C-031Well-Being and Its MeasurementConfidence: Medium
John. Weighing Goods (Selection)
Broome (1991)
One-Sentence Thesis
John Broome's central thesis is that teleological ethics, which determines rightness by goodness, can be distinguished from nonteleological ethics, and that this distinction is crucial in understanding the structure of ethical theories.
Argument Outline
- 1Broome introduces the concept of teleological ethics, which defines rightness by goodness, and distinguishes it from nonteleological ethics.
- 2He argues that the distinction between teleological and nonteleological ethics is not based on the value of consequences versus acts, but rather on the way they determine rightness.
- 3Broome criticizes Rawls's formula for teleology, which defines the right as that which maximizes the good, as being too specific and only applicable to standard teleology.
- 4He discusses the concept of agent-relativity and agent-neutrality in ethics, and how they relate to teleological and nonteleological ethics.
- 5Broome examines the relationship between teleological ethics and other ethical theories, such as side-constraint theory and satisficing.
- 6He argues that teleological ethics implies a betterness relation between acts, which determines their rightness.
- 7Broome concludes that understanding the distinction between teleological and nonteleological ethics is essential for developing a comprehensive ethical theory.
Key Distinctions
Teleological vs. nonteleological ethics: Teleological ethics determines rightness by goodness, while nonteleological ethics does not.
Agent-relativity vs. agent-neutrality: Agent-relativity refers to the idea that the rightness of an act depends on the agent's perspective, while agent-neutrality refers to the idea that the rightness of an act is independent of the agent's perspective.
Consequentialism vs. non-consequentialism: Consequentialism is the view that the rightness of an act is determined by its consequences, while non-consequentialism is the view that the rightness of an act is not determined by its consequences.
Maximizing structure vs. satisficing: Maximizing structure refers to the idea that the right act is the one that maximizes the good, while satisficing refers to the idea that the right act is the one that meets a certain threshold of goodness.
Key Terms
Teleology: The theory that rightness is determined by goodness.
Betterness relation: The relation between acts that determines their rightness.
Agent-relativity: The idea that the rightness of an act depends on the agent's perspective.
Agent-neutrality: The idea that the rightness of an act is independent of the agent's perspective.
Consequentialism: The view that the rightness of an act is determined by its consequences.
Flashcards
25 cardsRelated Questions
3
In Broome's "John. Weighing Goods (Selection)", Harsanyi contrasts with which of the following?
4
Which of the following does Broome criticizes in "John. Weighing Goods (Selection)"?
4
In Broome's "John. Weighing Goods (Selection)", author defines which of the following?
3
In Broome's "John. Weighing Goods (Selection)", Broome criticizes which of the following?
3
In Broome's "John. Weighing Goods (Selection)", John Broome criticizes which of the following?
5
What is the author's name?