Applied Ethics
Apply normative and metaethical positions to stealing, simulated killing, eating animals and telling lies.
How to study A-level Philosophy
Learn each position as an argument, connect it to its strongest objection and reply, then decide what conclusion the dialectic supports.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Applied ethics requires a justified movement from a theory's principles and relevant facts to a conclusion about a specific practice.
Exam cue: State the morally relevant facts before applying the selected theory.
Concept 2
The set issues are stealing, simulated killing in games, plays and films, eating animals and telling lies.
Exam cue: Compare what two theories notice, not only the verdicts they produce.
Concept 3
Differences in intention, consent, harm, rights, character, rules and social practice may make superficially similar cases morally different.
Exam cue: Use metaethics to clarify what kind of claim an applied judgement makes.
Targeted study blocks
Specified core
Secure the claim and its place in the debate
Prepare the four specified issues through utilitarian, Kantian and Aristotelian reasoning and through the relevant metaethical positions.
Philosophical work
Reconstruct, challenge and judge the argument
Vary one relevant feature at a time, trace whether each theory's verdict changes and defend the most justified conclusion rather than memorising a stock answer.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Offering personal opinion with no theoretical route to the conclusion.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Assuming one example settles every version of a set issue.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Ignoring uncertainty about consequences or contested facts.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Memory anchors
Four set issues
The issues are stealing, simulated killing, eating animals and telling lies.
Relevant difference
A relevant difference is a feature that justifies treating two apparently similar cases differently.
Normative application
Normative application derives a judgement from a moral theory and the case facts.
Theory comparison
Theory comparison asks how rival principles explain and justify their verdicts.
Applied judgement
An applied judgement should state its factual assumptions and moral reasoning.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
Which four issue areas are prescribed for applying normative theories in this specification?
What is simulated killing in this context?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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