Study Guide o o o o p1 o p2 c o Know the difference between valid and invalid arguments valid premises not always true but premises coincide with each other so you accept conclusions invalid premises aren t true premises don t coincide with each other Know what a sound argument is valid and premises are true Be able to identify premises and conclusions If given an argument be able to argue whether it is sound or unsound o Sound means that the argument is valid and the premises are true Know the bad arguments against moral objectivism that Shafer Landau rejects o Moral Ethical Objectivism The view that there are some objective moral standards These standards apply to everyone even if people don t believe that they do and it does not satisfy a person s desire Moral claims are objectively true whenever they are accurately tell us what these moral standards are or tell us about what these standards require or allow us to do o 1 Objectivism requires absolutism o 2 All truth is subjective o 3 Equal rights Imply Equal Plausibility o 4 Moral objectivity supports dogmatism o 5 Moral Objectivity supports intolerance o 6 Moral Objectivity cannot Allow for legitimate cultural variation o 7 Moral disagreements undermines moral objectivity o 8 Atheism undermines moral objectivity o 9 The absence of categorical reasons undermines moral objectivity o 10 Moral motivation undermines moral objectivity o 11 Values Have No Place in a Scientific World science tells us everything we have to know science tells us nothing about morality nothing to know about morality Be able to explain what Divine Command Theory DCT is o an act is morally justified just because it is commanded by god and immoral just because God forbids it o Because God thinks an act is just it is morally acceptable and vice versa Be able to explain the Euthyphro argument against DCT e g what are the two things a divine command theorist might mean How do they both lead to problems o Euthyphro isn t trying to prove the argument right or wrong but trying to decide if the argument is morally justified Know Thompson s thought experiments e g the violinist the growing child and the people seeds and explain how each is supposed to work as a defense of abortion o famous violinist had broken kidneys took her and knocked a woman out and attached he violinist to her she gave no permission or authorization if she disconnects then he dies o o does she have a moral obligation to stay connected to him for 9 months what about 9 days Know what feature Marquis thinks beings must have to make killing them wrong How is this supposed to work as an argument that abortion is immoral o Fetuses have X human characteristics o Anything with X has a right to life o So therefore fetuses have the right to life Know the premises 2 and conclusion of Rachels s argument for the morality of euthanasia o o o P1 if an action promotes the best interests of everyone concerned and violates no one s rights then that action is morally acceptable P2 in at least some cases active euthanasia promotes the best interests of everyone concerned and violates no one s rights C Therefore in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptable Know the case of Jack in Rachels Jack is in the hospital with a melanoma in his belly that yelled every night in screaming pain while his roommate couldn t help it They would not let Jack die even though he wanted too According to Velleman how might giving someone a choice harm them Explain how this applies to euthanasia People may feel the need to justify why they need treatment or feel guilty for putting their families in this situation According to LaFollette what are armchair arguments Pro gun control More weapons more violence Guns easy access Gun easiest to kill Easy access is more suicide Anti gun control More availability of guns prevents or stops crimes Why does LaFollette think that we should control guns o pro gun control more weapons more violence guns are usually easiest way to kill people easy access to guns increase the probability of angry confrontations turning fatal easy access to guns increases to probability and success rate of suicide attempts easy access increases probability of successful details Hughes and Hunt think that the effects of gun ownership do not determine whether guns should be controlled or not Why not It is not concern about gun accidents that drive the debate o o The main concern is that guns make violent crime more likely o Guns don t kill people people kill people o A gun is not an agent humans must decided to kill What are wide and narrow liberalism Hughes and Hunt o Wide favors more autonomy and less equality o Narrow favors more equality and less autonomy Explain the case of Fred in Norcross and how this might relate to eating meat factory farming o Fred torturing puppies in order to harvest a chemical in their brain that will allow him to enjoy chocolate again What are marginal cases Norcross o o o o Argument within animal rights theory regarding the moral status of non human animals Chickens are debeaked without anesthetic male chicks are deemed worthless and suffocated or ground alive Pigs are castrated or have their tails amputated without anesthetics Cows are branded de horned and have their tails amputated without anesthetic Cows must be pregnant to lactate so dairy cows are constantly pregnant Male calves of the dairy industry supply the veal industry o People who do not have the characteristics Infants People with mental handicaps Its wrong to kill those animals that have the same mental aspects as the marginal cases do o According to Fox what do marginal cases have that animals do not Rights do not emerge out of nothing instead they result from communities of accountability Does not require that rights result from being human the E T argument o Have relevant characteristics X o 2 Are able to recognize X in others 3 Acknowledge that the possession of X by other beings is grounds for following rules of conduct towards others Marginal Cases have a connection emotionally to other humans They are closer to our own They are members of our species they at one point or will at one point will have the moral characteristics to belong in this group What is the moral community Fox o a group of beings that shares certain characteristics and whose members are or considered themselves Know and be able to explain the five arguments for affirmative action that Pojman critiques o The need for Role models o
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