Test 2
What is Nietzsche's doctrine of the Superman? (The German word is "Ubermensch," sometimes translated as "overman.")
A being who represents the next evolutionary stage of man.
Kant claims that the only thing which is truly morally good is:
A good will. -Things like intelligence and courage can be used for evil, only a good will is truly morally good in itself.
According to Kierkegaard, what is the only legitimate path to belief in God?
A leap of faith.
Kant identifes the Categorical Imperative as the supreme principal that guides all moral action. He expresses this principal in three somewhat different ways, but which of the following best paraphrases the main idea:
Always act in a way that you could wish to be a law for every person to follow.
Which of the following claims would Manning disagree with?
An Ethics of Care is ultimately grounded solely in our emotional response to others.
Which of the following would be a moral action according to Kant?
An action performed for the sake of duty.
According to Kant, we can use the Categorical Imperative to determine right action in any scenario whatsoever. For instance, the Categorical Imperative tells us that it's wrong to make a false promise to return borrowed money. Why?
Because if everyone made false promises the very idea of a promise would lose its value, and no one would trust anyone.
Which of the following biographical statements is NOT true.
Both Bentham and Mill were born in Dublin, Ireland. -Bentham and Mill were both born in London, England.
Sartre asserts that when we make choices we involve the whole of humanity. What does he mean?
By choosing an action we are creating an image of what all of humanity should be. -The idea is that our choices define humanity. With every action we reinforce or expand the very concept of what it means to be human.
The reading, "Origins of Selves"by Daniel Dennett, starts off with a reference to another philosopher that we have read and his conception of the self. Which of the following does Dennett mention?
Descartes and his belief that the self is an immaterial soul.
What does Haidt mean when he talks about being "morally dumbfounded."
Discovering that a moral belief is not supported by reasons.
What thoroughly disgusting idea does Dennett mention in discussing the concept of the boundary between the self and the world?
Drinking saliva that you've spit into a glass. -The point he's making is that we have psychological ingrained concepts of our boundary as a living being, and we're very sensitive and protective about that boundary, even when it's not very rational. Dennett will next argue that it's the goal of protecting what's inside this boundary which produces the evolutionary value of the concept of self.
Manning makes an interesting observation about teaching morality to students. Which of the following does she suggest might be most effective?
Have students work in a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter.
What does Haidt mean when he says that reasoning acts like a press secretary for our moral beliefs?
He means that moral beliefs arise from biological and emotional sources that are largely non-rational, and when we give reasons for our beliefs we're largely making up stories that sound good.
Which of the following biographical statements about Friedrich Nietzsche is NOT true?
He was born in the year 1900. -He wasn't born in 1900, he DIED in 1900
Which of the following is NOT a true statement about Jean-Paul Sartre?
He was deeply religious, serving as a Catholic bishop in Paris during the latter part of his life. -Sartre's most famous novel is Nausea, and his most famous play is No Exit.
Which one of the following philosophical statements would Sartre agree with?
Human free will is a burden that causes anguish.
Which of the following is the best one sentence summary of Sartre's main point in Existentialism is a Humanism?
Humans have complete responsiblity for every aspect of their lives.
Sartre says that for humans "existence precedes essence." What does this slogan mean?
In contrast to objects like paper-knives which are created for a specific reason, humans arise in the world undefined and become only what they will themselves to be. -For manufactured objects like books and knives, essence precedes existence. This means that the concept and purpose of such objects is set out before they are manufactured. But for humans, the opposite is true. Humans find themselves in existence without any definition or purpose, and they must create both themselves.
Which of the following is a cultural practice that James Rachels mentions in this paper?
Infanticide by the Eskimos.
Which of the following is NOT among the criticisms of Kierkegaard presented in the first half of the reading?
It's self-contradictory for Kierkegaard to try to rationally explain why we should embrace an irrational belief.
What famous utilitarian does Peter Singer quote in this paper?
Jeremy Bentham
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this interview?
Juggling lemons
Which of the following statements about Immanuel Kant is NOT true?
Kant lived during the 16th century (1500's). -The correct dates are 1724-1804 - that's considered pretty recent by the standards of philosophy.
Which of the following claims does Singer make in this article?
Mainstream Christianity shows no concern for animal welfare in its first 1800 years.
Which of the following is NOT an objection to Peter Singer's paper?
Many animals, like dogs and cats, are treated very well by humans. They are better off with humans than they would be in the wild.
According to the moral theory known as utilitarianism, what is the essence of morality?
Maximizing happiness. -"Utility" means usefulness, and the ethical theory called Utilitarianism, says that morality is about doing what is most useful, which can be measured in terms of creating the greatest satisfaction or happiness.
John Stuart Mill developed and popularized Bentham's Utilitarianism. Which of the following is NOT one of the differences between Bentham and Mill?
Mill emphasizes that utilitarianism is about avoiding pain, while Bentham is more concerned with maximizing pleasure.
