Philosophy 104: Exam 1

According to the text, how should moral philosophy begin? a. From a set of moral principles that cannot be doubted b. From a set of moral rules that is clear enough so as to not require interpretation c. From a set of plausible ethical claims that is subject to revision d. None of the above

From a set of plausible ethical claims that is subject to revision

Which of the following claims about ethical egoism is not true? (a) It cannot allow for the existence of moral rights. (b) It claims that everyone always behaves selfishly. (c) It arbitrarily makes one's own interests all-important. (d) It may require us to do things that seem like paradigmatic cases of immorality.

It claims that everyone always behaves selfishly.

Which of the following is an attraction of hedonism? a. It allows us to explain why people fear lobotomies. b. It explains the importance of moral considerations in our thinking. c. It explains why there are many different types of good life. d. All of the above.

It explains why there are many different types of good life.

What does it mean to say that something is instrumentally valuable? a. It is good for its own sake. b. It is good because it helps us to achieve some other good. c. It is good both for its own sake and for what it helps us to achieve. d. It is useful to think it is valuable, even if it isn't really valuable.

It is good because it helps us to achieve some other good.

What area of moral philosophy deals with questions about what our moral obligations are? a. Value theory b. Normative ethics c. Metaethics d. Moral epistemology

Normative ethics

With which of the following would Singer agree? a. People in our society act as if they think all human lives are equally worth living, although many of them deny that they believe it. b. People in our society say they believe that all human lives are equally worth living, although when you look at how they act you can see that they don't really seem to believe it. c. No one in our society says that they believe that all human lives are equally worth living. d. Everyone in our society consistently acts as if they believe that all human lives are equally worth living.

People in our society say they believe that all human lives are equally worth living, although when you look at how they act you can see that they don't really seem to believe it.

Which of the following questions falls within the domain of metaethics? a. Are some moral claims true? b. What are our fundamental moral duties? c. Do the ends always justify the means? d. What is the good life for a human being?

Are some moral claims true?

If psychological egoism is true, then why can't it be our duty to be altruistic? (a) Because psychological egoism says that acting altruistically doesn't make us better off. (b) Because then altruism would be impossible and we aren't morally required to do the impossible. (c) Because according to psychological egoism, an act is right just in case it is self-interested. (d) All of the above

Because then altruism would be impossible and we aren't morally required to do the impossible.

Which of the following seems to express an absolutist view rather than a consequentialist view? a. Eating meat is never morally permissible, even in the "Tiddles" case. b. Eating meat is morally permissible in the "Tiddles" case, since eating Tiddles would not cause the animal (or anyone else) any further harm or suffering. c. Eating meat is generally wrong because of the harm it causes to human health, but it is okay to eat very small portions of meat as long as you don't do it too often. d. Eating meat is morally permissible because some animal species will go extinct if we stop using them for food.

Eating meat is never morally permissible, even in the "Tiddles" case.

The first great hedonist in Western philosophy was a. Epicurus. b. Plato. c. Aristotle. d. John Stuart Mill.

Epicurus.

Which of the following does the hedonist believe is intrinsically valuable? a. The pain of exercising b. The good health that is a result of exercise c. The happiness that accompanies being healthy d. All of the above

The happiness that accompanies being healthy

Which of the following claims falls within the domain of value theory? a. Morality is objective. b. Moral knowledge is impossible. c. The right thing to do is whatever maximizes happiness. d. The only thing that matters in order to live well is to get what you want.

The only thing that matters in order to live well is to get what you want.

What is the "experience machine" thought experiment supposed to show? a. The dangers of technology to our well-being b. The value of autonomy c. The value of being in contact with reality d. The way in which selfishness can detract from well-being

The value of being in contact with reality

Which of the following commonly motivates people to be skeptical about morality? a. The view that happiness is an important part of the good life b. The view that all moral rules have exceptions c. Both (a) and (b) d. Neither (a) nor (b)

The view that all moral rules have exceptions

Suppose it were true that if everyone acted in their own self-interest all the time, everyone would be better off. Which of the following is the case? (a) This would be a strong moral consideration in favor of ethical egoism. (b) This would not support ethical egoism. (c) This would be a strong consideration against ethical egoism. (d) This would decisively refute ethical egoism.

This would not support ethical egoism.

The area of moral philosophy known as "value theory" includes questions such as... A. Is morality objective? B. What do we owe to each other C. What kind of life is most worth living? D. How do we know which actions are morally right?

