Ethics 1

• epistemology is the study of theory/knowledge
• metaphysics is the study of what there is
• ethics is the study of value
• metaethics concerns the meaning of moral language
• normative/ theoretical ethics concerns theories of value, right action
• applies ethics applies normative theories to particular spheres of action
• a meaningful life can be understoof by looking at meaningless lives
• useless life: a life that is full of activity, but silly or decadent or useless activity
• bankrupt life: a life that is enraged to a project that is ultimately revealed as bankrupt, not because the persons values are shallow or misguided.
• divine command theory says " X is good" is true just in case God approves of X
• natural law theory says moral claims are made made true by the purposes of objects/ animals created into the world. naturally "generally means" good.
• theological derived from the meaning aim, end, purpose, or function
• cultural/ moral relativism - there is no objective morality; moral claims are true only relative to a society's moral code
• ethical egoism - not everyone should act out of there own interest, requires that we act out of our self interest, not just what we perceive to be in our self interest.
• components of utilitarianism - consequentialism, hedonism, and radical egalitarianism
• consequentialism - actions are right/wrong in virtue of their consequences
• hedonism -the only consequences that matter morally is the pleasure and pain of the parties affected
• radical egalitarianism -everyone's pleasure and pain counts, and counts equally
• jeremy bentham held that pleasures might differ quantitaively but not qualitatively.
• jeremy betham said each action should be evaluated on a case by case basis
• john stuart mill distinguised higher and lower pleasures using the competent judges arguement, claimed that higher pleasures are always preferable to lower pleasures.