In the opening sequence of this episode, the fate of teh following creatures is used to illustrate differences in ideas about morality
a. alligators being raised for making handbags
b. turkeys being raised for thanksgiving dinners
c. lobsters in a restaurant aquarium
d. dolphins trapped and drowning in gill nets
c. lobsters in a restaurant aquarium
According to some philosophers, to insist that one should show tolerance toward other cultures, since morality is culturally relative is to take a position
a. supported by the world's major religions
b. which is inconsistent
c. of fact marked by the truth
d. typical of Democrats
b. which is inconsistent
The case of the Dutchman, Johannes van Damme, raised the issue of
a. distinguishing Holland from the Netherlands
b. whether there are legitimate, international war crimes
c. international monetary responsibility and punishment
d. the cross cultural legitimacy of the death penalty
d. the cross cultural legitimacy of the death penalty
According to some philosophers in this episode, the issue of moral relativity must include not only variations or differences in moral belief but
a.there being "good reasons" for holding a belief
b. whether or not a person was raised to hold the belief
c. whether or not a person's community unanimously accepts the belief
d. does the belief have any real "cash" value
a.there being "good reasons" for holding a belief
Emotivism is the view that moral language is essentially
a. a description of subtle moral facts
b. an expression of certain emotions and feelings
c. a language with truth value similar to scientific language
d. used by people when they are highly emotional
b. an expression of certain emotions and feelings
According to emotivism as discussed in this episode, language can be used both
a. descriptively and expressively
b. by psychologists and philosophers
c. culturally and socially
d. interntionally and unintentionally
a. descriptively and expressively
For an emotivist, moral judgments are
a. either true or false
b. neither true nor false
c. always true and never false
d. sometimes false but never true
b. neither true nor false
According to James Rachels, conducting his interview in the nude would be
a. morally wrong in an absolutist sense
b. morally neutral but aesthetically problematic
c. morally obligatory but illegal
d. grossly immoral but only in our culture
b. morally neutral but aesthetically problematic
If someone argues against moral relativism, saying that the core of morality has to do wtih promoting human welfare, then according to this episode one must
a. give a nonreativistic account of human welfare
b. face the issue of the immortality of the soul
c. confront so much superstition in teh world
d. guarantee that this is a genuine expression of one's emotions
a. give a nonreativistic account of human welfare
According to this episode, the problem of child labor affects
a. approximately 800,000 children worldwide
b. approximately 5.5 million children worldwide
c. approximately 25 million children worldwide
d. over 250 million children worldwide
d. over 250 million children worldwide
T or F
Ethical absolutism state that one and only one correct morality exists
True
T or F
Ethical relativism and cultural relativism are the same
False
T or F
According to James Rachels, "the fact that different societies have different moral codes proves nothing."
True
T or F
The fact that all societies have to accept certain moral standards to survive shows that ethical relativism is true
False
T or F
A fundamental point the theory of ethical relativism is trying to make is that we should be tolerant of the moral beliefs of others and not assume our own are the only correct ones
True
Ethics
the branch of philosophy that tries to determine the good and right thing to do
ethical absolutism
a view that denies the existence of any universally applicable moral standard; a view that claims that the truth or validity of a moral standard is not absolute but depend on the standards held or accepted by a social group
Utilitariansim was a product of the philosophy of which era?
a. ancient Greece
b. the enlightenment
c. the Industrial Revolution
d. twentieth century Global Capitalism
b. the enlightenment
Which two forces govern the actions of humans according to Bentham?
a. good and evil
b. right and wrong
c. pain and pleasure
d. crime and punishment
c. pain and pleasure
Bentham and his follower, John Stuart Mill, championed social reforms such as women's right to vote and humane punishment because
a. they benefitted the rights of individuals
b. they were likely to produce the greatest good for the greatest number
c. they produced good results
d. they increased the level of pleasure in society
b. they were likely to produce the greatest good for the greatest number
John Stuart Mill added a new dimension to the utilitarian movement by
a. asserting that there are qualitative differences among pleasures and pains
b. his belief in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
c. measuring the quantitative differences among pleasures and pains
d. judging actions by their conequences only
a. asserting that there are qualitative differences among pleasures and pains
Which utiliarian philosopher had himself preserved as an "auto-icon"?
