PHI2604 MIDTERM VERIFIED STUDY GUIDE
philosophy - Answers - the rational investigation of the fundamental truths and principles
of knowledge, being, and value
ethics - Answers - branch of philosophy dealing with values such as
rightness/wrongness, goodness/badness about motives, ends, and means
critical thinking - Answers - the proper assessment of reasons and claims
moral anti-realism - Answers - morality is not objectively true
moral relativism - Answers - morality is not objective, but relative; morality is just a
matter of opinion
cultural relativism - Answers - morality is a matter of cultural opinion
subjectivism - Answers - morality is a matter of individual opinion
example of cultural relativism - Answers - "women and men are equal" is true in
America but false in Saudi Arabia
objective - Answers - not just a matter of opinion = fact
arguments in favor of moral relativism (7) - Answers - 1. disagreement
2. change
3. culture
4. not objective
5. standpoint
6. measurable
7. no proof
disagreement argument for moral relativism - Answers - - people disagree about
morality
- whatever people disagree about it's just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the disagreement argument for moral relativism & examples (2) - Answers -
not everything that is disagreed about is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. Piraha only have 3 numbers
2. Bokoharam group believe the Earth is flat
, change argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality changes over time
- whatever changes overtime is just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the change argument for moral relativism & examples (3) - Answers - not
everything that changes over time is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. science: geocentrism to heliocentrism was a change but not an opinion
2. any change from falsehood to facts is also a change, but a fact is not an opinion
3. not all morality changes over time, orthodox Jews have kept the same morality since
500 BC
culture argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality is based on culture
- whatever is based on culture is just a matter of opinion - morality is just a matter of
opinion
objection to the culture argument for moral relativism - Answers - not everything that is
disagreed about, like culture, is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. Piraha only have 3 numbers
2. Bokoharam group believe the Earth is flat
not objective argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality can't be looked at
objectively
- what can't be looked at objectively is just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the not objective for moral relativism argument & examples (2) - Answers - -
why can't philosophers look at morality objectively? there's no argument explaining why
that would be impossible
- just because something can't be looked at objectively doesn't prove it's a matter of
opinion
examples:
1. whether evolution is true
2. whether there are genetic differences in abilities between the sexes and races
standpoint argument for moral relativism - Answers - - no one can morally judge a
situation unless they are in that standpoint
- whatever can't be judged unless you're in that standpoint it's just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the standpoint argument for moral relativism - Answers - - we are able to
judge a situation we are not in
philosophy - Answers - the rational investigation of the fundamental truths and principles
of knowledge, being, and value
ethics - Answers - branch of philosophy dealing with values such as
rightness/wrongness, goodness/badness about motives, ends, and means
critical thinking - Answers - the proper assessment of reasons and claims
moral anti-realism - Answers - morality is not objectively true
moral relativism - Answers - morality is not objective, but relative; morality is just a
matter of opinion
cultural relativism - Answers - morality is a matter of cultural opinion
subjectivism - Answers - morality is a matter of individual opinion
example of cultural relativism - Answers - "women and men are equal" is true in
America but false in Saudi Arabia
objective - Answers - not just a matter of opinion = fact
arguments in favor of moral relativism (7) - Answers - 1. disagreement
2. change
3. culture
4. not objective
5. standpoint
6. measurable
7. no proof
disagreement argument for moral relativism - Answers - - people disagree about
morality
- whatever people disagree about it's just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the disagreement argument for moral relativism & examples (2) - Answers -
not everything that is disagreed about is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. Piraha only have 3 numbers
2. Bokoharam group believe the Earth is flat
, change argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality changes over time
- whatever changes overtime is just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the change argument for moral relativism & examples (3) - Answers - not
everything that changes over time is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. science: geocentrism to heliocentrism was a change but not an opinion
2. any change from falsehood to facts is also a change, but a fact is not an opinion
3. not all morality changes over time, orthodox Jews have kept the same morality since
500 BC
culture argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality is based on culture
- whatever is based on culture is just a matter of opinion - morality is just a matter of
opinion
objection to the culture argument for moral relativism - Answers - not everything that is
disagreed about, like culture, is just a matter of opinion
examples:
1. Piraha only have 3 numbers
2. Bokoharam group believe the Earth is flat
not objective argument for moral relativism - Answers - - morality can't be looked at
objectively
- what can't be looked at objectively is just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the not objective for moral relativism argument & examples (2) - Answers - -
why can't philosophers look at morality objectively? there's no argument explaining why
that would be impossible
- just because something can't be looked at objectively doesn't prove it's a matter of
opinion
examples:
1. whether evolution is true
2. whether there are genetic differences in abilities between the sexes and races
standpoint argument for moral relativism - Answers - - no one can morally judge a
situation unless they are in that standpoint
- whatever can't be judged unless you're in that standpoint it's just a matter of opinion
- morality is just a matter of opinion
objection to the standpoint argument for moral relativism - Answers - - we are able to
judge a situation we are not in
