Glossary of Ethical and Political Terms
Definitions
Key Terms
1) Hypothetical: Relating to a hypothesis, an assumption requiring proof.
2) Deontological: Pertaining to deontology, the study of duties and obligations, often within professional codes of ethics.
3) A posteriori/priori: After/before; having knowledge of something after/before experience.
4) Heteronomous/Autonomous: Accepting laws from others/governing oneself by one’s own laws.
5) Imperative: A command or order.
6) Dilemma: A situation requiring a choice between two difficult options.
7) Peace: A state of social or personal harmony and stability.
8) Rights: Entitlements to demand something that belongs to us.
9) Duties: Obligations that we must fulfill.
10) Dystopia: An imagined society characterized by oppression and suffering.
11) Inalienable: Something that cannot be taken away.
12) Utilitarianism: An ethical theory based on maximizing happiness for the greatest number of people.
13) Vitalism: A philosophical doctrine proposing a life force distinct from inanimate matter.
14) Holocaust: The Nazi genocide of European Jews during World War II.
15) Civil Rights: Rights protecting individual freedoms and equality before the law.
16) Political Rights: Rights enabling participation in public life and government.
17) Economic and Social Rights: Rights related to well-being, such as education, healthcare, and social security.
Conflicts and Ethical Theories
Arab-Israeli Conflict
The Arab-Israeli conflict stems from colonial policies and competing nationalisms over the same territory. The film depicts the 2007-2008 period of conflict, with Jewish forces bombing the Gaza Strip and Palestinians targeting nearby Israeli populations. Gaza’s inhabitants are confined within the strip, unable to leave.
Languages in “A Bottle in the Sea of Gaza”
The film features Hebrew (spoken in Gaza), Arabic (spoken in Palestine), English (as a common language), and French (spoken by the female protagonist and learned by the male protagonist).
Kant’s Ethical Theory
Kant’s ethical theory is universal, autonomous, and a priori. It is universal because it applies to everyone without specific goals. It is autonomous because individuals create their own moral rules. It is a priori because it relies on reason rather than experience.
Kant vs. Nietzsche
Kant’s deontological ethics, based on duty and the categorical imperative, are preferable to Nietzsche’s views. The categorical imperative states that we should treat others as we want to be treated and as ends in themselves, not as means to an end.
Deontological Ethics
Kant’s theory is deontological because it emphasizes duty and following moral rules, regardless of consequences.
Categorical Imperative
The categorical imperative guides moral decision-making by requiring that our actions be universalizable, meaning they could be applied to everyone without contradiction.
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism, while seemingly reasonable, can lead to shocking outcomes when maximizing happiness for the majority justifies harming a minority.
Philosophical Perspectives
- Socrates: Advocated moral universalism and the importance of conscience.
- Kant: Criticized classical ethical theories as hypothetical, heteronomous, and a posteriori.
- Aristotle: Emphasized the pursuit of happiness through reason and virtue.
- Bentham: A key figure in utilitarianism.
- Sophists: Believed in ethical relativism, where morals vary across time and place.
- Nietzsche: Rejected Christian ethics as life-denying and advocated for a “master morality” of self-affirmation.
Nietzsche’s Critique of Christianity
Nietzsche saw Christian ethics as promoting humility and resignation, leading to suffering in this life for the promise of an afterlife he did not believe in.
Master and Slave Morality
Nietzsche distinguished between a “master morality” of strength and self-assertion and a “slave morality” of weakness and resentment.
Universal Human Rights
The phrase “Everywhere, everyone” emphasizes the universality of human rights, regardless of location or recognition.
Generations of Rights
- First Generation (Civil Rights): Rights to life, liberty, and security.
- Second Generation (Economic and Social Rights): Rights to education, healthcare, and social security.
- Third Generation (Political Rights): Rights to assembly, association, and participation in government.
Documents Affirming Rights
The Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are key documents that affirm and protect human rights.
Conclusion
While human rights are universal, their recognition and enforcement vary across the globe. It is crucial to advocate for and protect these rights for everyone, everywhere.