Preview

Moral Philosophy and the Greeks

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
558 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Moral Philosophy and the Greeks
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY Dr. Andrew W. Hay

Moral Philosophy and the Greeks:
Can you offer a definition of moral philosophy?
What is the etymology of ethics? E - - - -.
Can you define the sub-sections of moral philosophy: Meta-ethics, Normative Ethics, Applied Ethics and Descriptive ethics?
A case of medical ethics (for example assisted suicide) would be an issue of ------------- ethics.
Would you say that good and bad are identical with law? In light of this question consider the following question------
How would you characterize the relationship between Metaphysics and Ethics?
Ethical claims can be linked to wider questions of knowledge; thus moral philosophy connects with E - - - - - - - - - - - .
The Ancient Greek Philosophers were interested in V - - - - - E - - - - - .
Consider the following: I see a man hit a car with his car and I felt that I should report him to the Police because I have a duty to report wrong doing. I discerned that the man was at fault, caused harm and felt the moral duty to act. This case would fall into the category of D - - - - - - - - -.
The Ancient Greek word for virtue is a - - - -.
Why does this word go beyond moral attribution? Which philosopher thought virtue was inherent in worldy-human engagements? P - - - -. Give an example of a virtue inherent in a non-human object:
What would be some examples of virtuous qualities: ?
Plato thought that virtue was acquired through:
Aristotle, in contrast thought it relied upon:
Aristotle looked to the natural world to see action developing into processes. He has an example of f - - - - - - - - - - . The Ancient Greek term for this is E - - - - - - - - -.
Aristotle’s most famous book of moral philosophy is the N - - - - - - - - - - E - - - - -
If you look at the following passage from Aristotle, do you discern any problems with his argument? “ Presumably, however, to say that happiness is the chief good seems a platitude, and a clearer account of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    HU4640 Project Part1

    • 1650 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This paper is going to discuss Ethics and Ethical Theories. It will include an introduction to ethical theories, virtue ethics, and care ethics. There will be sections discussing absolutism versus relativism, consequentialism versus deontological ethics, and lastly, free will versus determinism. It will also include a discussion about the study of morality and identify which of the approaches (Scientific, Philosophical, or Theological/Religious) are closest to my own personal beliefs. There will be a discussion regarding the three sources of ethics and what they are based on (Reason, Emotion, and Intuitionism).…

    • 1650 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Summing up from these four points Aristotle came to a conclusion that something must exist which causes the motion and change to occur without being moved itself and the 'uncaused change' must be eternal. Aristotle reached this conclusion by observing that if something can change, it exists in one 'actual' state and has the 'potential' to become another state, for example, an actual child is potentially an adult and a cow in a field is potentially a piece of roast beef. He realised that if things come to existence they must be caused to exist by something else and if something is capable of change that means it is potentially…

    • 1238 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This assignment will discuss a case involving an individual known to me. It centres on the real and contentious issue of the “right to die”, specifically in the context of physician-assisted death. This issue is widely debated in the public eye for two reasons. The first considers under what conditions a person can choose when to die and the second considers if someone ever actually has a ‘right to die’. The following analysis will consider solutions to the ethical dilemma of physician-assisted death through the lens of three ethical theories. It will also take into account the potential influence of an individual’s religious beliefs in making ethical decisions.…

    • 2358 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle's Moral Beliefs

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages

    My moral beliefs also correspond to the philosophy that is taught by Aristotle. In my opinion, happiness comes from within ourselves, not from our surroundings. I think this is a very important part of Aristotle’s teaching. I believe that in order to accept others and enjoy life, we must first learn to accept ourselves and be proud of who we are. If we are constantly ashamed with who we are, then we are not free to live a happy life. I think this is the main idea in Aristotle’s teaching. He believed that in order for us to be happy we must build our own character by choosing to live virtuously.…

    • 349 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ethical System Table

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages

    |Duty-based Ethics |Regardless of consequences, |Deontology, pluralism, |C |It is my duty to follow through…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sources A., Ross, W., & Brown, L. (2009). The Nicomachean Ethics (Oxford world's classics). Oxford: Oxford University Press. In this book, Aristotle, the philosopher, writes…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ethics has been used as a basis of human morals from Greek times to today’s hectic and fast paced society culture; it is based on a number of factors both of a personal and cultural aspect focusing on a people’s conception of right and wrong. Either way philosophers use logic, critical thinking, and reason to find the answers to a wide variety of non-empirical human questions to what is morally right and wrong. Below I have provided information on three ethical concepts of utilitarianism ethics, virtue ethics and deontological ethics.…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    PHI2000 The Good Life

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages

    References: Rachels, J. & Rachels, S. (2010). The elements of moral philosophy (6th ed.). New York,…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The study of a branch of philosophy related to morals, moral principles, and moral judgments is called…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Virtue, according to Aristotle, is equivalent to excellence (Hutchinson, 41). A man has virtue as a guitarist, for instance, if he plays the guitar well, since playing the guitar is the distinctive activity of a guitarist. Similarly, the virtuous person is someone who performs the distinctive activity of being human well. Rationality is our distinctive activity – that is, the activity…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Since the 1990’s, Major League Baseball has been tainted by the “steroid era,” with over 127 players admitting to or being charged for performance-enhancing drug usage. As records have been shattered, books have been published, and players have confessed to their exploits, these drugs have made society question the legitimacy of America’s favorite pastime. One of the game’s greatest, Hank Aaron, set the all time homerun record in 1974. Thirty-three years later, Barry Bonds tied this record, and shortly after was indicted for lying under oath about his alleged use of steroids in the BALCO scandal. An example of two monumental milestones, both affected by the use of illegal drugs, raises concerns about ethics and morality in the world of baseball. Though controversy often surrounds the world of athletics, no other topic threatens health, careers, and achievements more than steroid usage.…

    • 2376 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    week2assignment

    • 1559 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Question 5. 5. Which human action might present problems of consistency for the moral relativist? (Points : 1)…

    • 1559 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The primary focus of conflict with regard to physician-assisted suicide is whether or not it is ethically sound. To determine what is ethically sound, however, one must first define the meaning of ethics. This may appear…

    • 2793 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aristotle Ethics

    • 1919 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics provides a sensible account for what true moral virtue is and how one may go about attaining it. Aristotle covers many topics that help reach this conclusion. One of them being the idea of mean between the extremes. Although Aristotle provided a reliable account for many philosophers to follow, Rosalind Hursthouse along with many others finds lose ends and topics which can be easily misinterpreted in Aristotle's writing.…

    • 1919 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Waller, B. N. (2008). Consider Ethics: Theory, Readings, and Contemporary Issues (2nd ed). New York: Pearson/Longman.…

    • 3255 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays