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The branch of philosophy concerned with human conduct and moral value.
What is ethics?
This ancient Greek philosopher is considered the father of moral philosophy.
100 bonus points for writing out his statement about what is most important.
Who is Socrates?
"... the most important thing is not life, but the good life."
The belief that whatever benefits the greatest possible number of people is the right decision.
What is Utilitarianism?
Name two classical philosophers who explored the questions of whether moral statements express objective truths, subjective opinions, cultural norms, or something else entirely. It delves into the nature of moral facts and whether they exist independently of human beliefs or perceptions.
Who are Plato (or Socrates) and Aristotle?
The idea that it is not enough to merely formulate an ethical theory, but that one must promote ethical decision-making, foster moral responsibility, and contribute to the creation of a more just and morally upright society.
(Every philosophical question is ultimately an ethical question.)
What is applied ethics?
This branch of ethical theory focuses on understanding and critiquing traditional ethical theories, as well as developing alternative ethical frameworks that address issues of gender, power, and oppression.
What is feminist ethics?
Key features include: Critique of Patriarchy, Intersectionality, Ethics of Care, Recognition of Marginalized Voices, Empowerment and Agency, Social Justice and Transformation
This philosopher was the father of utilitarianism.
Who is Jeremy Bentham?
This type of ethics is concerned with becoming a virtuous person.
100 bonus points for naming the philosopher MOST associated with this school of thought.
200 bonus points for naming a 19th century philosopher who argued against following the "morality of the herd", a position which is loosely based upon this school of thought.
What is Virtue Ethics?
Who is Aristotle?
Who is Nietzsche?
Enlightenment thinkers such as _________ questioned the basis of moral realism, arguing that moral judgments are based on sentiment and not objective facts.
Who is David Hume?
While Rousseau may not have directly questioned moral realism in the same manner as Hume, his emphasis on sentiment and subjectivity in moral judgments does resonate with anti-realist perspectives. In other words, there are many similarities between the two thinkers, but Rousseau believed that human beings have natural sentiments, such as compassion and empathy, which form the basis of moral judgments. He would blame society for corrupting these natural sentiments.
This area of applied ethics believes in the ethical relationship between human beings and the natural environment. It investigates issues like the rights and interests of future generations, deep ecology, the Gaia hypothesis, anthropocentrism, pollution, and species extinction.
What is environmental ethics?
Extreme skepticism maintaining that nothing in the world has a real existence.
What is Nihilism?
The belief that the absence of objective moral foundations does not negate the necessity of ethical action is most often associated with this philosopher.
Who is Jean-Paul Sartre?
Sartre emphasizes individual freedom and responsibility in the face of a seemingly indifferent or absurd world. According to Sartre, human existence is characterized by radical freedom—the ability to choose one's actions and create one's own values.
This ethical theory is most concerned with duty and our moral obligations to ourselves and others.
What is Deontological Ethics?
This philosopher argued for a form of moral motivation grounded in the concept of duty and the categorical imperative, emphasizing the rational basis of morality.
For an extra 300 points, write out the entire categorical imperative.
For ANOTHER extra 300 points, write out the similar thought from existentialism!
Who is Immanuel Kant?
What is: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
What is: "In choosing himself, he is choosing for all men."?
The branch of applied ethics that deals with issues like cloning, genetic engineering, stem cell research, euthanasia, and abortion.
What is biomedical ethics?
The theory that reason rather than experience is the foundation of certainty in knowledge.
What is Rationalism?
Known for the belief that causes and effects are discoverable not by reason, but by experience.
Who is David Hume?
This school of thought places an emphasis on radical freedom, ethical subjectivism, authenticity, engagement, and the primacy of action. While this philosophy challenges traditional moral theories, it offers a provocative perspective on the nature of ethical responsibility and the existential struggle for meaning and authenticity in human life.
What is Existentialism?
This can be used to structure a counterargument using either Sartre or Beauvoir as your primary thinkers.
This school of thought developed an elaborate objective criterion for moral evaluation, suggesting that the rightness or wrongness of actions can be determined by their consequences in terms of promoting overall well-being.
For an extra 200 points, name this elaborate objective criterion.
What is utilitarianism?
What is "hedonic", or "happiness", calculus?
The branch of ethics that explores our ethical responsibilities to humanity through issues including poverty, inequality, taxation, and the role of charity.
What is the distribution of wealth?
This person said that, "I openly confess that it was the remembrance of David Hume which, many years ago, first interrupted my dogmatic slumber and gave my investigations in the field of speculative philosophy a quite new direction."
Who is Immanuel Kant?
Kant was specifically critiquing the metaphysical systems of thinkers like René Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and to some extent, also empiricists like John Locke and David Hume. Kant argued that these philosophers had made unwarranted assumptions about the nature of reality and the capacities of human reason, leading to dogmatic assertions that could not be adequately justified.
This philosopher believed that ethics was built around the idea that people should have an excellent character.
Who is Aristotle?
The philosophical belief that there are objective moral truths in life which can be determined through the use of reason and rationality.
What is moral realism?
Philosophers include Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant and Nagel.
Key tenets of moral realism include:
Objectivity: Moral realism posits that moral truths are objective, meaning they exist independently of human beliefs or attitudes. These truths are grounded in the nature of reality rather than subjective opinions or cultural practices.
Mind-Independence: Moral realism maintains that moral facts exist regardless of whether anyone believes in them or is aware of them. These facts are not contingent upon human minds or perspectives but are part of the fabric of reality.
Truth-Aptness: Moral realism holds that moral statements have truth value; they can be true or false. Just like statements about empirical facts, moral statements correspond to objective truths about the moral status of actions, intentions, or states of affairs.
Immanuel Kant believed that an action was not moral if it was something that you were naturally inclined to do. He famously said that the only thing that could be "taken to be good without limitation" was a "good will". Name one way he suggested that one could ensure the purity of a moral action.
What is "acting from duty" or "acting according to the categorical imperative"?
In the field of biomedical ethics, "the principle of beneficence" describes the moral principle that healthcare professionals have a duty to act in the best interest of their patients, prioritizing their well-being and autonomy above all other considerations. Name at least two schools of thought you could use to explore this issue.
What is Deontology, Consequentialism, or Virtue Ethics?