Midterm Reviewer for GED 106 Ethics PDF

**MIDTERM REVIEWER FOR GED 106 -- ETHICS** **1. Major Ethical Theories** **A. Virtue Ethics** - **Definition**: Focuses on developing good character traits rather than following specific rules or considering consequences. - **Key Figure**: Aristotle - **Concepts**: - **...

**MIDTERM REVIEWER FOR GED 106 -- ETHICS** **1. Major Ethical Theories** **A. Virtue Ethics** - **Definition**: Focuses on developing good character traits rather than following specific rules or considering consequences. - **Key Figure**: Aristotle - **Concepts**: - **Golden Mean**: The midpoint between deficiency and excess of a virtue (e.g., Courage as a balance between recklessness and cowardice). - **Eudaimonia**: Human flourishing or happiness, regarded as the highest good. - **Criticisms**: - Lacks concrete guidance for specific situations. - Can be culturally relative. **B. Natural Law Ethics** - **Definition**: Ethics grounded in human nature and reason, where actions are naturally oriented toward specific goals. - **Key Figure**: Thomas Aquinas - **Principles**: Moral actions are determined by the order of nature and rational human nature. - **Ultimate End**: Happiness achieved through virtuous living. - **Cardinal Virtues**: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Courage. **C. Divine Command Theory** - **Definition**: Ethics based on God's will, where moral values are determined by divine commands. - **Key Figure**: Augustine of Hippo - **Criticisms**: - **Euthyphro Dilemma**: Is an action good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good? **D. Deontological Ethics (Duty-Based)** - **Definition**: Ethics that focuses on adherence to duties and rules. - **Key Figure**: Immanuel Kant (not directly covered but relevant contextually). **E. Consequentialism** - **Definition**: Ethics that emphasize the outcomes or consequences of actions to determine their morality. - **Key Figures**: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism). **2. Eastern Ethical Frameworks** **A. Confucian Ethics** - **Definition**: Focuses on self-cultivation and social harmony. - **Key Concepts**: - **Mandate of Heaven**: Just rulers are granted divine right based on their moral integrity. - **Doctrine of the Mean**: Balance and moderation in one's conduct. - **Five Constant Relationships**: Emphasizes roles and responsibilities in familial and social contexts. **B. Buddhist Ethics** - **Definition**: Emphasizes the cessation of suffering and cultivation of compassion. - **Key Concepts**: - **The Middle Way**: Avoids extremes of self-indulgence and self-denial. - **Compassion and Non-Attachment**: Core virtues in Buddhist ethics. **C. Islamic Ethical Thought** - **Key Figure**: Ibn Sina (Avicenna) - **Reconciliation**: Harmonized Islamic ethics with Greek philosophy, integrating reason and revelation. **3. Other Ethical Perspectives** **A. Machiavellian Ethics** - **Definition**: Advocates for pragmatic and sometimes ruthless strategies in achieving power. - **Key Figure**: Niccolò Machiavelli - **Principle**: "The ends justify the means." **B. Nietzschean Ethics** - **Definition**: Challenges traditional morality, promoting self-assertion and the "will to power." - **Key Figure**: Friedrich Nietzsche - **Concept**: **Übermensch (Overman)**: The ideal individual who creates their own moral standards, transcending conventional values. **4. Ethical Application and Case Analysis** - **Analyzing Real-World Scenarios Using Different Ethical Theories**: - **Virtue Ethics**: Focuses on character and intentions. - **Natural Law**: Considers human nature and rationality. - **Divine Command**: Aligns actions with God's will. - **Confucianism**: Upholds social harmony and roles. - **Buddhism**: Evaluates based on compassion and reduction of suffering. - **Machiavellianism**: Pragmatic actions for power. - **Nietzscheanism**: Self-assertion and transcending societal norms. **5. Comparative Analysis** **Virtue Ethics vs. Eastern Philosophies** - **Virtue Ethics**: Cultivates character based on reason. - **Confucianism**: Cultivates social roles and harmony. - **Buddhism**: Cultivates virtues to end suffering. **Natural Law vs. Divine Command** - **Natural Law**: Rooted in human nature and rationality. - **Divine Command**: Rooted in obedience to God's will.