Phil 1010 – Introduction to Philosophy



Phil 2030 – Introduction to Ethics

Midterm Exam, Spring 2014

Name _____________________________________________

1. Ethics is:

a) a discipline in Philosophy that deals with Moral Judgment but not necessarily Moral Action

b) a discipline in Psychology that deals with Moral Action but not necessarily Moral Judgment

c) a discipline in Philosophy that deals with both Moral Judgment and Moral Action

d) a discipline in Philosophy that deals with explaining human conduct in culture.

2. As we have discussed in class, a primary difference between an objective claim and a subjective claim is:

a) A subjective claim is true or false independent of what people think

b) An objective claim is true or false (or perhaps right or wrong) independent of what people think

c) A subjective claim is an opinion, but an objective claim is always true.

d) An objective claim is always true or false while a subjective claim is right or wrong.

3. The view of Moral Subjectivism is:

a) rational because it is obvious that people have very diverse points of view.

b) rational because who is to say what values are right

c) dismisses the objective of trying to be rational using the method of critical reasoning.

d) valuable because it gives us good guidelines to make judgments which can be shared within the community

4. If I were to try to make an argument that every classroom at Metro should have a clock on the wall, I would have to:

a) do nothing more than state all my facts clearly.

b) clearly state what values are being used as a premise since I am making a normative claim

c) give evidence why my claim is factual or give evidence why my claim is normative

d) determine by the context whether this claim is factual or normative.

5. The conclusions of arguments in Ethics are usually and perhaps always:

a) normative claims

b) factual claims

c) usually neither factual nor normative claims

d) subjective claims

6. The question What is the Nature of Man? is a question generally regarded to be in ________, and the question Should a Man Serve God? is a question from ________:

a) Metaphysics, Metaphysics

b) Epistemology, Ethics

c) Epistemology, Epistemology

d) Ethics, Ethics

7. Generally, in Ethics we talk about three methods or approaches, which are:

a) Metaphysics, epistemology, and psychology

b) Meta-ethics, epistemology, and psychology

c) Meta-ethics, normative ethics, and prescriptive ethics

d) Meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

8. Martha Nussbaum has noted that:

a) Morality in addition to being rational is an emotional human response, but still needs to be studied only as an intellectual discipline

b) Morality in addition to being rational is an emotional human response, and our emotional responses can’t be dismissed when trying to understand ethics.

c) Ethics often needs to be understood in terms of stories in addition to theory.

d) Both (b) and (c).

9. For Plato, a virtuous and just man is one who:

a) loves God,

b) obeys the golden rule

c) controls his desires and aggressiveness through reason

d) achieves his desires at the right place in the right amount

10. For the Akan people of West Africa:

a) Virtue comes from God.

b) All human beings are born virtuous.

c) All human beings are born ethically neutral.

d) Story telling is considered an idle past-time and a distraction from becoming virtuous.

11. For many Native American Indian tribes:

a) There was no concept of moral community and thus morality was undeveloped

b) As is universally the case, their moral community consisted entirely of all human beings.

c) Their moral community often included animals, spirits, and nature.

d) As did the European settlers, they believed that nature existed to serve them, but understood more deeply their dependence on nature.

12. For Aristotle, a virtuous man will act always:

a) in moderation

b) in fervor

c) with courage

d) in prayer and supplication with the gods

13. Moral or ethical relativism is the view that what is right or wrong depends upon one’s group or culture:

a) and is thus a factual claim

b) and is thus a normative claim

c) and is thus proven by science

d) and is thus synonymous with what is known as the Diversity Thesis.

14. The term “norms” is most closely associated with:

a) facts

b) proofs

c) values

d) assumptions

15) According to cognitivism, when someone says abortion is wrong she is describing

a) a fact about the world

b) a value judgment

c) an opinion that has been verified with evidence

d) an opinion that has been verified with a logical proof

16. Universalism is:

a) the view that multiple correct moral codes exist, but it is possible to find good in all.

b) the view that only one correct moral code exists

c) the view that ethical relativism is right, but that relativism cannot be acted upon consistently so that we must act as if relativism is wrong

d) the view that only one correct moral code exists but it is still possible to recognize that folks who violate moral principles are ethically justified if they follow the rules of their own culture.