a. John Stuart Mill
b. Jim Mill
c. G. E. Moore
d. Jeremy Bentham
d. Jeremy Bentham
Consequentialism holds that
a. no actions are intrinsically immoral
b. some actions are always immoral
c. pleasure and pain determine an action's value
d. the net costs of an action determine its value
a. no actions are intrinsically immoral
The theory of ideal utilitarianism was proposed by
a. James Mill
b. Peter Singer
c. G.E. Moore
d. Jonathan Glover
c. G.E. Moore
Sentient creatures, natural habitats, and goods such as art and love, according to G.E. Moore, have
a. qualitative value
b. moral value
c. intrinsic value
d. qualitative value
c. intrinsic value
Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess has argued that
a. the value of the environment can be expressed quantitatively
b. certain natural habitats are living entitied and as such can claim equal moral status to that of human beings
c. the sacrifice of natural habitats is justifiable if it promotes social justice
d. it is impossible to measure and compare the values of different cultures
b. certain natural habitats are living entitied and as such can claim equal moral status to that of human beings
According to philosopher JOnathan Glover,
a. natural habitats have intrinsic value
b. it is impossible to make precise interpersonal comparisons
c. the attempts to calculate the costs of large scale projects such as the Bakun dam are a "formula for catastrophe."
d. in ethics, all that matters is how humans are affected by decisions
d. in ethics, all that matters is how humans are affected by decisions
Utilitariansim, according to Peter Singer, should consider only
a. pleasure and pain
b. intrinsic values
c. the greatest benefit for the greatest number
d. net costs
a. pleasure and pain
T or F
Egoism is the view that holds that only pleasure is worth having for its own sake.
False
T or F
Some ethicists think that the most serious weakness of ethical egoism is that it undermines the moral point of view
True
T or F
John Stuart Mill developed a hedonistic calculus that determines how much pleasure an action produces based only on quantitative criteria
False
T or F
Rule utilitariansim holds that as a rule in each particular act we should strive to produce the greatest happiness for the most people
False
T or F
The members of the Ramsey Colloquium use act utilitariansim to argue that moral rules tolerant of homosexuality, adultery, and divorce have harmful effects on society and so should not be followed
False
Consequentialist theory
in ethics,the position that the morality of an action is determined by its nonmoral consequences
Egoism
ethical theory that contends that we act morally when we act in a way that promotes our own interests
Hedonism (Epicurious)
the view that only pleasure is intrinsically worthwhile
("good consequences are those that produce pleasure for oneself, whereas bad consequences are those that produce pain")
Utilitarianism
theory that we should act in such a way that our actions produce the greatest happiness or pleasure
Act Utilitarianism
in normative ethics, the position that an action is moral if it produces the greatest happiness for the most people
Rule Utilitarianism
the normative ethical position that we should act so that the rule governing our actions is the one that would produce the greatest happiness for the most peopel if everyone were to follow it
John Stuart Mill
for the inductionsit empiricist, real science is distinguished from opinion, superstition, and bias by its reliance on generalization from particular sensory observations and by repeated confirmations
Jeremy Bentham
-pleasure/pain
-Hedonistic calculus
- "nature has placed mankind under the governance of 2 soveriegn masters, pain and pleasure. They govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think. The principle of utility recognizes this subjection"
- ??
According to Immanuel Kant, the source of morality is
a. divine commands
b. pleasure
c. the laws of the state
d. reason
d. reason
The only thing that is good without qualification is, for Kant,
a. good will
b. gifts of nature such as courage and resolution
c. talents of the midn such as wit and intelligence
d. gifts of fortune, such as health and power
a. good will
Within the Kantian moral system, a maxim is
a. the highest good
b. laws enacted unjustly
c. the rule or reason by which a person acts
d. the act with the best consequences
c. the rule or reason by which a person acts
The categorical imperative asks
a. "is the maxim of my action the most beneficial?"
b. "Can the maxim of my action give the greatest pleasure?"
c. "Can the maxim of my action be consistent with divine law?"
d. "Can I will the maxim of my action to be a universal law?"
d. "Can I will the maxim of my action to be a universal law?"
