PHIL 2070 Study Guide - Final Guide: Naturalistic Fallacy, Meta-Ethics, Cultural Relativism
28 Apr 2018
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#1. Class.
• Facts really matter in philosophy – they have power to change perception.
i.e. you need to know laws, or the volume of aquifer, etc.
o These will matter for any conversation you have whether that be at brass
taps or in a boardroom in 3 years time.
• Be precise with concepts and use facts in relation to make arguments or state
claims and help form opinions and views.
• Facts: it takes 60 years for water to return to aquifer (this has no judgement) ->
this itself is not a statement of moral or ethics but you can use it to make one, i.e.
Nestle shouldn’t be able to take water from here because ____ and therefore
_____
• When using words in table 1.1 (Ethical vocabulary) you are in the domain of
moral philosophy (ethics)
• Develop skills to notice if what you are saying/hearing/reading is normative,
conceptual, values/ethics, philosophy vs. when it’s facts or science
• Concepts: problems, costs, solutions, need, ought (from pg. 3 of Kernohan)
o Vocab that describe things that are not facts
• Consider: to reason through it, acknowledge, reflect upon, recognize, to question
o What we do with this vocab?
▪ When it’s about the environment = almost always related to
concepts of fairness, justice, respect for rights, human flourishing
(more concepts)
• What does Houle mean by that concept? What does Kernohan mean by that
concept? (cannot be treated like a fact)
• Notice THAT you’re using concepts, and WHEN you are using them.
• How to respond well to concepts?
- If you don’t know concepts:
can you explain what YOU mean by that? ((not: what does that mean))
there will be more than one answer because it’ll be subjective. Reference
to interpretation and analysis of individual and best articulation.
• Every claim you see - elaborate on it with your own interpretation:
- This sounds good but…
- It’s reasonable to think that…
find more resources at oneclass.com
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How to do well in this class:
1. Identify concept (i.e. human flourishing)
2. Ask questions (i.e. can you explain what you mean by this concept)
a. Concepts cannot be treated as facts, there will be more than one good
answer
3. When you read a concept in a book, circle it and treat it as subjective, leave a
little bit of a critical door open
4. Think/elaborate on what I think of the concept/what I think it means
a. i.e. what Kernohan means by capable when he says a dog is not capable
of being a moral agent must mean they can’t speak b/c capable is a
concept not a fact
• Facts are important
• Concepts are powerful tools but are not the same
#1. Seminar.
• Policy making is the purpose of Kernohan.
• Normative: should do/ ought to do…
a normative claim in an action-guiding claim.
-Normative language used in non-ethical context:
--> you should brush your teeth if you want good hygiene.
• Ethical situation has 4 components:
1) Moral agent
2) Action
3) Consequence
4) Recipient
• These components have ethically relevant factors:
1) Character
2) Principles
3) Harms/benefits
4) Moral standing***
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• These components and factors have criteria for judging:
1) Virtuous/Vice
2) Right or Wrong
3) Good or Bad
4) ???? le point.
• These components and factors have related ethical theories:
1) Virtue ethics
2) Deontology
3) Consequentialism/ Utilitarianism
4) Environmental ethics***
• Moral standing:
When we consider an entity’s interest for its own sake.
- i.e. It has intrinsic value (you can have intrinsic value but no moral standing)
- It has direct duties
________________________________________________________________
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Can you explain what you mean by that? ((not: what does that mean)) There will be more than one answer because it"ll be subjective. Reference to interpretation and analysis of individual and best articulation: every claim you see - elaborate on it with your own interpretation: Seminar: policy making is the purpose of kernohan, normative: should do/ ought to do . A normative claim in an action-guiding claim. When we consider an entity"s interest for its own sake. I. e. it has intrinsic value (you can have intrinsic value but no moral standing) Cultural relativism where it comes from, tries to understand why something is the right thing: the main focus of metaethics. Alex ought not use his phone in class . Where do ethics; where does the force, the pull of moral ought come from: moral/ethical/normative judgements that have to do with morals, the force of the.
