Ethics Test 1

Active Nihilist

Active Nihilists embrace the freedom of rejecting morality becuase they also realize morality is a concept made up by society.

To what kind of logic does validity belong?

Deductive Reasoning- applies general rules to specific cases, giving 100% reasoning

kholbreg's theory of moral development

He focuses on the thinking process that occurs when one is deciding whether something they are doing is right or wrong. How one resolves a moral dilemma.

On what do Haidt and Kohlberg agree?

Hedit and Kholberg agree on the fact that people form moral judgments based on their environments.

what does Haidt think that the experience of moral dumbfounding shows about moral reasoning?

Hedit believes moral reasoning is biased and ineffective because people have pre-determined answers to moral problems, they just think of ways to justify those answers.

In what way or ways does Nietzsche's answer to the question "why are people moralists?" resemble Kohlberg's theory?

In Neitzche's view, people value morality due to "slave mentality". The slave mentality values kindness, empathy and sympathy. This resembles Kholberg's theory because we make our decisions based on how it will benefit us, even if we are using "morality" to justify it.

What is inductive reasoning, and what is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning?

Inductive reasoning is when specific rules are applied to general cases, giving less the 100% certainty. Inductive reasoning is often used in science w/ data to prove theories. The difference between inductive and deductive reasoning is, inductive is not 100% certain and deductive is 100% certain.

lexical definition vs ostensive definition

Lexical: specifies the meaning of an expression in terms of other expressions whose meaning is assumed to be known; ex: ewe os a female sheep Ostensive: specifies the meaning of an expression by pointing to examples of things tot which the expression applies; ex- green is the color of grass and limes

Moral Dumbfounding

Moral dumbfounding us when people stubbornly maintain a moral judgment even though they cannot find a reaosn to support their judgement.

abolitionism

Morals limit our freedom and falsify our problems.

normative claim example vs descriptive claim example

Normative- "the world would be some much better if everyone was skinny" Descriptive- "America is obese"

When might it be more useful to use an ostensive def?

Ostensive definitions are more useful for people who need help visualizing what you are trying to describe.

Passive Nhilist

Passive Nhilists accept the fact that they are confined by society's moral norms. They lack the strength to create their own meaning, so they do what society deems is "right".

What is the Heinz Dilemma and what does Kohlberg want to learn by using it?

The Heinz Dilemma is when a man must decide if he should steal an expensive drug that he cannot afford because it is the only thing to save his wife. Lawrence Kholberg used this scenario to better understand the moral reasoning skills of people.

how might one provide a response to the critic who says that "there are no right answers in philosophy"?

There are right answers in philosophy based on an argument's soundness and validity. if all the premises are true and it is a valid argument the conclusion has to be true.

Will to Power (Nietzsche)

Will to power is not a moral concept, it is the desire to exercise authority over others (conscious or unconscious)

What does Vitale mean by the phrase "winsome disruptor"? Why does he think that we need winsom disruptors?

Winsome disruptors are used to prevent bias in conversations to better understand people's perspectives. We need winsome disruptors because it helps people listen better to understand different views from our own.

applied ethics

allows us to address specific moral issues that affect real people in real situations; "is abortion moral okay?"

what is the definition of soundness

an argument is sound is it is valid and all the premises are true

lexical definition current example

bop is a good song

three traits or virtues that are important for being a winsom disruptor

clarifying, affirming, questioning

normative vs descriptive claim

descriptive: asserts that such-and-such is the case; does not say if it is good or bad, just says how it is Normative: claim that asserts such-and-such ought to be the case; says if something is good or bad, better or worse

what are the 3 reasons abolitionsits say morality is bad for us

falsification, intractabilitty, interventionalsim

ostensive definition current example

her waist is snatched like an hourglass

How does Haidt's account differ from Kohlberg's?

kholberg believes we think about reasons to derive a moral conclusion. Hedit believes we derive moral conclusions and THEN think about reasons to justify those conclusions.

exceptionalism

only some people should be allowed o let go of morals, if the herd were to do it there would be bad results

Ethical (moral) Nhilism

rejects moral or ethical values because nothing is right or wrong. Morals are a product of social and emotional pressures.

fictionalism

society needs morals because if we were to abolish them it would result in disaster

two big ways Vitale suggests we can become a winsom disrupter

tell better stories, have better conversations

what exactly is the definition of validity

the property of a deductive argument such that if all the premises are true, the the conclusion cannot be false

Normative ethics

the study if what makes actions right or wrong, what makes situations good or bad; "What is right, what is wrong"

metaeethics

the study of the moral thought and moral language; asks questions about morality; "are there moral truths?"

What are the 3 main branches of Ethics?

the three main branches of ethics are meta ethics, applied ethics and normative ethics