For Kant, if an action can be made a universal law then
a. all autonomous beings will act according to it
b. all autonomous beings could act according to it
c. all autonomous beings have already acted according to it
d. it is a part of science and not morality
b. all autonomous beings could act according to it
Kant uses the following example to illustrate an application of the categorical imperative
a. making a false promise
b. peeping in someone's window
c. joining the military
d. returning lost money
a. making a false promise
According to a second formulation of the categorical imperative persons
a. are only to be treated as ends, and never as means
b. are to be treated as ends, and only as a means if that is beneficial overall
c. can be treated as a means as long as no cruelty is invloved
d. are to be treated only as a means and never as an end
a. are only to be treated as ends, and never as means
Kantian ethics is an attempt to describe a morality that
a. guarantees eternal salvation
b. allows one to live a happy life
c. reflect the difinity of persons
d. allow one to be envied for one's good works
c. reflect the difinity of persons
A traditional problem with the Kantian system of morality is
a. how to get people to do what is moral
b. resolving apparent conflicts between competing duties
c. teaching children how to act on such abstract thinking
d. being able to prove that universal laws actually exist
b. resolving apparent conflicts between competing duties
T or F
Scriptural divine command theories hold that we should obey God's commands as these are embodied in a set of sacred scriptures.
True
T or F
The natural law ethics of Thomas Aquinas claims that we have a moral obligation to pursue those goods toward which we are naturally inclined.
True
T or F
In his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant claims that ethics relies on a consideration of consequences
False
T or F
Kant argues that every human being has a price and the trick is to calculate the exact value of each person
False
T or F
For Kant, to respoect a person as an end is to respect her capacity to freely and knowingly choose for herself what she will do
True
Nonconsequentialist theory
a theory that holds that the morality of an action is determined by more than just its consequences
Divine Command Theory
- implications
a nonsequential normative theory that says we should always do what God commands; the view that actions are morally right if and only if God commands or permits them, and morally wrong if and only if God forbids them
Natural Law Ethics
- Epictetus
-Thomas Aquinas
a pattern of necessary and universal regularity; a universal moral imperative derived from the nature of things; a moral standard inferred from the nature of human beings that indicates how everyone ought to behave
- the natural law in its universal character can in no way be blotted out from men's hearts
- good will - one that chooses what is morally right because it is right and not becuase it is pleasurable or in one's self-interest
-categorical imperative - the basic principle of morality is the conclusion (3) of the preceding arguement, which says that to be a morally good person i must never do something unless it is what i believe everyone ought to do
Buddhist Ethics
- 4 Noble Truths
- Nirvana
-
-enlightentment comes when the limited, clinging self is extinguished
Virtue ethics tends to focus on
D. character
In ancient Greece, virtue was synonymous with
B. excellence
A core concept to the ancient Greek ethical theory was
A. eudaimonia B. euphoria
C. euthanasia
D. europa
A. eudaimonia
In ancient Greece, if you mastered a number of virtues, then you were said to possess
C. phronesis
Virtue ethic,s as opposed to utilitariansim or Kantianism, does not attempt to provide a
A. formula or decision procedure for evaluating all actions
The modern ethical theories of utilitariansim and Kantianism, does not attempt to provide primarily a
C. formula or decision procedure for evaluating
According to Aristotle, virtue is to be found in the
B. mean between deficiency and excess
Generosity has been described as that virtue which falls between
B. stinginess and profligacy
According to this episode, a strenght of virtue ethics over ethical theories such as Kantiansim is
B. the inclusion of the emotions and personal history
According to this episode, a weakness of virtue ethics may be found in the fact that
B. conflicts between virtues or sets of virtues held by different peopel or communities cannot be resolved by appealing to a virtue
T or F
Contemporary philosopher Alasdair MacIntryre argues that modern ethics has forgotten moral virtue
True
T or F
Aristotle rejects the idea that a virtue is the ability to be reasonable in our actions, desires, and emotions
False
T or F
According to Aristotle, virtue is never easy and pleasant
False
T or F
Carol Gilligan argues that men and women approach ethics in exactly the same way
False
T or F
For philosopher Nel Noddings, the "feminine" virtue of caring is more fundamental than the "masculine" focus on principles
True
The Social contract theory holds that the power of the state is based upon
C. consent of the people
Thomas Hobbes believed that the best form of government was one that
B. exercised absolute powers
John Locke argued that in a state of nature
B. people will "seek out and... join in society with others"
Who said "The greatest and chief end of men unititng int ocommonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property"?
A. John Locke
In his book, A Theory of Justice, philosopher JOhn Rawls describes an imaginary thought experiment "characterized so as to lead to a certain conception of justice." Which two principles of justice did Rawls think people would agree to?
D. both a and c
Many communitarians have criticized Rawls' social contract theory because it
A. ignores the vital importance of a community's cultureal traditions
The idea that a person becomes actualized by subjecting personal interests to the larger common good of the State, thereby obtaining true freedom, was articulated by
D. Georg Hegel
The challenge to communitariansim that "individuals have rights and thesear e trumps over the social good", was expressed by whom?
