Moral Absolutism
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the source of morality is this "grand lawmaker".
Who is God?
Moderate Objectivism and Moral Absolutism alike are both considered this type of ethical theory.
What are Moral Objectivist theories?
Hedonists place this at the center of moral value, and is considered by them to be the only intrinsic good that exists.
What is pleasure?
This term refers to a duty or type of action we are required to perform (morally speaking).
What is a moral obligation?
This branch of ethical studies describes taking moral theories and applying them to real-world situations.
What is Applied Ethics?
This is the study of reasoning and argumentation through rules of inference.
What is logic?
According to Aquinas, the laws of morality are this.
What is absolute (exceptionless)?
Unlike Moral Absolutism, these types of objectivist views state that the objectively valid rules of morality exist but aren't exceptionless.
What is Moderate Objectivism?
Hedonism urges us that this is the only intrinsically bad thing that exists.
What is pain?
This Greek word meaning "duty" is the basis for most, if not all, Absolutist views. This word indicates that when we discover what the moral laws are, we are bound by duty to perform them.
What is deon?
This branch of ethical studies investigates standards of moral behavior and describes the types of beliefs, customs, social norms, and practices of people of different cultures and backgrounds.
What is Descriptive Morality (Normative Ethics)?
This type of argument is one in which it is impossible for the premises to be true while its conclusion is false.
What is a valid argument?
Aquinas said this was the way to resolve any moral dispute, no matter what the situation or dilemma.
What is the Doctrine of Double Effect?
According to the argument from Our Common Human Nature, we are all capable of following a set of moral rules, since we all have the capacity for this.
What is reason (rationality)?
Hedonists argue that the morally correct way to behave in any situation is to do this.
What is to seek pleasure and avoid pain?
This is a type of moral rule that guides our actions and tells us how to act in a moral situation.
What is a moral principle?
This type of action is not morally required, but if performed does not result in having done something morally wrong.
What is moral permissibility (an optional act)?
This type of argument has conclusions that are only ever probably true. They are never certainly true.
What is an inductive argument (induction)?
Aquinas built on this ancient Greek philosopher's natural law theory and function argument by claiming that the law of morality exist and can be discovered just like the laws of nature, and it is our duty or function as rational beings to discover what those are.
Who is Aristotle?
This term describes the set of basic, objective moral principles that everyone is capable of following.
What is Core Morality?
These are the two types of hedonist views which state that all pleasure is good and the types of pleasure we ought to seek are either bodily (physical) or satisfied mental states (psychological).
What are Sensualism and Satisfactionism?
This type of action is considered morally praiseworthy, despite not being morally required. In other words, one goes above and beyond the call of duty to perform this type of action.
What is a supererogatory act?
Performing this type of action is doing something that one has a moral duty to refrain from or something one is required not to do.
What is a morally impermissible act (a wrong act)?
A statement that is capable of being made true or false is called this.
What is truth-functional (what is a proposition)?
According to Aquinas, these are the only three intrinsic goods that exist.
What are knowledge, friendship, and a desire for life (and procreation)
What are consequentialist theories (what is utilitarianism)?
This ancient Greek Stoic was a hedonist, but of the satisfactionist variety. He criticized the sensualists for being too primitive, arguing that the pleasures we ought to seek should be more intellectual than bodily.
Who is Epicurus?
The Greek word telos, meaning "end-goal" is the basis for teleological ethical theories, which are also called this and focus on the consequence of our actions rather than the nature of them.
What is Consequentialism (consequence-based ethical theories)?
This type of conundrum refers to a situation in which one has to choose between two conflicting moral principles, knowing that one is going to be violated no matter what. Moral theories are supposed to help us choose how to deliberate in these types of situations.
What is a moral dilemma?
This is the strongest type of deductive argument one could make.
What is a sound argument (soundness)?