1. According to Russell, What Is the Value of Philosophy?

Principles of Ethics Study guide

1. According to Russell, what is the value of philosophy? ●Philosophy allows us to become open to new ideas, learn to think critically… ●It teaches us to embrace rather than fear uncertainty. ●It encourages us to be open-minded and to improve critical thinking skills. ●It gives us another view of the world and life outside the scientific. ●It encourages us to gain knowledge for knowledge sake. ●It allows for the changing and adjusting of our laws. ●it gets us to think about matters and issues that transcend everyday experience.

2. According to Baier (or Carol Gilligan), women think differently from men about moral matters. Explain how. ●Women (theorists) are more likely to think about issues in a mosaic and situational way. ●Women tend to place greater emphasis on trust, [care, love], sincerity, and relationships [in their moral deliberations than masculine approaches to ethical dilemmas, which emphasize obligation to abstract moral rules, autonomy, universal application (broad stroke method), and rationality]. ●Women moral philosophers employ ethics of love [relationships, dependency] while male theorists cater to our sense of obligation [justice, and the importance of universal moral principles].

3. According to Plato, what is justice? Injustice? ●Justice is the result of an alignment of all three parts of the soul. This unity produces just actions and makes a person just. Injustice is the result of a dislocation of the three parts of the soul. This happens when the three parts are not doing their job or are doing the jobs of other parts. (Good job Ashleigh!)

4. Explain virtue ethics. ●Virtue ethics [refers to a moral model that focuses on the pursuit of a well-lived life and moral character], where proper reasoning and acting on a mean of emotions are characteristic of a virtuous person. A virtuous person has certain character traits (courage, wit, truthfulness, generosity, temperance, friendly, etc.) that allow one to fulfill one’s function (aka reasoning well) and achieve the ultimate goal or end for humans (aka happiness---a well-lived life). ●So how do I know if I am virtuous? How do I know if I am committing moral acts? I know my act is courageous (or moral) because, by way of reasoning well (critical thinking skills), I have achieved the mean between my vices (“emotions”) of fear and rashness. Achieving this mean grants me the disposition to act courageously (virtuous).

Perhaps you think this is silly, simplified or childish. But think about it: how do you determine whether your act or character is moral? What is your reference point? Or justification? Society? Church (God or Bible, Koran)? Parental authority? Reason alone (and no or very little consideration of emotions)? Moral intuition? Consistency?