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Table of Contents 1

• The Examination
• How to Use this Guide
  Structure
  Analysis
  Evaluation
  Practise
• Introduction to Ethics
  Key Terms
  Structure of Thought
  Normative Ethics – Analysis
  Meta-ethics
  Applied Ethics
  Deontological
  Teleological
  Four Questions to Ask of Ethical Theories
  Key Quotes – Norms
• Natural Law
  Key Terms
  Structure of Thought
  Aquinas’ Argument – Analysis
  Primary Precepts
  The Four Laws
  Secondary Precepts
  Phronesis
  Apparent Goods
  Two Goods in Conflict
  Evaluation – Strengths
  Evaluation – Weaknesses
  Confusions – Natural Law
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Natural Law

Table of Contents 2

• Kantian Ethics
  Background
  Key Terms
  Structure of thought
  Analysis – Deontological
  Autonomy
  Good Will
  Duty
  Categorical Imperative (C.I.)
  Summum Bonum
  Three Postulates
  Evaluation – Strengths
  Evaluation – Weaknesses
  Confusions – Kant
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Kant
• Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism
  Background
  Key Terms
  Background
  Structure of Thought
  Analysis – Motivation
  Hedonic Calculus
  Quantitative Pleasure
  Pleasure Machines
  Evaluation – Strengths: Bentham
  Evaluation – Weaknesses
  Key Quotes – Bentham

Table of Contents 3

• Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism
  Background
  Key Terms
  Analysis – Weak Rule Utilitarianism
  Structure of Thought
  Mill & Bentham
  Mill on Happiness
  Higher and Lower Pleasures
  Rules
  Justice
  Act or Rule?
  Evaluation – Strengths: Mill
  Evaluation – Weaknesses: Mill
  Confusions – Mill
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Mill
• Situation Ethics – Christian Relativism
  Background
  Introduction
  Analysis – Origins in the New Testament
  Four Working Principles
  Six Fundamental Principles
  Conscience
  Evaluation – Strengths: Situation Ethics
  Evaluation – Weaknesses: Situation Ethics
  Confusions
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Situation Ethics

Table of Contents 4

• Euthanasia
  Background
  Definitions
  Active or Passive
  Analysis – Legal Position
  Sanctity of Life – Bible
  Sanctity of Life – Ethical Theories
  Quality of Life – Situation Ethics
  Autonomy
  Evaluation – Arguments Against Euthanasia
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes
• Business Ethics
  Background
  Key Terms
  Analysis – Issues
  Stake-holders
  Codes – Kant’s Duty
  Cost/Benefit
  Externalities
  Rights
  Individuals
  Evaluation – Future Generations
  Globalisation
  Possible Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes

Table of Contents 5

• Ethics in Year 2 (Spec. sections 4-6)
  Key Terms
• The Ethics Toolkit Revisited
• Meta-Ethics
  Background
  Specification
  Key Terms
  Analysis – Cognitive or Non-Cognitive
  Structure of Thought
  The Naturalistic Fallacy
  The Open Question
  Moore’s Intuitionism
  Evaluation of Intuitionism
  Utilitarian Naturalists
  Ayer’s Emotivism (“Expressivism”)
  Evaluation – Ayer
  Absolutism & Relativism
  C.L. Stevenson’s Emotivism
  R.M.Hare’s Prescriptivism
  Evaluation – Prescriptivism
  The Legacy of David Hume
  Key Confusions to Avoid
  Possible Future Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Meta-ethics
  Suggested Reading

• Conscience
  Issues
  Specification
  Analysis – The Psychology of Conscience: Freud
  Background
  Key Terms
  Structure of Thought
  Freudian Revolution
  Ego
  Id
  Superego
  Guilt
  Oedipus Complex
  Evaluating Freud
  Weaknesses
  Strengths
  Key Quotes – Freud
  Evaluation – Psychological Approaches
  A Theology of Conscience – Aquinas
  Key Terms
  Analysis – Synderesis & Conscience
  Structure of Thought
  Vincible and Invincible Ignorance
  Evaluation – Aquinas
  Joseph Butler – Innate Conscience Guided by Reason
  Evaluation – Butler
  Authoritarian Conscience – Eric Fromm
  The Humanistic Conscience
  Key Confusions
  Possible Future Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Conscience
  Suggested Reading

Table of Contents 6

• Sexual Ethics
  Issues Surrounding Sexual Ethics
  Structure of Thought
  Analysis – Sex & Evolution
  Kinsey & the Sexual Revolution
  Christian Views on Sex
  Catholic Teaching Today
  Evaluation – Catholic View
  Situation Ethics – Christian Relativism
  Evaluation – Situation Ethics (Christian Relativism)
  Homosexual Acts – a Test Case
  Kant on Sex
  Evaluation of Kant
  Utilitarianism – Balancing the Positive and the Negative
  Evaluation – Mill
  Preference Utilitarianism
  Key Confusions
  Possible Future Exam Questions
  Practise Exam Question
  Key Quotes – Sexual Ethics
  Suggested Reading
• The Four Questions Answered
• The Night Before the Exam
  Read every question and highlight key words
  Sketch out your thesis/ key questions about the question
  Be bold in your answer
  Analyse, don’t just assert
  Illustrate your argument
  What is the examiner looking for?