differ from culture to culture. 3. Therefore, moral standards are relative to culture (there are no objective moral standards).
cultural relativism
the view that right actions are those sanctioned by one's culture.
cultural relativism
Kant's theory is a ___ theory
deontological
The __ __ theory of morality says that right actions are those commanded or willed by God.
divine command
the belief that right actions are those commanded by God; wrong actions are those prohibited by God.
divine command theory
For the ___ ___ consequentialist theory "good" is equivalent to self-interest.
ethical egoism
the view that right actions are those that further one's best interests, even if the interests of others are ignored or thwarted
ethical egoism
the careful, philosophical examination of these
ethics
the study of morality using the methods of philosophy
ethics
a distinctive moral perspective that arose out of feminist concerns and grew to challenge core elements of most other moral theories.
ethics of care
focuses on the unique demands of specific situations and to the virtues and feelings that are central to close personal relationships-empathy, compassion, love, sympathy, and fidelity.
ethics of care
in this view, the heart of the moral life is feeling for and caring for chose with whom you have a special, intimate connection.
ethics of care
officially sanctioned punishment by death for very grievous (capital) crimes.
capital punishment
According to virtue ethics, __ is the key to the moral life, for it is from it that moral conduct and values naturally arise.
character
in this belief, a right action produces more net happiness (amounts of happiness minus unhappiness) than any alternative action, everyone considered.
classic utilitarianism
when no further changes in the theory or the data are necessary a theory is said to have reached
"reflective equilibrium."
The classic version of utilitarianism was devised by English philosopher Jeremy __ and given more detail and plausibility by another English philosopher, John Stuart ___
Bentham; Mill
__ __ insist that the rightness of actions depends solely on their consequences or results. The key question is what or how much good the actions produce, however good is defined
Consequentialist theories
__ __ is the main engine that drives ethical inquiry
Critical reasoning
The most sophisticated and influential deontological theory comes from the German philosopher __ __
Immanuel Kant
favors a form of criminal punishment legalization in which agents of the scare may torture someone if they first obtain judicial permission in the form of "torture warrants"
Dershowirz
__ __ says that you have a moral obligation to maximize the well-being of just one person-yourself-and that you act morally only when you p lay favorites and give special treatment to yourself
Ethical egoism
argued that "if the Divine Command Theory is correct, then something is good just in case it is favored by God. But then look what happen s: to say that God is good is just to say that God is favored by God.
Russ Shafer-Landau
__ __ says that right actions are chose that produce the best balance of happiness over unhappiness for all concerned
Traditional utilitarianism
___ judge the morality of conduct by a single standard, the principle of utility
Utilitarians
ingrained dispositions to act by standards of excellence
Virtues
those who want to do away with capital punishment, who believe the death penalty is never justified.
abolitionists
moral __ , the belief that objective moral principles allow no exceptions or must be applied the same way in all cases and cultures.
absolutism
the idea that the rightness of actions depends solely on the overall well-being produced by individual actions.
act-utilitarianism
to try to determine which moral theory is most likely correct, we apply conceptual yardsticks called the moral criteria of __
adequacy.
the unselfish concern for the well-being of others which in ethical egoism is never a motive for action.
altruism
whether the theory makes successful predictions of previously unknown phenomena.
fruitfulness
the belief that genes, make the person, that genetics ordains all of an individual 's characteristics
generic determinism
in consequentialist theories the __ is whatever has intrinsic value-whatever is valuable for its own sake-which can include such things as pleasure, happiness, virtue
good
Classic utilitarianism is __ in that the utility to be maximized is pleasure, broadly termed happiness, the only intrinsic good.
hedonistic
___ utilitarianism equate good with happiness or pleasure
hedonistic
ethical egoism appears to conflict with an essential element of the moral life, __
impartiality
moral norms have __: they apply to everyone equally
impartiality
how is Mill utilitarianism different from classical
insists that pleasures can vary in quality as well as quantity.
