- Agent-relative permissions(as an ethical concept)
- Rules that allow a person to act based on their own goals, relationships, or interests rather than what would be best for everyone. For example, you might be 'permitted' to spend money on your own education rather than donating it all to charity.
- Dissolved(describing how one might try to solve the problem)
- In philosophy, to 'dissolve' a problem means to show it wasn't really a problem in the first place, often by clarifying what was confusing about it.
- Impartial demands(as an ethical concept)
- Moral requirements that treat everyone equally and don't care about special relationships or personal goals. An impartial demand might say 'you should help whoever needs it most, regardless of whether they're your friend.'
- Partial demands(as an ethical concept)
- Moral requirements based on special relationships or personal connections you have. A partial demand might say 'you should take care of your own children first' or 'loyalty to friends matters.'
- Scheffler(referenced as the philosopher making the critique)
- Samuel Scheffler is a contemporary philosopher who studies ethics and wrote influential critiques about how we think morality should work, particularly questioning whether it's okay to prioritize your own projects and interests.
- Sidgwick
- Henry Sidgwick (1838-1900) was a British philosopher who made important contributions to ethics, particularly by arguing that morality should be based on reason and impartial concern for everyone's well-being rather than just following traditions or religious rules. He is famous for developing "utilitarianism," the idea that the right action is the one that produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. His work remains influential in moral philosophy and practical ethics today because he thoughtfully addressed how we should balance our own interests with our obligations to others.
- Unified moral theory(as used in ethics)
- A single, consistent set of ethical principles that explains all of morality in one framework—like one rule book that covers every situation.
- asymmetries(describing differences between people in medical situations)
- Situations where things are unequal or imbalanced—in this case, where the doctor and patient have different amounts of power, knowledge, or responsibility.