| Front | Back | | --- | --- | | What is the core distinction between deontological and teleological ethical theories? |

Deontological: Actions are inherently right or wrong, judged by conformity to rules or duty.
Teleological: Actions are judged by the goodness of the consequences or outcomes they produce.

| | What is ethical egoism, and what is Thomas Hobbes's argument for it in the "state of nature"? |

Ethical egoism: The view that each person ought to act in their own self-interest.
Hobbes's argument: In a state of nature without government, rational self-preservation is the only viable strategy; cooperation only emerges because it serves individual survival.

| | State one common objection to ethical egoism regarding moral intuition. | It cannot explain why we admire genuine self-sacrifice (such as a firefighter saving others) or why we condemn pure selfishness. | | How does the distinction between doing the "right thing" and doing the "best thing" map onto normative ethical theories? |

Doing the "right thing" aligns with deontology (following moral rules regardless of outcomes).
Doing the "best thing" aligns with teleology (maximizing favorable consequences, even if rules are broken).

| | Explain the first formulation of Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative and how it is applied. | The universalisability test: Act only on maxims that you can consistently will to become universal laws without logical or practical contradiction. | | Explain the second formulation of Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative and its moral grounding. | Treat humanity always as an end in themselves, never merely as a means to an end, which grounds human dignity in our rational nature. | | What is the Euthyphro dilemma, and how does it challenge Divine Command Theory? |

The dilemma: Is an action good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?
The challenge: If the former, morality is arbitrary; if the latter, goodness is independent of God.

| | What is Frances Kamm's "transplant problem," and how does it challenge pure consequentialism? |

Scenario: A surgeon harvesting one healthy visitor's organs to save five dying patients.
Challenge: Consequentialism suggests this is right to maximize lives, but our moral intuition rejects using an innocent person as a mere tool.

| | How does Frances Kamm explain the moral difference between harming and failing to prevent harm? | Through moral asymmetry: there is a fundamental difference between intending harm as a means to an end versus merely foreseeing harm as a side effect or allowing harm by not stepping in. | | Compare Hindu dharma in the Bhagavad Gita with Kantian duty. What is the key difference in how duty is structured? |

Kantian duty: Universal rules derived from pure reason that apply equally to all rational beings.
Hindu dharma: A context-sensitive framework of duties that vary according to one's social role, stage of life, and cosmic order.

| | How does the Buddhist concept of dharma differ from Kantian duty regarding moral motivation? |

Kantian duty: Motivated by pure logical reasoning and universal rules.
Buddhist dharma: Motivated by cultivated awareness and compassion (karuna) arising from the recognition that all living things are connected.

| | State one major objection to Kantian deontology and how a defender might respond. |

Objection: Rigid adherence to rules produces morally troubling results (e.g., being forbidden from lying to a murderer to save a friend).
Response: If moral rules can be overridden for outcomes, no stable moral constraints exist, making individuals vulnerable to subjective calculations.

| | What is Jeremy Bentham's "felicific calculus," and what does it measure? | A quantitative system that measures the moral value of an action by calculating its net pleasure and pain based on criteria like intensity, duration, certainty, and extent. | | How does John Stuart Mill's qualitative utilitarianism differ from Jeremy Bentham's quantitative version? | Mill distinguishes between higher (intellectual and moral) and lower (physical) pleasures, arguing that intellectual pleasures are qualitatively superior. | | Compare act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. How does rule utilitarianism resolve the objection that utilitarianism can justify injustice? |

Act utilitarianism: Evaluates individual actions case-by-case for net happiness.
Rule utilitarianism: Evaluates general rules; since rules against injustice (like punishing the innocent) produce better long-term outcomes, injustice is forbidden.

| | Compare Mohist consequentialism with Western utilitarianism. What is their key disagreement on "the good"? |

Western utilitarianism: Focuses on maximizing individual pleasure or happiness.
Mohist consequentialism: Focuses on maximizing collective material welfare of the state, social order, and population growth.

| | What is the Mohist concept of "jian ai" (impartial concern), and how does it challenge Confucianism? |

Jian ai: The duty to care equally for all people.
Challenge: It rejects the Confucian emphasis on preferential treatment and duties toward one's own relatives.

| | State one objection to utilitarianism regarding the distribution of happiness. | It only measures total welfare, ignoring whether happiness is distributed justly or concentrated among a privileged few. | | The foundational divide in moral philosophy is between deontological theories, which judge actions by conformity to rules, and teleological theories, which judge actions by their outcomes. | The foundational divide in moral philosophy is between deontological theories, which judge actions by conformity to rules, and teleological theories, which judge actions by their outcomes. | | While Jeremy Bentham advocated quantitative act utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill introduced the distinction between higher and lower pleasures. | While Jeremy Bentham advocated quantitative act utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill introduced the distinction between higher and lower pleasures. | | In Chinese philosophy, Mozi advocated state consequentialism and impartial concern (jian ai), challenging the family-first ethics of Confucianism. | In Chinese philosophy, Mozi advocated state consequentialism and impartial concern (jian ai), challenging the family-first ethics of Confucianism. | | The Euthyphro dilemma challenges Divine Command Theory by asking whether actions are good because God commands them or commanded because they are good. | The Euthyphro dilemma challenges Divine Command Theory by asking whether actions are good because God commands them or commanded because they are good. |

1. Being human6 subtopics

2. Aesthetics3 subtopics

3. Epistemology3 subtopics

4. Ethics3 subtopics

5. Philosophy of religion3 subtopics

6. Philosophy of science3 subtopics

7. Political philosophy3 subtopics

8. Social philosophy3 subtopics

9. HL extension: Philosophy and contemporary issues3 subtopics

10. Prescribed philosophical texts12 subtopics

IB Philosophy 4.1.1 Moral Principles Flashcards