Chapter 4

Question 1

According to Rachel’s in popular thinking (morality/religion)

Answer 1

morality and religion are inseparable.

Question 2

According to Rachel’s morality can only be understood…

Answer 2

people commonly believe that morality can be understood only in the context of religion.

Question 3

According to Rachel’s because clergy are authorities on religion…

Answer 3

because clergy are authorities on religion, they are assumed to be authorities on morality as well.

Question 4

According to the scientific of the world

Answer 4

it is a cold, meaningless place, devoid of purpose and meaning.

Question 5

From a religious perspective

Answer 5

the world was created by a loving, all powerful God to provide a home for us.

Question 6

Christians, Jews and Muslims

Answer 6

all believe that God has told us to obey certain rules of conduct.

Question 7

Divine command theory basically says

Answer 7

a. morally right is a matter of being commanded by God.

b. morally wrong is a matter of being forbidden by God.

Question 8

Divine command theory basically says that (ethics)

Answer 8

ethics is not a matter of personal feelings or social custom.

Question 9

According to Divine command theory whether something is right or wrong

Answer 9

is objective.

Question 10

According to Rachel’s one of the most important questions in Plato’s philosophy is

Answer 10

is conduct right because the gods command it, or do the gods command it because it is right?

Question 11

According to Divine Command theory

Answer 11

nothing is good or bad, except when God’s thinking makes it so.

Question 12

According to Rachel’s Divine Command theory has difficulties because (3)

Answer 12

1. this conception of morality is mysterious.
2. this conception of morality makes God’s commands arbitrary.
3. this conception of morality provides the wrong reasons for moral principles.

Question 13

In the history of Christian thought the dominate theory is

Answer 13

the theory of natural law.

Question 14

The theory of natural law maintains that

Answer 14

the world has a rational order, with values and purposes built into its very nature.

Question 15

The Ancient Greeks believed

Answer 15

everything in nature has a purpose.

Question 16

For the Ancient Greeks the idea that everything has a purpose is called

Answer 16

Teleology.

Question 17

For Aristotle the world

Answer 17

is an orderly, rational system, with each thing having its own place and serving its special purpose.

Question 18

Christian thinkers found the idea that the world has a natural order

Answer 18

congenial.

Question 19

Christian thinkers thought “the laws of nature”

Answer 19

describe not only how things are, but also how things ought to be.

Question 20

According to Christian thinkers

Answer 20

a. we have the duty of beneficence.

b. we are morally required to care about our neighbors.

Question 21

The theory of natural law

Answer 21

Outside of the Catholic Church has few advocates today.

Question 22

“What’s natural is good” seems open to obvious counterexamples such as

Answer 22

sometimes what is natural is bad.

Question 23

Natural law theory confuses

Answer 23

what “is” the case, with what “ought” to be the case.

Question 24

The “natural laws” of Natural law theory that specify what we should do are

Answer 24

laws of reason.

Question 25

According to Natural law theory moral judgments are

Answer 25

dictates of reason

Question 26

According to Rachel’s because for many the teaching of scriptures and the church are regarded as authoritative

Answer 26

it is often difficult to find specific moral guidance in the scriptures.

Question 27

According to Rachel’s (scriptures and church tradition)

Answer 27

the scriptures and church tradition are often ambiguous.

Question 28

According to Rachel’s the conclusion of chapter is that

Answer 28

a. Right and wrong are not to be understood in terms of God’s will.
b. morality is a matter of reason and conscience, not religious faith.