Ethics Exam #1

What is the "cultural diferences argument"?

Premise: descriptive claim; "cultural reletivism" significant dissagrement among cultures is complete. Conclusion: normative claim: "Ethical reletivism" no ethics because of diverse moreals and standards around the world.

What socratic question can one ask the Divine Command Theorist to show that his or her theory is unconvincing?

"Is something right or wrong because God says so, or does God say so becuase it is really right or wrong?"

What are the first two standard arguments for Ethical Egoism?

(1) E.E. should be encouraged becuase it would make for a better world. (2) Altruism is evil becuase it debases the human person, turning him or her to a servant or tool for others; thus robbing him/her of happiness and self-realization.

What are the two alternative types of Egoism?

(1) Psychological Egoism (2) Ethical Egoism

What are the two standard arguments for psychological egoism?

1. Whatever a person's behavior, one does what one ultimately MOST wants to do. 2. Whenever a person behaves "unselfishly" (altruistically) it brings self-satisfaction, which is the true motive of such behavior.

Why is it inconsistent for a moral relativist to advocate tolerance?

A moral relativist cannot advocate for tolerance beuase tolerance requires a type of judgment on another culture. So if you were to pass judgement on another culture you become a bigot.

What must a philosopher do to anaylze and criticize moral relativism adequately?

A philosopher must look beyond the superficial level of moral standards amondg different cultures, and look into the dpper meaning behind each cultures moral stances. EX: spanking vs not spanking; is really bringing up children responsibly polygamy vs monagomy; is really just about marriage

What is civil law? how do ethics differ from civil law?

Civil law is a set of rules in place and enforced by a superiour governing body. "man-made code" Ethics hold man-made codes to account. Ethics differs from civil law in two ways. (1) what is illegal can be moral. (2) what is legal can be immoral.

Why are the first two standard arguments for E.E. unconvincing?

Criticism to E.E. makes for a better world. That argument is actually a altruistic argument, hence it contradicts E.E, because it mixes up the end and the means of the argument. Criticism of Altruism being evil: (A) Why doesn't altruism convey self-realization? (B) Aren't altruist often happy people.

Why are arguments for pyschological egoism unconvincing?

Criticisms of Arg. 1: (A) Duty vs Want: visiting a sick relative vs going to a party. Isn't it false that we do want we want? Don't we sometimes act for other reasons like duty. (B) Just wanting something doesn't make one selfish it depends on the OBJECT of what one wants. Criticism of Arg. 2: (A) If altruism brings self-satisfaction, then that altruism is evidence against psychological egoism. Final Criticism: Violates the standard of falseifiability for a genuine scientific theory.

How does Divine Command Theory interpret religious morals?

DCT nullifies ethics and states that God commands what is right or wrong. This would take away the choice of free will to choose/ determine what is considered right or wrong. With God predetermining/commanding what is right or wrong.

Value statements vs Descriptive statements

Descriptive Statements are used as a reporting device to what one has witnessed while Value statements have an opinion attahed to such event, topic, or person.

What is the 2 fold intrepretation of moral reletivism?

Descriptiven Claim: people disagree so much around the world there is no universally shared moral beliefs. Normative Claim: due to this worldwide dissaggreement, there is no ethics.

How does ethical egoism differ from psychological egoism?

E.E is a prescriptive theory- one is obligated to act selfishly, we do have choice of free will, those who choose to be unselfish are foolish.

Why do ethicists argue that ethical egoism, in the last analysis, disqualifies itself as an ethical theory?

E.E. disqualifies itself from being an ethical theory becuase it can sometimes excuse immoral acts like, murder for own self interst it cannot be considered an ethical theory.

How does E.E. claim to solve the central problem of ethics: why should human beings cooperate with each other?

E.E. gives a simple common sense answer to the fundamental question to ethics. We should all get along with eachother because we are all selfish and if we get along with eachother we can use eachother as means to our end goal of happiness.

What is the difference between egoism and altruism?

Egoism: States that happiness is achieved through selfishness and that the only motivation in life should be of benefit to your own self-interest. Altruism: you put the thought of others equal too or greater than your own.

Egotism vs Egoism

Egotism: is an inflated sense about one's importance. feel superiour to others. Egoism: the Egoist put himself and his own needs before everyone else but doesn't feel superior to others.

How does Ethics differ from Religous morals?

Ethics doesn't rely on revelation to describe what is morally acceptable as religion does. They differ in method and not in scope.

Why does a criticism of moral relativism refute the claim that ethics is reducible to morals?

Ethics has a confidence that through rational reflection, moral experience can justify that some judgements are really right and some really wrong.

How does the psychological egoist confuse selfishness with self-interest and self-interest with the pursuit of pleasure? What does Harry Brown meain by the Unselfishness trap

Harry Brown "The Unselfishness Trap" Selfishness= Self-interestedness Self-Interest= Pursuit of happiness Happiness= self-interest=selfish

Why would Freud find psychological egoism to be an unaccetable theory?

If someone has a death wish then it would contradict psychological egoism.

Why does moral reletivism make the ida of progress impossible?

In comparing your own culture to itself in the past a moral reletivist wouldn't be able to admit that their views in 2015 are right compared to their views in the 1960's. Ex: Alabama and segregation

Why is Psychological egoism challenging to the possibility of ethics?

It is challenging to ethics becuase people find it attractive in the fact that it is a cynical strategy of reintrepretating motives, which means the theory can twist anyones argument against itself and into a claim of selfishness.

While psychological egoism professes to be scientific, it actually fails to qualify as a scientific theory. Why?

It violates that standards for a genuine scientific theory, called falsifiability. The theory cannot be disporoved by possible future research or more founded information.

What is Natural Law Ethics? how is natural law a solution to the problem of injustice in society?

Natural las is an appeal to human nature: which describes that human life reveals we have certain potentialities which if not actualized which prevent us from thriving as human beings. POTENTIALITITIES: "our human rights. These natural laws must be in affect to judge man made laws. If man made laws are limiting our ability to obtain real goods, or happiness, then one should appeal to natural law to justify the wrongness done by man-made law.

What is Psychological Egoism?

Psychological Egoism: the view that human nature is so constitituted "programmed" that one cannot help but act selfishly in everything one does.

What are religious morals?

Religious Morals: allows ethics to be accepted with a agreed relationship between the two.

Why does moral relativism lead to moral isolatonism?

There is no transcendence, they are stuck in their own cuture's views and morals. You have your preference, and don't have the right to judge another person's preferences as right or wrong. Withoug the ability to pass judgements, condemn or even praise for another cutlure we would be stuck in moral isolationism.

While ethical egoism professes to solve the problem of ethics, it appears potentially to rationalize wicked acts. How so?

The E.E. theory doesn't go far enough. This argument sometimes can excues immoral acts, like murder for own self-interest, which doesn't fit into the common understanding of traditional ethics

What is Ethics?

The philosophical or "critical" examination of what constitutes good and bad human conduct.

How is ethical egoism imcompatible with two important ethical tasks: advising and judging?

Through advising one is expected to step out of their own interest and help find the best interests for another. Which is considered foolish by E.E. If you allow reason and evidence to come into account when judging something instead of just looking at whats in your own self-interests could be considered biggotry.

What is an argument?

an argument must include a premise: which is the reason for. And a conclusion: which is the justification for the argument.

Descriptive Statements

are statements of facts that can be true or false and are used to report about a thing or event.

Value Statements

is an opinion or value judgement which is a person's expression of the desireability or undesireability of a thing, person, or event. Value is determined by likeability or desirability.

What is Moral Reletivism?

the beliefe that there are no common moral standards among all society.