Moral Criteria
An action is morally right if and only if it maximizes hedonic utility.
What is Act Utilitarianism (AU)?
Using this magic item to get away with knavish acts such as stealing would be bad for your well-being, at least according to Plato
What is the Ring of Gyges?
This old-fashioned term picks out the pleasure-minus-pain produced by action for all concerned
What is hedonic utility?
"If you want to get a good grade, then you should study" is the form of these questionable commands.
What are hypothetical imperatives?
These "first make" duties are distinguished from our real duties since we only have to follow them all else being equal.
What are prima facie duties?
An action is morally right if and only if it conforms to the laws of nature.
What is Hobbes's Rule Egoism (HRE)?
These include peace, liberty, covenants, gratitude, and cooperation.
What are the laws of nature?
This theory of well-being asserts that pleasures are basically good for us and pains are basically bad for us. Nothing else is basically good or bad for us
What is hedonism?
These "reasonable" traits mean that you can think in general terms and resist your desires.
What are theoretical and practical rationality?
This prima facie duty deals with our nature as free "self-legislators."
What is autonomy?
An action is morally right if and only if it best expresses those traits we need for our well-being.
What is Aretaic Egoism (AE)?
This colorfully named objection asserts that it is wrong to take selfish actions like stealing a wallet because you cannot expect to get away with it
What is the Fool's Objection?
In this case, Billy Bob has to choose between framing the innocent or allowing a deadly riot
What is the Small Southern Town?
In this case, John initiates force against Casey to protect public health.
This is the faculty we exercise to determine which among our prima facie duties is our real duty.
What is practical wisdom?
An action is morally right if and only if in performing it, the agent treats himself and all others as ends-in-themselves.
What is the second formulation of the Categorical Imperative (CI2)?
This character from a famous Francis Ford Coppola film presents a problem for AE, since he has a good life in spite of his vicious acts.
Who is Michael Corleone?
For AU, terror bombing and the murder of civilians could be morally permissible. For these kinds of theories, such acts are always morally impermissible
What is moral absolutism?
These troubling situations arise when no action the agent performs is morally right. CI2 seems to abound with them
What are moral dilemmas?
This fundamental value is what grounds the prima facie duty of beneficence.
What is well-being?
An action is morally right if and only if it best fulfills the most important prima facie duties in the circumstances - violating less important prima facie duties to the smallest degree possible.
What is Pluralism?
HRE gives these kinds of things for why you should return lost or stolen goods; if this criterion is right, you should do so because you cannot get away with stealing them
What are bad explanations?
This enterprising fellow falsely believes that his family and friends love him. The hedonist thinks his life would be no better if he truly believed the same.
Who is the Deceived Businessman?
This variation on a familiar criterion says that you should not make an exception for yourself - you should only act if your maxim can be universalized
What is the first formulation of the categorical imperative (CI1)?
Gratitude, reparation, fidelity/special relationships, and fairness are all part of this prima facie duty.
What is justice/desert?