17. Ethical Relativism and Absolutism agree:

a) On nothing at all

b) That there are usable standards of morality

c) That there are universal values that apply to all, but how those values are applied in principle may vary from one culture to another

d) That values are relative in some way. They disagree only on what they are relative to.

18. Moral relativism often suggests that one culture should respect the values of another. What did we say in class about that?

a) It’s absolutely true. That is perfectly logical and common sense.

b) Isn’t that a bit though like suggesting that “tolerance” should be a universal value and thus may be contradictory?

c) What does it matter? If I respect their values, they will come around and want to accept my values eventually anyway.

d) It just shows that ethical relativism works.

19. In class, we recognized that Moral Relativism:

a) Is a totally discredited view and has done much harm to society

b) May be a problematic view logically but still may have contributed positively to our society and to each of us as individuals.

c) Is proven by the fact that it makes people less bigoted.

d) Is given logical credibility by the value it has provided society in attacking ethnocentrism

20. According to David Hume,

a) the morality of an act is determined by feeling but that does not mean that humans do not share feelings and thus, there is some basis for a common morality

b) the morality of an act is determined by feeling and thus there is no possibility for a shared morality

c) the morality of an act is determined by reason and thus there is a basis for a shared morality

d) the morality of an act is determined by reason but that is not sufficient for a shared morality

21. In questioning students and citizens in an unending search for truth. Socrates was attempting to:

a) to get to the foundations of their views by asking continual questions until a contradiction may be exposed,

b) perhaps discover the error of the initial assumption.

c) demonstrate to the student that the true answer was whatever they thought it was

d) Both (a) and (b)

22. Socrates’ primary focus was:

a) To determine what is the nature of the cosmos

b) To determine how one should live and what is the good life

c) To determine whether gods existed

d) To determine if there was purpose in life

23. Socrates is often described as “the Father of Western Philosophy.” This is because:

a) He was the first philosopher that we know anything about.

b) He was the first philosopher who wrote down his views.

c) He provided a rigorous method by which ethical investigation could be done.

d) He was the first philosopher to attempt a wide and deep exploration of metaphysical problems.

24. The fundamental principle of critical thinking can be stated as:

a) evidence is indisputable, so as long as you rely on the evidence, no one can challenge you.

b) that facts are relative and people will believe pretty much whatever they want.

c) a logical argument is composed of an opinion which is supported by presenting reasons to believe that the opinion is true.

d) All claims are to be respected equally, even if there is no argument for it

25. On the question of how one should live one’s life, Plato:

a) Argued that since there is no enduring self, there can be no principles for our actions.

b) Argued that since the purpose of man is to serve the gods, our every action should be for that.

c) Argued that reason should control our actions.

d) Argued that since the enduring self consisted of a cosmic unity of consciousness with all persons, right action is a matter of doing what is best for society.

26. Plato believed the self consisted of three parts. What were they?

a) reason, aggressiveness, and appetite (or desire)

b) reason, emotion, and faith

c) knowledge, power, and wealth

d) reason, the male nature, and the female nature

27. The two views -- Ethical Egoism & Psychological Egoism --

a) are essentially the same thing.

b) The first is a good argument for the second

c) the second is a good argument for the first

d) the second is a factual claim and the first is a normative claim

28. The “Ought implies can” principle suggests that:

a) One should never try to do what seems impossible.

b) One does not have a moral obligation unless it can be proven that she is capable of doing the act well

c) One does not have a moral obligation to perform an impossible act.

d) One has a moral obligation to do everything one can do to help another.

29. The nature of self-interest:

a) is obviously synonymous with selfishness.

b) may be interpreted as hedonistic but not necessarily.

c) is always about maximizing pleasure.

d) is obvious to everybody.

