What does moral equilibrium mean?
Moral equilibrium is the idea that most people keep a running mental scoreboard where they compare their self-image as a good person with what they actually do. When we do something inconsistent with our positive self-image, we naturally feel a deficit on the good side of our scoreboard.
What are the two sides of ethical equilibrium?
Moral compensation and moral license are the two components of moral equilibrium.
What is the theory of reflective equilibrium?
In philosophy, the concept of reflective equilibrium refers to a process by which we try to figure out how we know if something is morally right or not and whether our beliefs about what is moral are consistent. We might think that we can’t really debate moral issues. We think we know what is right or wrong.
What is reflective equilibrium example?
For example, if we find out that a baby has been murdered, we might think that this is terrible and feel quite bad about it. Given a moral intuition, the method of reflective equilibrium says that we should try to generalize and come up with a general moral principle that explains this intuition.
What is Rawls’s reflective equilibrium?
Wide reflective equilibrium, first introduced by Rawls, has been described by Norman Daniels as “a method that attempts to produce coherence in ordered triple sets of beliefs held by a particular person, namely: (a) a set of considered moral judgments, (b) a set of moral principles, and (c) a set of relevant ( …
What are the elements of reflective equilibrium?
Among these misinterpretations, according to Hübner, are definitions of reflective equilibrium as “(a) balancing theoretical accounts against intuitive convictions; (b) balancing general principles against particular judgements; (c) balancing opposite ethical conceptions or divergent moral statements”.
What is the main definition of equilibrium?
1 : a state of balance between opposing forces or actions. 2 : the normal balanced state of the body that is maintained by the inner ear and that keeps a person or animal from falling. equilibrium. noun.
What is reflective equilibrium quizlet?
Reflective equilibrium is a state of balance or coherence among a set of beliefs arrived at by a process of deliberative mutual adjustment among general principles and particular judgments.
How could we benefit from reflective equilibrium?
Reflective equilibrium is useful in the way it designates an end point for ethical deliberation. It offers a way of resolving the inevitable conflicts that arise when analyzing complex issues from a variety of perspectives, using some of the other tools of ethics.
What is equilibrium in psychology?
a state of physical or mental balance or stability (e.g., in posture, physiological processes, psychological adjustment).