PHI 2604 Chapter 1: Ethics
philosophy
the systematic use of critical reasoning to answer fundamental questions
The principle of universalizability says that a moral judgment that applies in one situation must also apply
in all relevantly similar situations.
The claim "A good knife cuts well" is about what kind of value?
nonmoral value
Moral philosophers generally say that if it is wrong for Maria to steal clothing for fun, then it is also wrong for David, who is in exactly the same situation as Maria, to steal clothing for fun. Which of the following principles supports this judgment?
Correct Answer(s) the principle of universalizability, the principle of impartiality, the dominance of moral norms Incorrect Answer(s) the principle of intrinsic value
morality
beliefs concerning right and wrong, good and bad
critical reasoning
the evaluation of logical arguments and careful analysis of concepts
Religious conservatives often favor sex education that does not recommend contraception. Secular liberals often favor sex education that encourages the use of contraception. Their disagreement is rooted in a disagreement about what, if anything, God commands with respect to contraception. How can moral philosophy make the debate between these two groups more productive?
Correct Answer(s) Moral philosophy provides a neutral basis for judging whether a position is supported by good arguments. Moral philosophy helps each side articulate reasons in support of their position. Moral philosophy helps each side explain their position. Incorrect Answer(s) Moral philosophy resolves disagreements, allowing parties to find common ground.
If one does not reason critically about morality, why, according to philosopher Paul Taylor, might that lead to a life in which one denies all morality?
Correct Answer(s) One will not be able to defend one's moral beliefs against criticism, leading to skepticism about morality in general. Incorrect Answer(s) Avoiding critical thinking is something only people who deny the existence of morality do. Avoiding critical thinking leads to overconfidence in oneself. Avoiding critical thinking makes people intolerant of other points of view.
Some people believe that there is no such thing as right and wrong, and that such concepts are merely illusions. Which of the statements below describe the implications of this view?
Correct Answer(s) There are no moral obligations. Incorrect Answer(s) Whatever I do is right. What is right is whatever one feels is right. There is no such thing as moral philosophy.
Some people believe that morality is subjective. Which of the statements below describe the implications of this view?
Correct Answer(s) What is right and wrong varies depending on what one feels. What is right is whatever one feels is right. Incorrect Answer(s) There is no such thing as moral philosophy. Good and bad do not exist.
What are some of the costs of choosing not to think critically about ethical concerns?
Correct Answer(s) Your intellectual moral growth stagnates. Your chances of having incomplete, confused, or mistaken responses to moral dilemmas or contradictions will increase. Your personal freedom to form your own beliefs is undermined. Incorrect Answer(s) Your moral beliefs are backed up by logical argument.
Doing ethics involves which of the following?
Correct Answer(s) considering the arguments for moral conclusions informed deliberation about the issue taking into account the facts of the situation Incorrect Answer(s) ignoring one's feelings about the issue at hand
Arguments in ethics always involve which of the following?
Correct Answer(s) premises (reasons for believing a statement), conclusions (statements to be proven), Incorrect Answer(s) angry exchanges, emotional appeals,
Ezra subscribes to the divine command theory, but personally thinks that genocide is a heinous act. If Ezra believes that God commanded a group of people to commit genocide, then what else should Ezra necessarily believe?
Correct Answer(s) that heinous acts can be right that genocide ought to be done in this case Incorrect Answer(s) that it is unknowable whether genocide is right or wrong that genocide is morally wrong
Money is an example of something that is typically intrinsically valuable.
False
What makes ethics different from other subjects is that ethical claims do not need to be supported by logical arguments, while in other subjects logical arguments are always needed to support one's claims.
False
Which of the following are questions that moral philosophy aims to answer, and which are questions that descriptive ethics aims to answer?
Moral Philosophy What should people believe and do? How ought we to live? Descriptive Ethics Why do people act morally instead of selfishly? Who are the most morally admired people in history? What moral beliefs are common in our society?
Would providing scholarships to students with high GPAs but not providing scholarships to students with low GPAs violate the principle of impartiality?
No, because the principle of impartiality allows for the possibility that there are good reasons for treating some people differently.
John firmly believes that capital punishment is morally right—a belief he inherited, no-questions-asked, from his culture. He is reading about a criminal who has recently been apprehended by the police. Supposing the criminal is guilty, is it possible for John to be morally certain based on his beliefs whether or not this criminal should face the death penalty?
No; even if capital punishment is morally right, that doesn't tell us in which cases it should be performed.
principle of impartiality
The principle of impartiality says that one should treat people the same if there are no morally relevant differences between them
Prudential norms
What is in your best interest
Jameis believes that God has commanded him (1) not to lie and (2) to obey his father and mother. However, his father and mother have told him to tell a lie, and now Jameis has no idea what to do. What problem does this illustrate specific to people who do not apply critical reasoning to their moral beliefs?
Without thinking about the logical basis of moral principles, we can't tell which principle trumps another whenever there is a conflict of moral principles.
The statement "Everyone should respect a person's right to life" is making what kind of a judgment?
a judgment about obligations
The statement "Donating to charity makes the world a better place" is an example of what kind of judgment?
a judgment about value
A psychological study finds that people tend to ignore their society's moral code if someone with authority over them commands them to do so. What is this study an example of?
descriptive ethics
Suppose that we think that Raul is morally obligated to give money to needy families in his neighborhood. Karen has needy families in her neighborhood, too. Which of the following actions could we take to determine whether Karen is also morally obligated to give money to the needy families in her neighborhood?
determine whether there is a relevant difference between Raul's situation and
One question in ethics is how moral principles, generally speaking, can be justified. Which major division of ethics asks questions like this?
metaethics
Suppose that Jill finds a wallet on the ground with a lot of money in it. No one would know if she took it, and she would really enjoy using the money to go on a vacation this summer. On the other hand, she could return the wallet to its owner, since the driver's license in the wallet has his address on it. In this situation, Jill is facing a conflict between
moral norms and prudential norms.
The Golden Rule says that we should treat others as we want to be treated. What major division of ethics investigates whether the Golden Rule is a sound moral principle?
normative ethics
The question, "Is happiness the greatest good in life?" is a question of _________, while the question, "Is it morally acceptable to illegally download music?" is a question of___________.
normative ethics, applied ethics.
As odd as it may sound, some nonbelievers in God have subscribed to the divine command theory. If the divine command theory is true, and God does not exist, then
nothing is right or wrong
Suppose that Adam has an ethical obligation to babysit his little brother tonight at home. However, if he leaves his little brother home alone, he could pick up an extra shift at his job and earn more money. Which feature of ethics will help him decide what he should do in this situation?
the dominance of moral norms
When a group of people say that a law should be changed because it is immoral, what general idea are these people expressing?
the dominance of moral norms
ethics, or moral philosophy
the philosophical study of beliefs concerning right and wrong, good and bad