What kind of life is most worth living?

What is a theory of well-being supposed to tell us? a. Which policies will make people better off b. Why we ought to try to make other people's lives better c. Which things are instrumentally good for us d. Which things are intrinsically good for us

Which things are intrinsically good for us

In philosophy, an argument is.. a. a formal debate between two parties who disagree. b. a heated confrontation concerning a key philosophical issue. c. a chain of reasoning consisting of a set of reasons that supports some conclusion. d. an objection to a stated philosophical position.

a chain of reasoning consisting of a set of reasons that supports some conclusion

According to Peter Singer, an "ultimate" choice is (a) a choice that cannot be made or justified by referring to a more fundamental framework of values. (b) an existential choice, like the choice of whether to commit suicide or to go on living. (c) a choice between ethics and morally right behavior, and is the last choice you will ever have to make. (d) a choice of whether to play Ultimate Frisbee or stay home and watch it on T.V.

a choice that cannot be made or justified by referring to a more fundamental framework of values.

The desire for "unification" in ethics is a desire for... a. everyone to agree on moral principles. b. everyone to treat each other well. c. a single general moral principle. d. a scientific account of morality.

a single general moral principle.

There is no such thing as... a. a sound argument that is also valid. b. a sound argument that is not valid. c. a valid argument that is also sound. d. a valid argument that is not sound.

a sound argument that is not valid

Psychological egoism is (a) a theory about how we should live. (b) a theory about how people behave. (c) both (a) and (b) (d) neither (a) nor (b)

a theory about how people behave.

It is impossible for a valid argument to have... a. true premises and a false conclusion. b. true premises and a true conclusion. c. false premises and a false conclusion. d. none of the above.

a true premise and a false conclusion

Psychological egoism claims that (a) all human beings are motivated by self-interest. (b) all human beings are motivated by altruism. (c) hum an beings should be motivated by self-interest. (d) human beings should be motivated by altruism.

all human beings are motivated by self-interest.

According to hedonism, ____ a. there are many different ways to live a good life. b. what is good for us is largely a matter of personal choice. c. most rules for living a good life have exceptions. d. all of the above.

all of the above

Suppose that Sara holds that it is wrong to enjoy getting high from drugs, even if the drug does not cause any harm to the user or others. We can conclude that Sara is a. an absolutist b. a hedonist c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

an absolutist

An altruistic action is (a) any action that benefits others. (b) an action motivated by a direct desire to benefit others for their own sake. (c) a desire to benefit others in order to further our own ends. (d) all of the above.

an action motivated by a direct desire to benefit others for their own sake.

A moral agent is a. someone who acts morally all the time. b. someone who acts in accordance with the ethics of his or her profession. c. anyone who is capable of controlling his or her behavior through moral reasoning. d. any individual whose interests we must consider in order to act morally.

anyone who is capable of controlling his or her behavior through moral reasoning.

In "Speciesism and Moral Status" Peter Singer considers three attempts to justify the view that human life is always worth more than nonhuman life. Which of these is not one of the attempts he considers? a. attempts based on speciesist grounds b. attempts based on religious grounds c. attempts based on logical grounds d. attempts based on differences in cognitive abilities between humans and animals

attempts based on logical grounds

Which of the following is the case, according to Daniel Haybron? a. autonomy is more important to happiness than option freedom. b. option freedom is more important to happiness than autonomy. c. autonomy and option freedom are equally important to one's happiness. d. material wealth is more important to happiness than any type of freedom.

autonomy is more important to happiness than option freedom.

If something is intrinsically valuable, then it must ____ a. bring about other good things. b. be valuable for its own sake. c. be recognized to be valuable by everyone, not just some people. d. be attainable by everyone.

be valuable for its own sake.

According to "the Indicator View," a. being happy is a sign that things are going well in your life. b. nothing has intrinsic value except for subjective feelings of happiness. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

being happy is a sign that things are going well in your life.

According to Aristotle, a. being virtuous is always good for you. b. being virtuous is always bad for you. c. being virtuous is usually bad for you, since it means you have to make sacrifices. d. whether or not you are virtuous is entirely irrelevant to the quality of your life.

being virtuous is always good for you.

