| Autonomy | Independence; a state achieved by those who are self-governing. Autonomous lawmaker: Kant's term for a person using the categorical imperative without regard for personal interest, arriving at something he or she would want to become a universal law. Moral autonomy: being capable of an allowed to make moral decisions on your own.
|
 |
|
|
| Backward-looking justice | Correcting past wrongs.
|
|
|
|
| Cloning | Creating a genetic copy of another individual, either through a process where multiple twins are created, or a process where a cell nucleus is taken from the original individual, implanted in an emptied ovum, and allowed to develop into an embryo. If the embryo is terminated within ten to fourteen days, stem cells may be harvested. If an embryo can survive and be carried to term, a cloned individual is the result. Cloning will not result in a perfect copy of another individual, physically or mentally, because of the variety of circumstances surrounding the growth process that can't be duplicated.
|
|
|
|
| Communitarianism | See Chapter 4
|
|
|
|
| Criminal justice | Punishment of people found guilty of crimes
|
|
|
|
| Distributive justice | Fair distribution of social goods.
|
|
|
|
| Double effect | A principle primarily found within Catholic ethics. An action that is otherwise prohibited can be permitted, provided that it is an unintended side effect to some other, necessary action; that the effect of the primary action is proportionately veryserious and the effect of the secondary act is unavoidable. The principle is used to justify rare cases of euthanasia and abortion, among others.
|
|
|
|
| Empiricism | The philosophical school of thought that claims humans are born without knowledge, that the mind is an empty slate (tabula rasa) at birth , and that all knowledge comes trough the senses.
|
|
|
|
| Equilibrium | In this book: A well-balanced mind, capable of fair judgment.
|
|
|
|
| Euthanasia | Mercy killing; doctor-assisted suicide. Literally: "good death," from Greek. Voluntary euthanasia: requested by the patient. Involuntary euthanasia: (a) The patient is killed against her or his will; (b) The patient cannot communicate his or her wish, so the decision is made by the family (also called non-voluntary euthanasia). Active euthanasia: helping someone to die at his or her request. Passive euthanasia: withholding treatment that will not help a terminally ill patient.
|
|
|
|
| Forward-looking justice | Creating good future social consequences. See also consequentialism.
|
|
|
|
| Genetic engineering | Scientific manipulation of the DNA code of an individual (human, animal, or plant), usually to enhance certain desired characteristics or eliminate congenital diseases.
|
|
|
|
| Inalienable | Incapable of being taken or given away.
|
|
|
|
| Incapacitation | A concept of criminal justice: punishing a criminal with the intent of making the public safe from his or her criminal activity. May refer to incarceration, as well as other forms of punishment, including capital punishment.
|
|
|
|
| Materialism | The metaphysical theory that reality consists of matter only, not mind
|
|
|
|
| Natural Rights | The assumption that humans (and perhaps also nonhumans) are born with certain inalienable rights.
|
|
|
|
| Negative Rights | Rights not to be interfered with; usually includes the right to life, liberty, and property. Originally an element in John Locke's political philosophy; has become a defining element of modern Libertarian philosophy.
|
|
|
|
| Positive command | Hallie's term for a moral command to actively do something rather than merely refraining from doing something wrong (a negative command). Example: "Help another being I distress."
|
|
|
|
| Positive Rights | Rights of entitlement. The theory that each individual has a right to the basic means of subsistence against the state, such as food, shelter, clothing, education, welfare, health services.
|
|
|
|
| Rational being | anyone who has intelligence and the capacity to use it. Usually stands for human beings, but may exclude some humans and include some non-humans.
|
|
|
|
| Restorative justice | Rehabilitation of criminals, and restitution to the victims.
|
|
|
|
| Retribution | A concept of criminal justice: the logical dispensing or receiving of punishment I proportion to the crime. Sometimes known as "an eye for an eye", lex talionis. To be distinguished from vengeance, which is an emotional response that may exceed the severity of the crime.
|
|
|
|
| Vengeance | When used as a concept of criminal justice: an emotional response to punishment
|
|
|
|
| Viability | the ability of a fetus to live outside the womb (with medical assistance, if necessary)
|