Philosophy Exam Reveiw 2

.pdf

School

Lone Star College System, North Harris *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

1301

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by JusticeEelPerson973

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

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version