According to Colin McGinn, a. the use of some recreational drugs is morally permissible b. there are strong arguments in favor of legally regulating or prohibiting some recreational drugs. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

both (a) and (b)

According to McGinn ("Animals"), in order to know whether a certain kind of action is right or wrong, a. you have to look at how it would make you feel. b. you have to look at how it would make the people (or animals) that are affected by your actions feel. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

both (a) and (b)

Which of the following commonly motivates people to be skeptical about morality? a. The existence of moral disagreement b. The belief that science is the only way of discovering truth c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

both (a) and (b)

Which of the writers we have looked at thinks that freedom is important to happiness and/or to living a good life? a. Daniel Haybron b. Wendell Berry c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

both (a) and (b)

Some moral actions are a. illegal. b. impolite. c. both (a) and (b) neither (a) nor (b)

both a and b

According to Epicurus, the ideal state of tranquility comes largely from ____ a. moderation in all physical matters. b. intellectual clarity about what is truly important. c. pleasurable sensations. d. both a and b.

both a and b.

According to libertarianism, all of our duties derive from (a) the categorical imperative. (b) consent and reparation. (c) God's commands. (d) self-interest.

consent and reparation.

. In terms of the categories suggested by Daniel Haybron in Chapter 6 of HAVSI, the Experience Machine is a case of a. deception b. impoverishment c. misalignment d. deprivation

deception

Skepticism about morality is... a. a position that no one has ever argued for. b. nearly universally accepted. c. nearly universally rejected. d. deeply controversial.

deeply controversial

McGinn‟s "moral argument" for drug legalization a. depends on the claim that drug use always makes people happy. b. depends on a version of the Freedom Principle. c. depends on the claim that human beings are always motivated by self-interest. d. depends on the claim that legalization would make recreational drugs safer.

depends on a version of the Freedom Principle.

The paradox of hedonism states that a. the happier you are, the happier you make those around you. b. directly seeking happiness is often self-defeating. c. it is impossible to be both morally good and happy at the same time. d. many people who achieve all their goals remain unhappy.

directly seeking happiness is often self-defeating

McGinn insists on a principle of "equal consideration of equivalent interests." In his view, if we accepted this principle, it would probably follow that ____ a. eating animals would be morally wrong, because their interest in not being raised to be eaten outweighs our interests in eating them. b. eating animals would be morally wrong, because the interests of vegetarians would outweigh the interests of meat-eaters. c. eating animals would be morally permissible, because animals have no interests. d. eating animals would be morally permissible because, contrary to appearances, being eaten is in their interest, since it helps perpetuate the species they belong to.

eating animals would be morally wrong, because their interest in not being raised to be eaten outweighs our interests in eating them.

If libertarianism is true, then (a) ethical egoism is correct. (b) ethical egoism is false. (c) ethical egoism is probably true. (d) this provides some weak evidence against ethical egoism.

ethical egoism is false

The experience machine thought experiment is supposed to show that happiness is less valuable if it is based on a. immorality. b. selfishness. c. false beliefs. d. trivial hobbies.

false beliefs.

Which of the following is not one of the "dimensions of happiness" identified by Haybron? a. fulfillment b. engagement c. endorsement d. attunement

fulfillment

If hedonism is true, then the enjoyment a serial killer derives from committing her crimes is a. good for her. b. bad for her. c. good for her victim. d. none of the above.

good for her.

Haybron takes his example of Robert, who cries himself to sleep each night, to show that ____ a. happiness has nonconscious aspects b. happiness is purely a matter of pleasure c. life satisfaction theory is probably true d. sometimes it feels good to cry

happiness has nonconscious aspects

According to hedonism about well-being, the key ingredient to a good life is ____ a. happiness. b. getting what you want. c. doing God's will. d. being kind to others.

happiness.

The best argument for ethical egoism relies on the premise that (a) if there is good reason to do something, then doing it must make you better off. (b) if doing something makes you better off, then there is good reason to do it. (c) no one is capable of behaving altruistically. (d) egoism makes everyone better off.

if there is good reason to do something, then doing it must make you better off.

Getting a vaccine that prevents illness is an example of something that is ____ a. instrumentally valuable. b. intrinsically valuable. c. both a and b. d. neither a nor b.

instrumentally valuable.

According to Mill, ____ a. all pleasure is equally valuable. b. intellectual and artistic pleasures are better than physical pleasures. c. physical pleasures are better than intellectual and artistic pleasures. d. only pleasures resulting from had work are valuable.

intellectual and artistic pleasures are better than physical pleasures

What power does the ring of Gyges give to the person who wears it? (a) invisibility (b) flight (c) mind-reading (d) predicting the future

invisibility

McGinn‟s "pragmatic argument" for drug legalization a. is a consequentialist argument. b. is an absolutist argument. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

is a consequentialist argument.

