Ethics- Unit one

subset of normative ethics that focuses on particular ethicla problem areas

discourse that tries to provide reasons for or proof of some view: an attempt to convince through rational discussion

a branch of ethics that compares the different ethical beliefs of different groups of people

the claim that the argument is attemtpting to establish or prove; supposed to follow from the premises or starting assumptions

words that are employed in the description of human conduct, such as rightness and wrongness

the study of ethical beliefs that have been held by different groups of people in different places and times

subset of normative ethics that focuses on ethical priciples that apply throughout all situations

based on mistaken ideas: inconsistent with facts

being without foundation or force in fact, truth or law

branch of ethics that studies general ethical concepts and attempts to explain the meaning of terms such as right, wrong, good, adn bad

consists of particular judgements about actions and people; makes prescriptive attempts to tell which things are right or wrong, good or bad

the love of wisdom

claims that are to be accepted before an argument begins

logically necessary; free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension

applies in some way to all rational beings

the philosophical study of the activity of evaluation

the belief that ethical value is relative to culture or society

the belief that the study of ethics tries to describe necessary features of reality; the belief that principles of ethics apply and have always applied to everyone

the belief that ethical principles depend upon features that can vary at different times in different places

the belief that ethical judgments apply to all humans equally, that there are universal ethical truths, and that these truths are the same for everyone

the ethical theory that holds that the ethical value of an action is relative not to the culture as a whole, but to the individual him or herself

the belief that there is no such thing as ethical value at all

an ethical belief that doubts that ethical value exists

the belief that there is a standard external to the persom making ethical judgements against which those judgements can be helps

the belief that ethical judgments are relative to the individaul person, or subject, making the judgment

unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others

the belief that one always ought to do what is in one's own self interest

Plato's story about a shepherd that makes himself invisible in order to do self serving acts

principle that tells us that if we ought to do something, then it must be possible for us to do it

the belief that all human motivation is self interested

terms used to describe a theory that is true by stipulative definition; substansively empty or meaningless

ethical theory that says that what is right is what God commands

the belief that an ethical system is justified if it is the most coherent thing to believe of all the available options

the belief that an ethical principle is justified if all free and equal rational people would accept it

a justifiaction of morality based on what promotes the "good life"

to justify something is to prove that it is just, right, or valid; gives reasons why we should care about morality

the belief that the first principles of morality must be self-evident, obviously true, or impossible to deny

the belief that an element of faith must be involved in accepting morality because we cannot prove anything

that belief that our acceptance of morality must be based on our sentimental dispositions and not on any rational proof

cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions; one metaethical theory holds that morality only makes sense within a tradition

ethical theory that says that people attribute to ethical values such as queer properties that it is highly implausable that such values can actually exist

ethical theory that says that the vast differences between different people's ethical judgments are best explained by taking ethical beliefs to be functions of how people are socialized and not of their response to any real objective features of the world

the belief that ethical judgment involves an attempt to gain knowledge about the world

the belief that an ethical judgment is simply the expression of an emotion and does not describe the world at all

the belief that the entire activity of ethical judgment is built upon erroneous belief that ethical value exists in the world

the belief that ethical value does not exist so, consequently, ethical judgments do not make true claims

the belief that ethical value does exist and that some of our ethical judgments make true claims about it

the belief that ethical properties cannot be reduced to any other kind of property, and that ethicla properties have a unique kind of existance that cannot be grasped through the five senses and explained by science

one of te most prominent error theorists; developed the arguement from relativity and the arguement from queerness

the metaethical view that all ethical values are identical to natural properties

a line of thinking that says it is erroneous or fallacious to claim that an ethical property is identical to a natural property

the belief that ethical judgment does not involve an attempt to gain knowledge about the world

contention that any effore to define the good must fail, since it always remains possible to ask significantly whether or not the proposed definition is actually good

ethical theories that prescribe a certain kind of conduct

A belief that emphasizes that ethical judgments prescribes courses of actions and do not describe states of affairs in the world