Glossary for Test One - Honors Ethics
absolutism - In ethics the view that the good is objectively real, universal, and does not change. . Absolutism is opposed to cultural relativism and non-cognitive ethical relativism, i.e., subjectivism.
Aristotle’s general definition of a moral virtue: "(a) activity, (b) in accordance with reason, (c) the mean between the extremes, (d) a matter of habit, (e) and gives pleasure to the virtuous person," (Robert C. Solomon, Morality and the Good Life. 2nd edition. [New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992] 85-86.)
Aristotle’s five elements of moral virtue as a mean between extremes: a) the simple definition - moral virtue as a mean between excess and defect b) mean relative to us as people c) mean relative to the type of virtue (the nature of the thing itself) d) hitting the mean is difficult and e) not all acts admit of moderation. (Aristotle, N. Ethics. Bk II. Sect.2, 6, 8, 9).
caritas - (Latin)- rightly ordered love, "God-directed love" (Waldo Beach and H. Richard Niebuhr, Christian Ethics: Sources of the Living Tradition. 2nd ed . John Wiley & Sons, 1973, p. 108.) Love is directed to God first, then humans, nature, etc. .
counter-examples - A counter-example is used to test a definition, argument or theory. Suppose, for example, someone argues that all leaves are green. Counter-examples would be examples of yellow, brown, purple or red leaves. The final position would have to be that some leaves are green and others are yellow, red or brown, etc. Counter-examples lead us to modify or abandon positions.
cultural relativism - holds that ethics are relative to a specific social group. There are no universal cross-cultural norms.
cupiditas - (Latin) - disordered or misdirected love, "When we loved created things rather than the Creator, our love is disordered, unsatisfying, and insatiable, since it is directed toward relative and contingent reality rather than the Really Real." (Waldo Beach and H. Richard Niebuhr, Christian Ethics: Sources of the Living Tradition. 2nd ed . John Wiley & Sons, 1973, 108.) God, humans, nature, etc. are not loved in the correct order; i.e., God is not the primary love.
dualism - The idea that reality is dual. This takes many forms. For example, some dualists argue that reality is composed of the spiritual and the material or that humans are composed of spirit and body. Dualists such as the Manicheans argued that there were two forces or gods governing the universe, a good force and an evil force. Dualism contrasts with monism which holds that reality is a unity and with pluralism which holds that reality is plural.
free will, problem of (theological) - see Angeles, p. 116
grace - "the free and unmerited act through which God restores his estranged creatures to himself" (Van A. Harvey, A Handbook of Theological Terms. [New York: Macmillan, 1964] 108.) Acceptance, forgiveness, repairs damage original sin causes.
Idealism - the position that ultimate reality is non-physical, non-material, non-corporeal. Reality is ultimately spiritual or mental. Various idealists have posited various relationships between the ideal or spiritual and what is popularly termed material reality. Plato and Hegel are idealists.
Manichaeism or Manicheism or Manichaeanism (several spellings)- look up in Oxford Reference Online through the library's webpage in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Ed. John Bowker. Oxford University Press, 2000. Shorter description in the Oxford Companion to Philosophy. Go to the library's webpage: http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/ Click on Find Articles. Click on "O". Click on Oxford Reference Online. When you get there, click on subject reference Religion and Philosophy. Enter the term Manichaeanism in the search box. Note there are a number of very useful reference resources available through Oxford Reference Online. You must be on a university system computer or have your ID to log on from off-campus.
materialism - In philosophy materialism holds that reality is essentially physical or corporeal, i.e. based on matter. Abstractions/ideas arise out of a material base. There is no transcendent/spiritual reality beyond matter. The Stoics and Marx are examples of materialists. The opposite of materialism is idealism.
monism - see excellent, brief definition in Angeles, p. 193
Neo-Platonism - A revival and reinterpretation of Platonism beginning in the 3rd century C.E. Its most famous exponent was Plotinus (c. 205-270 C.E.). It was monistic. Key concepts include the chain or ladder of being in which all emanates from the One and evil as the absence of Good.
original sin (Augustine) -
"the universal and hereditary sinfulness of man since the Fall of Adam" Van A. Harvey, A Handbook of Theological Terms, 221-223; involves each person's estrangement from God, his or her own true nature, and other people, involves especially for Augustine - pride."ought" implies "can" - to argue that someone ought to do something means one presumes they are able to do it and free to do it.
Plato - Five functions of Plato’s Theory of Forms given in lecture: 1.Establishes concepts like goodness and justice as objective, non-relative, absolute. 2.Helps us to define and uncover the essence of a concept 3.Provides a perfect standard to measure individual objects against. 4. Avoids difficulties with the senses 5.Proves the immortality of the soul
relativism - In ethics, the view that the definition of the good varies from person to person, place to place, or time to time. The good is not absolute, objective, or universal.
Socratic irony - "takes its name from Socrates' characteristic assumption, in philosophical dialogue, of the pose of ignorance, and eagerness to be instructed, and a modest readiness to entertain points of view which, upon his continued questioning, invariably turn out to be ill-grounded or to lead to absurd consequences (M.. H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 4th Edition)."
Stoicism - a philosophy which arose during the uncertain times characteristic of the Hellenistic world. The Stoic sought a life in harmony with the logos or divine principle or reason that permeated the universe, the natural law. He or she sought to live a life of apatheia or active indifference to both pain and pleasure and so achieve inner freedom and tranquility in the face of whatever occurred. The Stoics saw the logos as a fiery material force. They were materialists and monists. Zeno, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius were Stoic philosophers. Oxford Reference Online has a helpful entry on Stoicism in the Oxford Companion to Philosophy. See Manicheanism above for how to access Oxford Reference Online through our library.
summum bonum - the highest good or the best life
teleology - the doctrine or study of the telos (end, goal, completion). In ethics a teleological approach is concerned with the end, result, or function of actions. Aristotle's concentration on happiness as the final goal and reason as the unique function of human beings is teleological. The utilitarian focus on consequences is teleological.
theodicy - From the Greek theos or god and dike or righteousness. Asks how the divine can be all good/just or omni-benevolent, all-powerful or omnipotent, and all-knowing or omniscient, if God [or the gods] creates or permits suffering and evil, especially gratuitous suffering. Popularly, why do bad things happen to good people? For more see Angeles 1)"theodicy", 2) "evil, theological problem of"