Ethics Class Notes
Ethics is a branch of... - correct answer-Philsophy
What Philosophy is not... - correct answer--Personal Opinion or preference
-Convention/common sense/popular
opinion
-Feeling/Intuition
- Religious Doctrine
What Philosophy is... - correct answer--The pursuit of wisdom by means of
rational analysis of empirical experience
-In an atmosphere of mutual respect and professional courtesy
Valid and sound argument... - correct answer-- True premises (reasons)
- Correct Form
- A conclusion that follows from the premises
Deductive Logic - correct answer-P1: A=B
P2: B=C
P3: A=C
-In deductive logic the premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion
Inductive Logic - correct answer--Premises make the conclusion likely or
probable (but not certain)
- Premises function as evidence for believing the conclusion to be true
- Most everyday thinking is based on induction
Ad Hominem Argument - correct answer-The validity of the argument has
nothing to do with the character of the person making the argument
Faulty Analogy - correct answer-- "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" used
in the opiod crisis in the older population
Questionable Authority - correct answer-- The use of studies, referred to as
"data"
- What data, or where it came from, or who funded the studies
- "You can't vote for Clinton she's terminally ill, it's all over the internet"
, Hand Waving - correct answer-- This is morally right because that's what
everyone believes to be true
- Arguing that something is right or wrong based on what most people think
Straw Man - correct answer-- Describing or discrediting the argument of your
opponent in a way that mis credits them
- "The Republican War on Women"
- Mischaracterization of policies that may not have been ideal for most women
Branches - correct answer--Ontology
-Epistemology
-Axiology
Ontology - correct answer--What is
-God, soul, time, free will
Epistemology - correct answer--How we know what we know
Axiology - correct answer--How things should be: Values
-Aesthetics: Beauty
-Ethics: Morality
Personal Ethics - correct answer-Honesty, responsibility, generosity, fidelity
Ex; Euthanasia, abortion, sexual behavior, meat-eating, baby-tattooing
Social Ethics - correct answer-Economic system, taxation, climate change,
criminal justice, discrimination, gun laws, social media, bio-technology
Normative and Meta-Ethics - correct answer--The study of practical values
(morality) and their applicability to specific, concrete, situations in life
-Is abortion morally permissible?
-Is it wrong to tattoo babies?
-Is cloning morally right?
-Does a society have a moral duty to insure health care for all citizens?
Metaethics/ethical theory - correct answer--The study of the nature of our
moral values and how they are created and known
-How do we define "right' and "wrong"
-Where do moral values come from?
Ethics is a branch of... - correct answer-Philsophy
What Philosophy is not... - correct answer--Personal Opinion or preference
-Convention/common sense/popular
opinion
-Feeling/Intuition
- Religious Doctrine
What Philosophy is... - correct answer--The pursuit of wisdom by means of
rational analysis of empirical experience
-In an atmosphere of mutual respect and professional courtesy
Valid and sound argument... - correct answer-- True premises (reasons)
- Correct Form
- A conclusion that follows from the premises
Deductive Logic - correct answer-P1: A=B
P2: B=C
P3: A=C
-In deductive logic the premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion
Inductive Logic - correct answer--Premises make the conclusion likely or
probable (but not certain)
- Premises function as evidence for believing the conclusion to be true
- Most everyday thinking is based on induction
Ad Hominem Argument - correct answer-The validity of the argument has
nothing to do with the character of the person making the argument
Faulty Analogy - correct answer-- "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" used
in the opiod crisis in the older population
Questionable Authority - correct answer-- The use of studies, referred to as
"data"
- What data, or where it came from, or who funded the studies
- "You can't vote for Clinton she's terminally ill, it's all over the internet"
, Hand Waving - correct answer-- This is morally right because that's what
everyone believes to be true
- Arguing that something is right or wrong based on what most people think
Straw Man - correct answer-- Describing or discrediting the argument of your
opponent in a way that mis credits them
- "The Republican War on Women"
- Mischaracterization of policies that may not have been ideal for most women
Branches - correct answer--Ontology
-Epistemology
-Axiology
Ontology - correct answer--What is
-God, soul, time, free will
Epistemology - correct answer--How we know what we know
Axiology - correct answer--How things should be: Values
-Aesthetics: Beauty
-Ethics: Morality
Personal Ethics - correct answer-Honesty, responsibility, generosity, fidelity
Ex; Euthanasia, abortion, sexual behavior, meat-eating, baby-tattooing
Social Ethics - correct answer-Economic system, taxation, climate change,
criminal justice, discrimination, gun laws, social media, bio-technology
Normative and Meta-Ethics - correct answer--The study of practical values
(morality) and their applicability to specific, concrete, situations in life
-Is abortion morally permissible?
-Is it wrong to tattoo babies?
-Is cloning morally right?
-Does a society have a moral duty to insure health care for all citizens?
Metaethics/ethical theory - correct answer--The study of the nature of our
moral values and how they are created and known
-How do we define "right' and "wrong"
-Where do moral values come from?