A psychological egoist would claim that giving up something you want for the sake of a loved one (a) is actually a self-interested action. (b) is inadvisable. (c) is impossible. (d) is immoral.

is impossible.

According to hedonism, a pleasant life based on false beliefs is __________ an equally pleasant life based on real achievement and true beliefs. a. less good for you than b. better for you than c. just as good as d. sometimes less good, sometimes better than

just as good as

The claim that morality is a human invention and therefore not objective is a claim in... a. applied ethics. b. value theory. c. normative ethics. d. metaethics.

metaethics

According to Nozick, a. most rational people, if they really thought about it, would choose to hook up to the Experience Machine, but only if they were very confident that the experiences would be pleasant. b. most rational people, if they really thought about it, would choose to hook up to the Experience Machine, but only if they were convinced that they would not experience any suffering whatsoever. c. most rational people, if they really thought about it, would choose to hook up to the Experience Machine, but only if they believed they would experience enough adversity to make life feel fulfilling overall. d. most rational people, if they really thought about it, would not choose to hook up to the Experience Machine.

most rational people, if they really thought about it, would not choose to hook up to the Experience Machine.

McGinn‟s "logical argument" for drug legalization a. only works if human beings all act in a logical manner. b. only works if human beings are always motivated by self-interest. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

neither (a) nor (b)

If ethical egoism is true, then (a) it is never under any circumstances morally permissible for someone to murder you. (b) it is never under any circumstances morally permissible for someone to steal from you. (c) both (a) and (b). (d) neither (a) nor (b).

neither (a) nor (b).

According to Haybron, the fact that a person is satisfied with how her life is going ____ a. is very strong evidence that her life is going well b. conclusively establishes that her life is going well. c. is very strong evidence that her life is not going well d. none of the above

none of the above

The question "do the ends justify the means?" falls within the area of... A. value theory B. normative ethics C. metaethics D. moral psychology

normative ethics

According to Daniel Haybron, ___ a. physically risky activities are sources of stress and should be avoided whenever possible. b. physically risky activities can actually promote or stimulate peace of mind. c. physically risky activities should only be engaged under strict supervision. d. human beings have a tendency to overestimate the riskiness of physically risky activities.

physically risky activities can actually promote or stimulate peace of mind.

According to hedonism, a. pleasure always has intrinsic value. b. pleasure never has instrumental value. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

pleasure always has intrinsic value.

If all of our actions are motivated by our strongest desire, then (a) psychological egoism is proven correct. (b) psychological egoism is true only if all of our strongest desires are for self-interest. (c) psychological egoism is refuted. (d) human beings are never genuinely altruistic.

psychological egoism is true only if all of our strongest desires are for self-interest.

Which of the following represents the list of significant "sources of happiness" identified by Daniel Haybron in Chapter Five of Happiness: A Very Short Introduction? a. sympathy, empathy, engagement, religion, and meaning b. security, emotional stability, autonomy, religion, and merit c. stability, outlook, anhedonia, resources, and social engagement d. security, outlook, autonomy, relationships, and skilled and meaningful activity

security, outlook, autonomy, relationships, and skilled and meaningful activity

The fact that we don't want our (cognitively normal) loved ones to get lobotomies, even if they would feel very happy afterward, ____ a. seems to suggest that happiness has no value. b. seems to raise a problem for hedonism. c. both a and b. d. none of the above.

seems to suggest that happiness has no value.

According to Daniel Haybron, ___ a. having more freedom always makes people happier. b. some kinds of freedom are better than others. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

some kinds of freedom are better than others.

Peter Singer thinks that ___ a. speciesism is true. b. speciesism is false. c. speciesism is true in societies that hold it to be true. d. because speciesism is true, factory farming is morally permissible.

speciesism is false.

Which of the following is not one of the "four most influential" theories of well-being, as listed by Daniel Haybron in Chapter 6 of Happiness: A Very Short Introduction? a. state of nature theories b. euadaimonistic theories c. list theories d. desire theories

state of nature theories

. Research shows that people who place a high value on money, possessions, and social status ____ a. also tend to place a high value on education and self-development. b. tend to be more compassionate toward the disadvantaged. c. tend to be less happy than people with less materialistic values. d. almost always turn out to have been raised in environments of poverty and deprivation.

tend to be less happy than people with less materialistic values.