30. Glaucon suggests in his Ring of Gyges conversation with Socrates that:

a) a wise man would use it for his self interest

b) the only reason man does not act in his obvious self-interest is to ensure his protection in society (a higher form of self-interest perhaps)

c) a wise man should use the ring for his self-interest

d) all of the above

31. An Absolutist on moral theory would usually say that:

a) Morality is objective and invented.

b) Morality is subjective and invented.

c) Morality is objective and discovered.

d) Morality is subjective and discovered.

32. The search for a principle (or principles) to guide or regulate human conduct is known as:

a) Ethical ontology

b) The Rule of Law

c) Meta-ethics

d) Normative Ethics.

33. For Aristotle, there are two forms of virtue: moral virtue and intellectual virtue:

a) When the soul controls our desires, this does not rise to the level of either virtue.

b) Moral virtue is the act of contemplating the arts and mathematics.

c) Intellectual virtue is the act of the soul contemplating spiritual matters

d) Moral virtue comes only as a gift from the gods

34. One principle that seems nearly universal to all ethical religious thought is:

a) Look Out for #1.

b) The End Justifies the Means.

c) The Golden Rule

d) The Greatest Happiness Principle.

35. A person who says that “when it comes to ethics, everybody has their own opinions and you can’t say they are wrong regardless, if they honestly believe it” is:

a) a realist

b) a subjectivist

c) a scholar

d) absolutely right!

36. The Greek term “Eudaimonia” directly refers to:

a) the nature of reason

b) the nature of the good

c) the nature of happiness

d) the nature of piety

37. On the nature of “the good,” Aristotle differed from Plato in arguing that:

a) “the good” is not identical for everybody

b) “the good” is unknowable

c) “the good” is not the function which helps achieve a desired aim.

d) “the good” does not require the exercise of free will

38. When an ethical egoist argues that his self-interest ultimately benefits others, he seems to be abandoning his own position for the position known as:

a) deontology

b) ethical relativism.

c) utilitarianism

d) absolutism

39. A proponent of classical hedonistic Utilitarianism was:

a) Sigmund Freud

b) Jean-Paul Sartre

c) Jeremy Bentham

d) John Stuart Mill

40. Consider the differences between Consequentalism and Utilitarianism.

a) All Consequentialists are Utilitarians

b) All Utilitarians are Consequentialists

c) Some but not all Utilitarians are Consequentialists

d) No Consequentialists are Utilitarians

41. All utilitarians would agree that:

a) The morality of an act depends only on our intentions having good consequences.

b) The consequences of an act are good only if they have some “utility” or “usefulness”

c) The morality of act depends on the good consequences you intended actually occurring

d) Happiness fundamentally always means pleasure.

42. For medieval ethical theorists, ethical principles derived from the holy scriptures. This is an example of:

a) hermeneutics

b) a theory known as the “authority of sacred text”

c) the divine command theory

d) deontology

43. To determine what has the most utility, Bentham would have us calculate:

a) What would be maximum happiness for the maximum number of people

b) What would be the maximum happiness for those engaged “in the moment”

c) What would be the maximum intrinsic happiness only for the max people

d) What would be the maximum instrumental happiness only for the max people

44. Who held that transparency is the litmus test for ethical behavior and specifically admonished us to commit no act that you would want to hide from others?

a) David Hume

b) Jeremy Bentham

c) John Stuart Mill

d) Epicurus

45. Plato is generally thought to be:

a) A virtue theorist.

b) An ethical relativist.

c) A soft universalist.

d) An ethical skeptic.

.

46-50 (5 points). In 100-125 words, consider the following question. Is Morality an issue of character or conduct? That is, for you to act morally, should you give more emphasis on developing a virtuous character, or should you focus more on learning rules or guidelines that will provide you direction on determining what is the right thing to do in various circumstances? Or, saying this another way, in studying ethics should we focus on acts of conduct and determine what makes an act moral, or should we focus on virtue to determine what is it that makes a person good, such that guarantees that her actions will be good. In the context of this question, discuss Plato and Aristotle’s views versus the views of an Ethical Relativist and/or a Utilitarian.

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