Moral Concepts and Vocabulary in Ethics
Moral Concepts and Vocabulary
Reading 1: Distinguishing Claims
Descriptive Claims
- Describe how the world is.
- Involve no judgment.
- Example: “The car is green.”
Normative Claims
- Say how the world should be.
- Make evaluations.
- Example: “The car is bad.”
Moral or ethical claims are a type of normative claim. All moral claims are normative, but not all normative claims are moral.
Welfare and Value
Welfare, well-being, and prudential value: Benefits your own well-being.
Actions: Moral Status
- Impermissible: Morally forbidden.
- Obligatory: Must be done.
- Permissible: Allowed but not required.
- Merely Permissible: Allowed, not obligatory.
- Supererogatory: Morally good but not required (above and beyond).
Examples:
- Saving someone by calling an ambulance → obligatory.
- Donating a kidney → supererogatory.
- Torturing kittens → impermissible.
All obligatory actions are permissible, but not all permissible actions are obligatory.
States of Affairs (Ways the World Is or Could Be)
Key Terms
- Good
- Bad
- Indifferent: Neither good nor bad.
- Better / Worse / Best / Worst: Comparative terms.
Important Distinction: Good vs. Good For
Something can be good overall but bad for someone.
Example: Arresting a criminal → good state of affairs, but bad for the criminal.
Obtained vs. Instantiated
- Obtained (Facts): True in reality (e.g., “I am reading this now”).
- Instantiated: This state of affairs does not obtain (e.g., “everyone on the planet is happy”).
Motives for Action
Noble
→ Acting from morally good motives.
Examples: Compassion, fairness, generosity, honesty. You’re trying to do the right thing for the right reasons.
Wicked
→ Acting from morally bad motives.
Examples: Cruelty, hatred, greed, desire to harm. You’re aiming at something morally wrong.
Neutral
→ Acting from self-interest, but not immoral.
Examples: Wanting money, comfort, success, convenience. You’re focused on yourself, but not hurting anyone or violating moral rules.
Related Terms (About Patterns of Motives)
Virtue
→ A stable noble motive. Meaning: you consistently act from good motives.
Example: A kind person who regularly helps others out of genuine care.
Vice
→ A stable wicked motive. Meaning: you consistently act from bad motives.
Example: Someone habitually cruel, spiteful, or dishonest.
Altruistic
→ Concern for others’ well-being.
Example: Helping a friend even when it costs you something.
Vindictive / Hateful
→ Concern to harm others.
Example: Helping someone only so you can later embarrass or hurt them.
Rights and Duties
Waving Rights
Waved: Giving something up even though it can be your right.
Forfeiting Rights
Forfeit: Giving a right up. Example: If you murder people, you forfeit the right to not be locked up in jail.
Types of Rights
- A negative right means: Others have a duty not to interfere with you.
- A positive right means: Others have a duty to provide something or take action for you.
Types of Duties
- Negative duty: Must NOT do X (e.g., don’t harm).
- Positive duty: Must DO X (e.g., keep promises).
Duty Classifications
- Perfect duty: Strict (e.g., don’t kill).
- Imperfect duty: Flexible (e.g., charity).
- Conditional duty: Role/promise-based (e.g., parent → child, doctor → patient).
- Categorical duty: Applies to everyone (e.g., don’t torture).
Practice Questions
1. What is the difference between “good” and “good for”?
Answer (short written): Something is good if it improves the state of affairs overall, while something is good for someone if it benefits a particular individual.
2. Helping someone only to impress others is best described as:
A) Noble B) Wicked C) Neutral D) Altruistic