"Conventional morality" is a. the set of laws of a particular government. b. the set of principles genuinely believed by a moral agent. c. the set of traditional principles that are widely shared within a culture or society. d. the set of true moral principles.

the set of traditional principles that are widely shared within a culture or society.

n the vampire story told by McGinn in "Animals," a. the vampires need to drink human blood in order to live. b. the vampires drink human blood because they enjoy the taste. c. both (a) and (b) d. neither (a) nor (b)

the vampires drink human blood because they enjoy the taste

Some people argue that we are obligated to respect human lives but not nonhuman animal lives because humans' cognitive abilities are superior to those of animals. According to Singer, ___ a. this argument is convincing. b. this argument fails because there is overlap: the cognitive abilities of some animals are superior to the cognitive abilities of some (cognitively disabled) humans. c. this argument fails because cognitive abilities cannot be measured. d. this argument fails because the cognitive abilities required to understand the argument are not possessed by most humans or nonhuman animals.

this argument fails because there is overlap: the cognitive abilities of some animals are superior to the cognitive abilities of some (cognitively disabled) humans.

In order to claim that murder, rape, and torture are always morally impermissible, the ethical egoist must maintain that (a) some people have no desire to be violent. (b) those who murder, rape, or torture never benefit from their crime. (c) some people feel guilty after they perform violent actions. (d) those who murder, rape, or torture are vicious.

those who murder, rape, or torture never benefit from their crime.

Moral theorizing essentially involves a. trying to decide what is right or wrong on a case-by-case basis. b. trying to come up with general moral principles that apply to many different cases. c. consulting the relevant laws and the Constitution. d. trying to explain what causes people to make the moral judgments they do.

trying to come up with general moral principles that apply to many different cases.

What is the best description of the following argument? If the sky is yellow, then grass is pink. The sky is yellow. Therefore, grass is pink. a. Valid and sound b. Valid but unsound c. Invalid but sound d. Invalid and unsound

valid but unsound

If psychological egoism is true, then ___ (a) this has no ethical implications because psychological egoism is not an ethical theory. (b) we cannot be morally obligated to behave altruistically. (c) most of what is commonly taken for granted about morality would be mistaken. (d) both (b) and ( c)

we cannot be morally obligated to behave altruistically

If getting what we want always makes us better off, then (a) all of our actions are self-interested. (b) when we do what we want, our actions are self-interested. (c) when we do what we want and what we want is to make ourselves better off, our actions are self- interested. (d) none of the above.

when we do what we want and what we want is to make ourselves better off, our actions are self- interested.

The conclusion of a sound argument a. will always be true. b. will always be false. c. might be true but also might be false. d. will always be relevant to the debate at hand.

will always be true

According to hedonism, your life is good for you to the extent that ____ a. you experience pleasure and avoid pain. b. you accomplish your goals. c. you live morally. d. all of the above.

you experience pleasure and avoid pain.

Suppose it becomes possible to produce delicious steak synthetically, i.e. from chemicals in a lab rather than from animals. Which of the following statements, describing various philosopher's likely responses to such a machine, is probably true? a. Singer would likely argue that enjoying the virtual steak dinner is morally permissible, since no animals are killed or harmed. b. The psychological egoist would likely argue that enjoying the virtual steak dinner is morally wrong since it involves feeling good by putting chemicals into your body. c. Singer would likely argue that enjoying the virtual steak dinner is morally wrong, since it would almost certainly be a kind of slippery slope that would lead to the eating of real meat. d. McGinn would likely argue that enjoying the virtual steak dinner is morally wrong, since enjoying the taste of meat, whether real or synthetic, shows that you have speciesist tendencies.

Singer would likely argue that enjoying the virtual steak dinner is morally permissible, since no animals are killed or harmed.

According to the text, what's wrong with the best argument for ethical egoism? (a) Sometimes doing what is right (according to conventional standards of morality) can also be in your interest. (b) Sometimes we have reason to do things that are not in our self-interest. (c) There isn't usually any reason at all for you to do what is in your self-interest. (d) None of the above—the argument is sound.

Sometimes we have reason to do things that are not in our self-interest.

In Plato's Republic, which of the following is the story of the Ring of Gyges supposed to show? (a) That all human beings are motivated by altruism. (b) That all human beings are motivated by self-interest. (c) That all human beings should be motivated by altruism. (d) That different human beings are motivated by different things.

That all human beings are motivated by self-interest.