Hoofdstuk 1: Moral Philosophy and Moral Reasoning
Begrip Uitleg
Etiquette A set of social rules concerning manners of conduct which function in a
similar way to morality in some respects, but are not normally thought to
have full moral force, even though they are often treated seriously. (5)
supererogati Doing more than is morally required. (6)
on
objectivism In moral philosophy, the idea that statements about morality can
have a validity that goes beyond subjective opinion, often involving
the idea that moral ideas are somehow grounded in the nature of
reality or are valid for all people at all times. (6)
subjectivity The theory that moral principles are in some sense created by
human beings, rather than being objective, mind-independent
truths. (6)
Meta-ethics The study of the nature of moral value and our knowledge of it. (7)
normative The study of what morality requires of human beings. (7)
ethics
applied The exploration of a moral issue, such as the permissibility of
ethics abortion, by means of the application of philosophical reasoning.
(7)
Argument The application of principles of reasoning to prove, or provide
support for, one statement on the basis of other statements. (9)
Deduction A logical argument in which a conclusion is derived from one or
more premises by strict logical rules. A valid deduction from true
premises must yield a true conclusion. (11)
premise The starting point of an argument, from which a conclusion is
deduced by means of logical rules. (11)
conclusion The end point of argument, which, if the argument is logically valid,
will be deduced from one or more premises by means of logical
rules. (11)
logical An argument in which, if the premises are true, the conclusion
validity must also be true, has logical validity. In a logically valid argument,
negation of the conclusion contradicts the premises; this is how the
logical validity of an argument can be tested. (11)
logical If a conclusion is validly deduced from one or more premises, then
necessity the conclusion follows by logical necessity. (11)
contradiction Two (or more) statements that, purely for reasons of logic, cannot all be
true. (11)
soundness The quality of a valid argument derived from true premises. If the
premises are not true, an argument is unsound even if it is logically
valid. (11)
logical form An argument in ordinary speech can often be reconstructed as a
step-by-step logical argument, thereby revealing its logical form.
(14)
equivocation Using a word in more than one sense in an argument. Generally, to
do so renders the argument invalid. (15)
circular An argument that uses what is intended to be the conclusion as a
argument premise in the argument. Because it assumes what it is attempting
to prove, it does not prove anything. (16)
begging the Another name for a circular argument. (16)
question
Analogy Making a comparison between two areas of knowledge or
investigation in the hope that what is known about one area will
bring insight into the other. (16)
, Induction Providing support for a general hypothesis by observing repeated
instances of it. For example, the hypothesis that all swans are
white can be supported through induction by finding many
examples of white swans. However, induction is never proof. (17)
Refute To conclusively demonstrate that a claim or hypothesis is false. In
common use, the term is often used to mean deny or rebut, but
strictly refute has a much stronger meaning. (17)
inference to Arguing for a theory on the basis that it provides the best
the best explanation of some observed phenomenon. For example, it is
explanation generally believed that the best explanation of the correlation
between smoking and lung cancer is that smoking causes lung
cancer, even though other possible explanations are also available.
(18)
thought A fictional scenario created to illustrate a theory or to test it against
experiment our intuitions. (20)
utilitarianism The moral theory that the right thing to do in any circumstance is
to bring about the greatest total balance of happiness over
unhappiness. (20)
moral A reaction to a situation, whether real or a thought experiment,
intuition that expresses the opinion that what has been described is morally
acceptable or unacceptable. (20)
counterintuiti A theory that supports actions that generate negative moral
ve intuitions. For example, a theory that has the consequence that it
can be right to kill innocent people is normally said to be
counterintuitive. (20)
counterexam An example used to show the falsity of a claim or hypothesis. For
ple instance, the observation of a green swan is a counterexample to
the hypothesis that all swans are white. (20)
Universalizati Considering the moral appropriateness of an action by imagining a
on world in which everyone did what you propose to do. (22)
fact/value The claim that there is a sharp distinction between issues of fact
distinction and issues of values, accompanied by the claim that it is a logical
fallacy to try to derive value conclusions purely from factual
premises. (22)
slippery The argument that although something seems relatively innocent
slope or harmless, it is likely in some way to lead to something much
more problematic. (22)
doctrine of The argument that what matters from the point of view of moral
double effect responsibility are the effects that you intend, even if you can
foresee that your actions are very likely to have harmful side-
effects. The concept is often used in discussion of the ethics of war.
(24)
Framing The recognition that a person’s intuitions about problems, including
moral problems, can be heavily dependent on how the problem is
described; logically equivalent descriptions of the same problem
can typically elicit different answers from the same person. (25)
confirmation The tendency to look for evidence that supports a view you are
bias already disposed to believe, and to ignore or discount any contrary
evidence. (26)
Hoofdstuk 2: Cultural Relativism
etiquette A set of social rules concerning manners of conduct which function
in a similar way to morality in some respects, but are not normally
thought to have full moral force, even though they are often treated
seriously. (35)
cultural Also known as moral relativism or ethical relativism. The doctrine