D. Ronald Dworkin
when individuals rights conflict with community values,the rights of individuals take priority
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
a. liberalism
a society should be engineered so that people are free to do what they want, even when the majority thinks the lives they are creating for themselves are bad lives
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
a. liberalism
without a larger community, political and cultural life cannot flourish
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
b. communitarianism
the state must remain neutral and allow individuals to choose their own values and ends
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
a. liberalism
individuals have no social context outside the State
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
b. communitarianism
a requirement of human flourishing is engagement in public life
a. liberalism
b. communitarianism
b. communitarianism
T or F
In Leviathan, Hobbes portrays humans as selfish, unsocial creatures driven by two needs: survival and personal gain
True
T or F
For Rousseau, a group of wills is general when each member of the group aims at their own particular interests
False
T or F
For Rawls government is not justified when it is the kind of govt that we would choose in the original position
False
T or F
Both Aristotle and Hegel argue that humans cannot develop fully unless they live in the state and that the state is more important than the individual citizen
True
T or F
Feminists object that Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau do nto apply to women the idea that authority requires consent and that they assume only males enter the social contract
True
Social Philosophy
the philosophical study of society including the study of the application of moral principles to the problems of society, an the study of the nature of freedom, equality, justice, political obligation, and the state
Contract Theory
the doctrine that individuals give up certain liberties and rights to the state, which in turn guarantees such rights as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
According to Aristotle, justice is distributed in society
D. according to an individual's merit
Karl Marx's ideas of social jsutice drew on the ideas of
C. Aristotle
Karl Marx based his analysis of capitalism on his study of
a. Aristotle's Ethics b. governmental regulatory agencies
c. labor unions
d. economic growth
d. economic growth
John Rawl's theory of social justice argues that all members of a society are equal based upon their
D. moral status as individuals
According to Rawls' theory of social justice, inequality can be reconciled with social justice by means of
D. a distribution of social resources through welfare programs
The ideas of Robert Nozick call for
C. the elimination of taxation for the purposes of redistributing social
Empowerment is a type of economic aid that does NOT include
D. direct monetary relief
Large disparities in wealth can be harmful to societies that valeu a commonwealth, is a view held by
E. all of the above
T or F
For Plate and Aristotle justice means that each should act and be treated according to his or her abilities,achievements, and social status
True
T or F
Strict egalitarians reject the view that every person should be given exactly equal shares of society's benefits and burdens
False
T or F
Mill argued that a just society is one that distributes benefits and burdens in whatever way will produce the greatest social benefits or the lowest social harms
True
T or F
In A Theory of Justice, Rawls advocated "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
False
T or F
Robert Nozick argues that justice is respecting people's free choices
True
The idea that man has no purpose is central to the ideas of
a. Karl Marx
b. G.W.F Hegel
c. Soren Kierkegaard
d. Charles Darwin
The idea that human history is progressing toward a goal of fuller acheivement of human freedom and reason is central to the philosophy of
A. G.W.F Hegel
The ideas of Karl Marx are best described as
B. Hegelian
The view that meaning in life can be found in ourselves and our inner choices is associated with which philosopher?
C. Soren Kierkegaard
WHat state of mind did the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard regard as modern man's symptom of the awareness that the meaning of life cannot be found in external sources?
A. anguish
Which existentialist philosopher describes 3 stages through which a seeker of meaning in life passes?
D. Soren Kierkegaard
Which statement best summarizes the stand taken by Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard on the existence of God and man's purpose in life?
B. man must create God by his own choice in order to know the meaning and purpose of life
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre shares with Soren Kierkegaard the idea that
C. meaning in life is based upon our free choices and communication
According to Jean-Paul Sartre, to live in "bad faith" is to
B. refuse the anguish that goes along with meaning that one chooses in life
The French philosopher SImone de Beauvoir focuse her writings on which central idea of existentialism?
A. that the individual has no essential nature
T or F
For Albert Camus, "the meaning of life is the most urgent of questions"
True
T or F
One theistic response to the meaing of life claims that human life has meaning becuase humans are part of a larger plan or order devised by God
True
T or F
Karl Marx wrote that "the history of the world is none other than the progress of the consciousness of freedom"
False
T or F
According to the nihilist, the end of the world is nigh.
False
T or F
For Kierkegaard,the move to the religious stage is a commitment not to a rational principle but to a relationship with a person