PHIL-P 140 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Reductio Ad Absurdum, Divine Command Theory, Normative Ethics
Document Summary
Argument- an ordered array of statements, one is a conclusion and the rests are premises. Descriptive ethics: the scientific study of moral beliefs and practices, to describe how people behave and think when dealing with moral issues and arguments. Normative ethics: the study of principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions and judgements, to determine what actually is morally right or wrong. Normative ethics is instruction according to an established code. Descriptive ethics are what is observed taking place. Another way to put this is to say that ethics deals with normative rather than descriptive issues: what is conventional morality? (this is found in the deigh reading) A conventional morality is a set of norms of a particular society that are generally accepted and followed by the society"s members. Teleological accounts define what is morally right in terms of the ends or interests of human beings. For instance, we all have an interest in being happy.