says actions have moral worth only if we do them out of a sense of duty, simply because they are our duty.
kant
says that right actions are those that are right in themselves because they are consistent with universal moral rules derived from reason
kant
says the moral law is absolute, unchangeable, and universal, a rock-solid structure built on eternal reason.
kant
when an action is not obviously or seriously harmful but is considered immoral by some the practice prohibited by law.
legal moralism
He was both an empericist philosopher and a social reformer, dedicated to seeing that his liberal and utilitarian ideals were used for the betterment of society.
mill
the __ __ knowledge, the basic, inescapable experiences of the moral life.
moral background
__ __ is another name for ethics
moral philosophy
the idea that an action is morally right if endorsed by a person or culture and morally wrong if condemned by a person or culture.
moral relativism.
the idea that moral standards are not objective, but are relative to what individuals or cultures believe.
moral relativism.
devising and evaluating moral theories is called __ __
moral theorizing
(nonmoral/moral) norms have a much stronger hold on us than (nonmoral/moral) ones do
moral; nonmoral
consists of our beliefs about right and wrong actions and good and bad persons or character
morality
has to do with our moral judgments, principles, values, and theories
morality
In classic utilitarianism , the emphasis is on maximizing the total quantity of __ __, not ensuring that it is rationed in any particular amounts among the people involved.
net happiness
Morality is a __ enterprise, which means that it provides us with norms, or standards, for judging actions and persons
normative
moral __ the idea that at least some moral norms or principles are objectively valid or true for everyone
objectivism
theories of __ emphasize the rightness or wrongness of actions and the duties of persons.
obligation
the two distinct spheres of our moral experience are both moral __ and moral __.
obligation; values
Moral __ concern how we ought or ought not to behave. In this sphere, we talk primarily about __.
obligations; actions
the idea that moral norms have a stronger hold than nonmoral ones is called ___
overridingness.
Ethical egoists have argued that the theory is on solid ground because
people always act in self interest
what does mill say are the 2 desirable ends of morality
pleasure, and freedom from pain
when a moral principle is applicable unless exceptions are warranted
prima facie
Cultural relativism also seems to rule out the possibility of moral __
progress
the starting point for the ethical egoist's main argument, which says that (1) we are obligated to act only if we can act; (2) we can act only when motivated by self- interest; (3) therefore, we are obligated to act only when motivated by self-interest.
psychological egoism
morality is __ based. because it tries to ensure that our moral judgments are not wrought out of thin air or concocted from prejudice or blind emotion
reason
one of the consequences of cultural relativism is that social __ can never be morally right.
reformers
___ in moral problem-solving means that a theory helps us solve moral problems and identify morally relevant aspects of conduct and judge the rightness of actions
resourcefulness
those who want to retain the death penalty as part of legal punishment, who believe that sometimes capital punishment is warranted
retentionists
the doctrine that people should be punished simply because they deserve it, and that the punishment should be proportional to the crime.
retributivism
in act-utilitarianism, an act is __ if in a particular situation it produces a greater balance of well-being over suffering than any alternative acts
right
only actions are morally __ or __, but persons are morally __ or __
right or wrong; good or bad
the main concern of theories of obligation is knowing and doing what's __, and their chief guide to these aims is moral ___
right; principles.
avoids judging rightness by specific acts and focuses instead on rules governing categories of acts.
rule-utilitarianism
says a right action is one that conforms to a rule that, if followed consistently, would create for everyone involved the most beneficial balance of well-being over suffering.
rule-utilitarianism
implies that moral disagreement is virtually impossible.
subjective relativism
the idea of this view is "That may be your truth, but it's not my truth"
subjective relativism
the view that right actions are those sanctioned by a person
subjective relativism
a major influence on the ideas mill expressed in The Subjection of Women
taylor
mill says that Utility is also called the __ __ __
the Greatest Happiness Principle
