Term
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Definition
- D: Duration
- R. Richness
- P. Purity
- R. Remoteness
- I. Intensity
- C. Certainty
- E. Extent |
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Term
| Nozick's experience machine: |
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Definition
| Say there was a machine that you could plug yourself into, you would be isolated from society in your mind would be trapped in this machine, but you would not know it. In this machine you would be fed dopamine to be made perfectly happy. A large portion of people would reject the offer of entering this machine, attacking the hedonistic basis that pleasure is the only good of Classical Utilitarianism. This does not attack preference utilitarianism however, and Mill can argue with the hierarchy of pleasures. |
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Term
| Mill's argument for Utilitarianism |
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Definition
P1. If something is audible, it can be heard.
P2. We desire our own pleasure
C1. Pleasure is desirable
C2. Each Person's pleasure is desirable
C3. The general happiness is desirable for the aggregate of all persons |
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Term
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Definition
| I ought never to act except of when I can will that my maxim become universal without contradiction |
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Term
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Definition
| I ought to always treat humanity, in both myself and in others, never simply as a means but also as an ends |
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Term
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Definition
| The intention to do the right action for its own sake, and for no other motivation. It is the only good without qualification |
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Term
| Acting in accordance of Duty |
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Definition
| To do the morally right action, but for some other motive, ie your reputation |
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Term
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Definition
| To do the morally right action in good will and good will alone |
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Term
| The Categorical Imperative: |
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Definition
| Absolute Commands that we are obliged to follow in all circumstances are categorical, and only these commands are moral. As rational agents, we can work out our categorical imperatives through Kant's formulations. |
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Term
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Definition
| Arête: An ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to describe a property or virtue that enables something to achieve its ergon (function). For example, the arête of sharpness enables a knife to achieve its function (to cut things). |
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Term
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Definition
| Ergon: An ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to describe the function or characteristic activity of a thing. For example, the ergon of a knife is to cut things. |
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Term
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Definition
| Eudaimonia: An ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to describe the good life for a human being in the broadest sense. It is sometimes translated to “human flourishing”. Eudaimonia is an objective property of a person’s whole life and is the final end for humans. |
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Term
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Definition
| Phronesis: An ancient Greek word used by Aristotle to describe practical wisdom. Someone who has phronesis possesses virtues that provide a general understanding of good that enables them to think through, understand, and act virtuously. For example, they would be funny or angry or sad when the situation is right but never at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate way. |
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Term
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Definition
| Acting with full knowledge and intent |
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Term
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Definition
| Acting out of necessity / being forced to |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| The view that a moral statement is simply a proposition about the world and is therefore truth-apt. |
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Term
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Definition
| The view that moral properties such as good do objectively exist mind-independently in the world, and that moral terms refer to these moral properties. |
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Term
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Definition
| The metaethical view that moral judgements express cognitive statements and that these cognitive statements are true or false in virtue of natural properties. For example, “murder is wrong” is true because “wrongness” is some natural property of the act of murder (e.g. it causes pain). |
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Term
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Definition
| G.E. Moore’s phrase for the alleged philosophical mistake of reducing moral properties (e.g. good) to natural properties (e.g. pleasure). |
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Term
| Moore's Open Ended Argument |
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Definition
P1. A question on the definition of something is always a closed question (e.g. is a 3-sided shape a triangle?)
P2. A question on the definition of good (e.g. is pleasure good?) requires debate and discussion
C1. The question of good is an open question
**C2.** Good can not be defined. |
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Term
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Definition
| The metaethical view that moral judgements express (non-cognitive) emotional attitudes. For example, according to emotivism, ‘murder is wrong’ means something like “boo! Murder!”. |
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Term
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Definition
| The metaethical view that moral judgements express cognitive statements but that moral properties don’t exist and so all moral judgements are false. For example, “murder is wrong” is false because “wrongness” doesn’t exist as a property. |
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Term
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Definition
| Moore's intuitionism is a realist, however non-naturalist meta-ethical theory meaning that moral properties such as good do objectively exist, however they are not natural properties, and so can not be examined as such. Moore states that ideas of good are innate to us, and that moral good is self evident, and can be understood through self reflection. |
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Term
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Definition
| The metaethical view that moral judgements express (non-cognitive) prescriptive instructions that primarily aim to guide behaviour. For example, according to prescriptivism, “murder is wrong” means something like “don’t murder people!”. |
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