Mid-terms

Question 1

Natural Law Theory states

Answer 1

Morals laws are grounded in nature its self

Question 2

Aristotle believed that objects fulfill their purpose, not out of conscious desire, but because it is in their nature to fulfill their functions. What is human function?

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The Divine Command Theory reinforces obedience or submission as a central virtue— to God and possibly His representatives. True or False

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Aquinas’s version of natural law theory presupposes the existence of an intelligent designer of the universe who has given us the ability to discern moral laws form nature. However, his theory does not suggest that acts are right or wrong according to God’s arbitrary commands. True or False

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Thomas Aquinas derives his ethical theory from the works of Aristotle. True or false

Answer 5

True

Question 6

Virtue ethics is a moral theory that is grounded in promoting the excellence of character. Virtues are character traits, true or false

Answer 6

True

Question 7

A key issue in the reading by Hume concerns:

Answer 7

Ought vs is

Question 8

People believe that lying is wrong” is a normative statement. True or False

Answer 8

False

Question 9

One reason why we study ethics is to see whether we can justify the ethical beliefs we already hold or whether they are unjustifiable. T or F

Answer 9

True

Question 10

When defining ethics, we should remember that ethics is the systematic study of good, bad, right and wrong, and the theories used to justify moral actions. T or F

Answer 10

True

Question 11

Another name for a good argument is

Answer 11

Deductively valid arguement

Question 12

What does an ethical theory do?

Answer 12

Justifies an action as right or wrong

Question 13

Deductively valid arguments are:

Answer 13

Ones where the truth of the premise guarantees the truth of the conclusion

Question 14

An argument by analogy

Answer 14

Is only as strong as the analogy. This type of argument is a fallacy.

Question 15

Ethics is both a normative and descriptive discipline. T or F

Answer 15

T

Question 16

Ethics requires skillful reasoning. What is important to making a reasonable argument?

Answer 16

Ensuring it is deductively valid

Question 17

The difference between teleological and deontological is that

Answer 17

Telelogical is consequential, Deontological focuses on the action itself.

Question 18

While emotions or feelings may play some role in moral considerations, in an Ethics course one is also expected to give reasons for one’s moral judgments

Answer 18

True

Question 19

Examples of teleological theories are

Answer 19

Utilitarian, Egoism, Virtue

Question 20

An argument is a piece of reasoning in which evidence is given for a claim.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

The fallacy of begging the question involves appealing to a threat of force instead of providing good evidence for a conclusion. T or F

Answer 21

False

Question 22

One criticism of ethical relativism is that ethical relativism fails to recognize that some societies have better reasons for holding their views than others. T or F

Answer 22

True

Question 23

One positive benefit of study ethical relativism is: ethical relativism reminds us that different societies have different moral beliefs. Moreover, our beliefs are greatly influenced by culture. It also encourages us to explore the reasons underlying beliefs that differ from our own, while challenging us to examine our reasons for the beliefs and values we hold.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

A social-reformer would always be wrong if he or she went against majority opinion, according to ethical relativism. This means that true moral progress is not possible.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

Individual relativism claims that I cannot be wrong in my ethical opinions nor can anyone else justifiably criticize me.

Answer 25

True

Question 26

Moral realists hold that there are mind-independent moral facts that are true independently of anyone’s opinion.

Answer 26

True

Question 27

According to individual ethical relativism, I cannot be objectively mistaken in my moral judgments.

Question 28

The view that moral rules or principles have no exceptions and are context-independent​ is known as

Question 29

Descriptive relativism claims that moral principles vary from culture to culture and this is an observed fact.

Question 30

Anti-realists believe that ethical judgments are not grounded in any objective facts.

Question 31

The diversity of moral views is a reason for ethical relativism. This view holds that: differences between cultures and people seem so diverse that a common, universal basis for morality is forthcoming in the future if we concentrate on true moral facts.

Question 32

Situational differences are often cited as a reason for ethical relativism. This view holds that people in the world live in very different situations. Thus universal moral principles are unlikely.

Question 33

According to individual ethical egoism one should

Question 34

For psychological egoism to be valid, we must show that people

Question 35

Psychological egoism is a theory that holds that we each ought to do what is in our own best interest.

Question 36

To say that something is a normative theory is to say that it tells us what we ought to do

Question 37

Adam Smith believed that economic self-interest can never produce the best outcome.

Question 38

The following is an example of the reasoning of a rule utilitarian: “If the practice of lying is bad, then one ought not to lie now, even if in this case to lie would actually bring about better consequences.

Question 39

Rule Utilitarianism asks that we consider the consequences of each act

Question 40

According to utilitarianism, an act that makes some people happy and others unhappy can never be morally right.

Question 41

Assume that action x will produce 25 units of pleasure and 5 units of pain for three people.

Action y will produce 30 units of pleasure and 4 units of pain for seven people.

Which action should I perform?

Question 42

Mill believes happiness is the only intrinsic good.

Question 43

In his work, Utilitarianism, Mill’s test or basis for distinguishing higher from lower pleasures is the preference of those who have experience of both.

Question 44

According to act utilitarianism which of the following is an intrinsic good?

Question 45

Utilitarianism is an egoistic moral theory.

Question 46

Utilitarianism is an egoistic moral theory.

Question 47

What does the trolly problem illustrate?

Question 48

According to Kant the moral value of an action is determined solely by consequences.

Question 49

According to Kant, because rationally autonomous people are ends they ought not to be used as means to ends.

Question 50

For Kant, it would be wrong to lie in order to prevent a terrible crime.

Question 51

Kant believes that moral obligations are always hypothetical and involve means-end reasoning to achieve goals.

Question 52

Kant believes that morality must be rational and he models his theory on natural science because science seeks to establish universal laws.

Question 53

In order for an action to have moral worth, one must act:

Question 54

One problem with the first formulation is that there are maxims that cannot be universalized but they do not seem to be immoral. Think of the maxim: “I will buy rare coins to expand my collection but I will not sell them.”