Ethics Midterm
Terms
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copy deck
- Cultural Differences Argument and Objections
- Different societies have different moral codes. Moral codes determine what are right in that society. No objective standard can be used to judge one’s societal code as better than another. Therefore no objective moral truth can be determined. Objections: Not valid, the conclusion does not follow the premise. If two societies disagree it does not logically flow that the subject cannot be right or wrong. It is possible for two groups to have conflicting beliefs about a subject, and for one of those groups to be right and the other wrong (or both to be wrong). Ex. In some societies the earth is thought to be flat In other societies the earth is thought to be round. Therefore the earth is neither flat nor round. (Same structure, still not valid)
- Objections to Cultural Differences Argument
- Not valid, the conclusion does not follow the premise. If two societies disagree it does not logically flow that the subject cannot be right or wrong. It is possible for two groups to have conflicting beliefs about a subject, and for one of those groups to be right and the other wrong (or both to be wrong). Ex. In some societies the earth is thought to be flat In other societies the earth is thought to be round. Therefore the earth is neither flat nor round. (Same structure, still not valid)
- Provability Argument
- If there were any such thing as an objective moral truth, we should be able to prove that some moral opinions are true and others false. But in fact we cannot prove which moral opinions are true and which are false. Thus, there is no such thing as an objective moral truth.
- Objections to Provability Argument
- According to Rachels the Argument is valid, but unsound because the second premise is false. We can prove some moral claims to be true. Ex. That test was unfair. Jones is a bad man.
- Moral Skepticism
- i. The view that there is no such thing as an objective moral truth.
- Cultural Relativism
- i. Morality is relative to a given culture. The moral code of a society is what determines what is right or wrong in that society.
- Principle of Tolerance
- Societies and individuals should not interfere with or impose their values on members of other societies.
- Divine Command Theory
- Things are morally good or bad or morally obligatory, permissible or prohibited, solely because of God’s will and commands.
- Socrates' question that raises the dilemma for Divine Command Theory
- a. Is conduct right because God commands it or does God command it because it is right?
- Euthyphro Dilemma Argument
- If morally good acts are willed by God because they are morally good, then they must be morally good prior to and thus independent of God’s will.
- Natural Law Theory and Rachels' criticisms
- The world is a rational order with values and purposes built into it. The laws of nature not only describe how things are, they specify how things ought to be. The laws of nature are dictates of reason which any rational being can grasp. Criticism: Not valid, it attempts to derive “oughts†from what “are†or “is†Ex. People “are†beneficent, therefore people “ought†to be beneficent is invalid.