Tuesday, June 14, 2016

perspective: what makes a life a life worth living
experiences (i.e.) the future
autonamy- self determination
only person in the relevant moral position to determine this is the person in question
In most cave .... - psycho basement corpse
ressurection... elixir... mcguffin
realism character and depth and the past ... mimisis ... This has to do with buisness technology ...
If it looks more like a real world it is a technological advance

Monday, June 13, 2016


  • egoism, altuism and utilitarianism 
  • thomas hobbes: egoism - for every voulentary action undertaken, the object is self interest 
  • If so is altuism possible 
  • Altuism: at least sometimes morality requires that I sacrifice my interests to the interest of others 
  • self-interest = hedonism 
  • hedonism - pursuit of pleasure and avoidiance of pain 
  • Hobbes - I can sacrifice my interest for the interest of others but only if it is in my interest to do so - apprent altuism 
  • psychological egois - human behavior is motivated by self interest 
  • real altuism : ethical egoism : human behavior should be motivated by self interest 
  • rand : " ought implies can" 
  • epicurus : hedonism: humans shuld pursue pleasure 
  • katasmatic pursuit of pleasure : contentment 
  • kinetic pursuit of pleasure : in motion... acquisite... often fleeting 
  • natural necessary pleasures 
  • met relatively easily 
  • ( not much attended pain) food (modest diet ... bread, water, etc.), shelter, sleep 
  • vain pleasures - unnecessary intense pleasures, significant pain): ferrari, cell phones, travel, mansions, fancy resturants 
  • natural unnecessary pleasure : sex 
  • macchiavelian - make promises and don't do them
  • Ayn Rand : ethical egoism - should act in your self interest and don't sacrafice it to metaphysical/ epistimological points 
  • the individuals existance is presupposed in all value judgements and underlies all claims to know
  • the individuals life is the ultimate value 
  • rands def of selfishness: A thourgone concern with one's self- interest 
  • Altuists def: A concern with ones own interest and an active disregard for the interest  of others 
  • It allows us to see acts that are not truly selfish as if they were 
  • It forces us into altustic framework for all ethical questions 
  • acting without rational forethought 
  • drug addiction isnt selfish because real human needs are objective ( biological, psychological, social) our self- interest is defined by reference to these 
  • the brutes activities 
  • eg capatalist in mindless pursuit of profit 
  • all theical questions get reduced to a single question: the beneficiary  critereon - who benefits from a bossible action - If it is others than the action is good, if it us ne than the action is bad  

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Axiology
value theory

  1. ethics: study of morality 
  2. asthetics: philosophy of beauty 
  • theoretical ethics: defenition of basic proniciples 
  • reading on moodle 
  • natural law - everything has a plan 
  • if we listen to god we will have eternal happiness - divine law 
  • everything has a purpose 
  • argument 
  • conclusion - the claim in need of justification 
  • premise - evidence in support of the claim 
  • normative statements: directive to action - " should", "ought", "should not" 
  • Inference indicators: an argument indicator " george is a lawyer therfore george tells the truth" 
  • get red wine 
  • sue is rich because sh is an M.D. 
  • indicators 
  • conclusion: therfore, so , hence 
  • premise because, since, due to 
  • Racheals article 
  • If ethics are based on a religion 
  • Divine command theory - what commands is good, whatever god forbids is wrong 
  • positives 
  • authoritative: god is omnicient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent 
  • 2. clean guidlines: if human laws contradict gods commands god wins 
  • aquinas- natural law theory 
  • negatives 
  • not compelling to atheiests
  • no room for human rationality 
  • interpertation 
  • where do we find gods commands 
  • different people cite different texts and rationality : why do people believe in their tradition 
  • socialization 
  • even within traditions there are differ within traditions, there are differing opinions i.e. abortion 
  • c.) selective interpertation : west burrow baptist church: god hates gays so he kills people in Afghanistan: leviticus, but why don't we have to not eat pork and own slaves 
  • plato: eutyphro dilem; knows what is good; says killing a slave is good; socrates proves thats wrong 
  • euthyphro dilem: Is what is good, good because god commands it or does god comman it because it is good 
  • If A then you have an objective standard of good/bad, but its arbituary - changeable 
  • If B there is a standard of good independent from god 
  • aquinas natural law theory 
  • teleology \
  • goal and purpose orientation 
  • humans have large brains in order to do complex reasoning 
  • needs to be complex, orderly, purposive 
  • we alone recognize teleology as extant in the universe 
  • god is the author of this design ( see teleological argument) 
  • things are good, right or just when they are moving toward fulfilling thier divinely ordained ends 
  • nature is prescriptive 
  • ( nature is value laden prescribing what should be, not merly describing what is 
  • the telos of humans is to be rational 
  • rationality allows us to recognize teleology of which alone we are capable) 
  • i.e. to act in accord with our recognition ( rationality) things have a purpose by god 
  • humans are good, right or just when they act in accord with the recognition of teleology
  • the telos of the genetellia is procreations 
  • any use of the genetelia contrary to their telos is un natural 
  • Racheals- Is the telogical world view reasonable 
  • natur being value laden/ purposive is question 
  • humans do complex reasoning because they have large brains 
  • the moral/ ethical status of homosexuality 'need natures purposes be our own 
  • Is homosexuality unnatural - leiser 
  • unnatural and natural are inherently ambigious terms 
  • 5 possible meanings, does moral condemnation follow 
  • un natural meaning contrary to the descriptive (i.e. law of nature = how nature functions) laws of nature 
  • ex speed of light 300k km/s 
  • homosexuality isnt unnatural because homosexuality happens in a variety of species : bonobo chimps 
  • nothing that happens in nature could be un natural 
  • what we thought was a law in nature if it happends in natur 
  • ennatural meaning artificial or manmade  
  • rare or uncommon 
  • homosexualits is unnatural in this case: minority reoirt 10% is homosexual 
  • but it doesn't mean its bad 
  • unnatural contrary to purpose 
  • (leiser) Is homosuxuality unnatural? 
  • condemned by christians natural 
  • 1 that is in conformity with the descriptive laws of nature 
  • 2 that its is not artificial, that man has not imposed his will or his devices upon events or conditions as they exist or would have existed without such interference 
  • laws of nature can't be violated as far as homosexuality is concerned ( bonobo chimps) 
  • is using your eyes to flirt sinful because eyes are for seeing 
  • if sexual organs are used to show love the homosexual sex is natural 
  • if someone wiggles their ears for enjoyment it's not sinful so why should it be different when it comes to sex organs