| A | B |
|---|
| existentialism | a philosophical theory that emphasizes the existence of the individual as a free and responsible agent determining who he/she will become |
| atheistic existentialism | the view that, because there is no God and no resulting moral laws, individuals are free to determine their own human nature through choices for which they stand accountable |
| Friedrich Nietzsche | said "God is dead" and said we should create our own morality |
| theistic existentialism | the view that emphasizes the existence of the individual but in particular dwells on the relationship of the individual to God |
| ubermensch (overman) | Nietzche's idea of the person who creates his/her own morality instead of following the slave (conventional "herd") morality of the group |
| Jean-Paul Sartre | Said that because there's no God, human beings don't have a "nature" and that it is our responsibility (and burden) to choose, by the choices we make in our actions, who we will become |
| Martin Buber | Said "I-Thou" ("I-You")as opposed to "I-It" relationships have us encounter nature, other people and God in a more genuine way |
| Soren Kierkegaard | was a theistic existentialist who said that there are three stages for human beings: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious |
| Black existentialism | Emphasized the existence of the individual in the face of oppression and ways of addressing that oppression |
| Rawls | thought we could come up with just laws if we imagined ourselves behind a veil of ignorance in which we didn't know what position or situation we were in within society |
| In the aesthetic stage, Kierkegaard says people | concentrate on emotions and pleasure-seeking |
| In the ethical stage, Kierkegaard says people | strive to carry out rational principles of morality |
| In the religious stage, Kierkegaard says people | seek to obey God even if it seems irrational |
| Kierkegaard is a contrast to _______, who says God would not ask us to do the irrational | Aquinas |
| social contract theory | an agreement or contract between rulers and ruled about behavior in society |
| Hobbes thought human nature was basically bad | and a social contract was made with the State in which freedoms were given up in exchange for security |
| Locke thought human nature was basically good | and a social contract was made with the State to foster advancement in economics, cultural achievements, etc. |
| Rawls' theory of justice | involved going behind a "veil of ignorance" in an "original position" |
| In Rawls' original position | one did not know what demographic characteristics one had and would thus seek to create just laws for all |
| Weakness of Rawls' view | In some cases there would be disagreement about what laws would be best for someone with a given set of circumstances |
| Strength of Rawls' view | It is an advance over utilitarianism in that the majority cannot benefit at the expense of the minority |
| Lewis Gordon says blacks need to "demand justification for justification itself" | those who cast out others who don't meet their "standards" are exhibiting a low standard of what it means to be human |
