Philosophy Exam Reveiw 2

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Philosophy

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Oct 30, 2023

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Philosophy Exam #2 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_364fof 1. Ross identifies several prima fa- cie duties. What are they? Duties stemming from one's own previous actions: 1. fidelity - duty to fulfill (explicit and implicit) promis- es/agreements into which one has entered 2. reparation - duty to make up for wrongful acts previously done to others Duties stemming from the previous actions of others: 3. gratitude - duty to repay others for past favors done for oneself Duties stemming from the (possibility of) a mismatch be- tween persons' pleasure or happiness and their "merit": 4. justice - duty to prevent or correct such a mismatch Duties stemming from the possibility of improving the conditions of others with respect to virtue, intelligence, or pleasure: 5. beneficence - duty to improve the conditions of others in these respects Duties stemming from the possibility of improving one's own condition with respect to virtue or intelligence: 6. self-improvement - duty to improve one's own condition in these respects Special duty to be distinguished from the duty of benefi- cence: 7. nonmaleficence - duty not to injure others 2. How does the ethic of prima facie duty distinguish itself from Kantian deontology and utilitarian- ism/consequen- tialism? Ross's ethical system is deontological and anti-conse- quentialist since it is based on adherence to rules or duties rather than outcomes. It is pluralist in the sense that, unlike Kantian ethics and utilitarianism (monist systems based on a single, pre-eminent, all-encompassing rule or principle - namely the categorical imperative and the principle of utility, respectively), Ross recognizes several different fundamental rules or principles that he terms prima facie duties. Moreover - and this is a key element and a distinctive feature of his theory - he acknowledges that these duties can, and invariably do, collide and come into conflict with one another. 3. How does the ethic of prima fa- The claim that not only do we have multiple moral obliga- tions (instead of a single imperative or rule - for example, 1 / 6

Philosophy Exam #2 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_364fof cie duty explain (and handle) cas- es of moral con- flict? "always treat yourself and others as an end and never solely as a means") but that these various obligations can also come into conflict with one another constitutes a core insight and distinctive feature of Ross's theory. For example, my decision to stop and assist an accident victim (duty of beneficence) might conflict with my promise to attend an important meeting (duty to fulfill promises) or run counter to my doctor's recommendation that I avoid high-stress situations (duty of self-improvement). What is one to do in such cases? According to Ross, there will always be one duty that will have a greater urgency or priority than the others, and that will be the right thing to do, or as Ross terms it one's duty proper, in a given case. Of course that doesn't meant that we'll always be able to identify with certainty exactly what that duty is. "The decision rests with perception." 4. What is a prima facie duty? A prima facie duty is a permanent, excellent but nonab- solute reason to do (or refrain from) a certain type of exception. 5. What does it mean to possess a will? Will without good will can make temperaments, gifts of nature and gifts of fortune exceedingly bad. 6. What does Kant mean by good will? Good will has two parts: (1) it is the ability to reliably know what your duty is and (2) a steady commitment to doing your duty for its own sake. A good will is not good because of its effects or accom- plishments, and not because of its adequacy to achieve any proposed end-it is good in itself. 7. Explain the dif- ference between acting from duty and in accor- dance with duty The moral worth of an action depends neither on the result expected from that action nor on any principle of action that has to borrow its motive from this expected result. 8. 2 / 6

Philosophy Exam #2 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_364fof Describe the dif- ference between the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative Hypothetical imperatives declare a possible action to be practically necessary as a means to the attainment of something else that one wants or may want. A categorical imperative would be one that represented an action as itself objectively necessary without regard to any further end. 9. How does Kant conceive of the notion of re- spect? Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in any other person, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means. 10. Using the two distinct formu- lations of the categorical im- perative, explain what makes lying wrong? For the universality of a law that permits anyone who believes himself to be in need to make any promise with the intention of not keeping it would make promising itself impossible. 11. What four moral duties does Kant argue could be derived from the categorical im- perative? (1) It is contrary to one's duty to take one's own life. (2) All humans should be valued as an end and should not be used as a means for a person to get something for themselves. (3) All of one's powers should be developed to make one's self a useful man for all purposes. (4) There are many situations in which a man needs love and sympathy and we should provide it. 12. What is a maxim? A maxim is simply the principle of action you give yourself when you are about to do something. A maxim has two parts. It states what you are about to do and why you are about to do it. 13. For Kant, how is the morality of an action deter- mined? For Kant, the morality of our actions has nothing to do with its results and everything to do with our intentions and reasons for actions. 3 / 6

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Philosophy Exam #2 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_364fof 14. What is the connection Kant draws between morality and ra- tionality? When we behave immorally, we are reasoning badly. We are making the mistaken assumption that we are more important than other people and going off as though we are exempt from the rules that everyone else must obey. 15. What is a amoral- ist? A amoralist is someone who believes in right and wrong but doesn't care about morality at all. Yes rules exist but they have no bearing on my life. 16. What is the amoralist chal- lenge to Kantian ethics? The Amoralist challenges supports the following conclu- sions: (1) People have a reason to do something only if doing it well will get them what they care about (2) Doing their moral duty fails to get people what they care about (3) Therefore, people sometimes lack any reason to do their moral duty. 17. How does Richard Hare characterize the utilitarian per- spective on slav- ery? The Utilitarian says that the morality of slavery, like that of any other practice depends entirely on its results. For example, what is slavery did not create more harm than good? What is the members of a slave society, slaves as well as masters were on the whole, wealthier, better educated, healthier and better satisfied with their lives than most members of society. 18. What does Kant consider the source of human dignity? Rationality and autonomy support the dignity of each human being and everyone is owed a level of respect because of these values. Principle of humanity-Always treat a human being (your- self included) as an end, and never as a means. 19. What is the prin- ciple of lex talo- nis? The principle or law of retaliation that a punishment inflict- ed should correspond in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; retributive justice. 4 / 6

Philosophy Exam #2 Study online at https://quizlet.com/_364fof 20. How does the principle of lex talonis apply to the moral justifi- cation of punish- ment? Humans do sometimes deserve to be punished, precisely because they could have chosen to act well but decided to act badly instead. 21. Describe the con- cept of moral luck and explain the complication it presents for Kant's moral the- ory. (ML) moral luck occurs when an agent can be correctly treated as an object of moral judgment, despite the fact that a significant aspect of what he is assessed for de- pends on factors beyond his control. Kant says morality is immune from luck but other philosophers disagree. 22. What is ethical particularism? Ethical Particularism, at its most trenchant, is the claim that there are no defensible moral principles, that moral thought does not consist in the application of moral princi- ples to cases, and that the morally perfect person should not be conceived as the person of principle. There are more cautious versions, however. The strongest defensi- ble version, perhaps, holds that though there may be some moral principles, still the rationality of moral thought and judgement in no way depends on a suitable provision of such things; and the perfectly moral judge would need far more than a grasp on an appropriate range of principles and the ability to apply them. Moral principles are at best crutches that a morally sensitive person would not require, and indeed the use of such crutches might even lead us into moral error. 23. What is the particularist per- spective on jus- tice? 24. How do moral judgments give us reasons for actions? 5 / 6

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