Which of the following is the best summary of Rita Mannings conception of the essence of morality?
Morality is about openness to the needs of ourselves, others and the world.
Which of the following beliefs does Rachels NOT attribute to Cultural Relativists?
Morality is created by the authorities in power to control the masses.
Which of the following is the best summary of Johnathan Haidt's position toward morality.
Morality is rooted in biology and refined by culture; it's primarily intuitional, not rational.
Which of the following is the best account of the main argument of this paper?
Morality requires that we minimize suffering. There is no justification for treating animal suffering differently than human suffering. Thus morality requires that we treat animal and human suffering equally.
Which one of the following is a true sentence about Nietzshe's philosophical position?
Nietzsche rejects the idea that there is a universal morality that applies equally to all persons.
Nietzsche's distinction between "master morality" and "slave morality" is fundamental to his philosophy. Nietzsche would say that three of the following statements are characteristic of "slave morality," which one is characteristic of "master morality?"
One should do as one will, creating one's own values. -Christian ethics, Kant's deontology, and utilitarianism are all forms of slave morality for Nietzsche.
Compare any two (or three) philosophers we've read this semester (must include at least one from the list under "Matching" above). Strive to say something illuminating! That is, don't merely assert that Kant is a deontologist and Bentham a utilitarian, try to say something about WHY they disagree, and the significance of that disagreement. Lastly, make some sort of connection between the concerns of the the philosophers you chose, and your own life or contemporary society
Open-ended paragraph response
Explain Nietzsche's distinction between master morality and slave morality. How are these ideas related to his concepts of "will to power" and "the overman?" Is the U.S. today better characterized by slave morality or master morality? Explain.
Open-ended paragraph response
What does Sartre mean that for humans "existence precedes essence?" Explain with reference to his paper-knife example (or use a marker). Why does Sartre claim that humans are"condemned" to be free?
Open-ended paragraph response
Which of the following claims would Manning agree with?
Our obligation to care is partially determined by our role. Parents and teachers have special obligations to their children and students.
Which of the following philosophers, that we have previously read, does Manning mention?
Peter Singer
Which of the following is NOT one of the consequences that Rachels claims would follow from taking Cultural Relativism seriously?
Society would collapse because everyone would act without regard for moral truth.
According to the first half of the reading, Kierkegaard's ideas about religion and faith are a response to two concerns about Christianity. What are they?
That Christianity is based on a logical contradiction, and that God's existence cannot be known as an objective truth. -The extraordinary thing about Kierkegaard is that he claims to embrace Christianity BECAUSE it's irrational, and cannot be known to be true by reason or observation.
Which of the following does Kierkegaard consider the highest stage of human existence?
The religious stage.
The subject of our linguistic story-telling.
The self is determined by a sort of internal "election" in which the unconscious mind chooses a narratively defined persona to act as "Head of Mind."
Put in a couple of words, what is the best account of the "self" according to Dennett's description?
The subject of our linguistic story-telling. -In a sentence, the paper claims that humans create the self by telling linguistic stories just much like spiders create webs.
According to James Rachels, cultural relativists misunderstand the significance of the fact that different cultures have different moral codes. He claims that they start with this observation, and then they draw an inappropriate conclusion. Which one of the following is the inappropriate conclusion?
There are no objective moral truths.
Which of the following statements would Rachels agree with?
There are some moral rules which are necessary for any society to exist.
Which of the following is NOT a claim that Singer makes about equality of humans?
To create true human equality we should strive for a world in which everyone experiences exactly the same quantities of pleasure and suffering.
Which of the following is NOT one of Nietzsche's criticisms of "slave morality?"
Under a system of slave morality people are not treated as equals. Some people are made subordinate to others.
Daniel Dennett uses a lot of analogies to explain his ideas. Which of the following analogies does NOT appear in the Origins of Selves reading?
Understanding the concept "self" is like understanding the concept "here." PreviousNext
Kierkegaard is considered one of the founders of the philosophical movement known as existentialism, a philosophy that focuses on the nature of human experience/existence. Both of the readings describe Kierkegaard's portrayal of the fundamental human condition. What is it?
We are alienated from God by sin, and as a result we experience anxiety and despair.
Jeremy Bentham is the founder of Utilitarianism. According to Bentham what is the appropriate way to approach difficult moral decisions?
We should use the pleasure/pain calculus.
John Stuart Mill became a great advocate of individual liberty. What did he claim are the only circumstances under which governments are justified in constraining the actions of their citizens?
When those actions may cause harm to other people.
What is a thought experiment, and what are they supposed to accomplish? Explain the two"killing one to save five" thought experiments, and explain how they are related to utilitarianism and deontology
open ended paragraph question
What sorts of arguments might a utilitarian make for and against capital punishment or the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports? What sort of arguments might a deontologist make? Be prepared to give such arguments for and against other issues.
open ended paragraph question
What is Judith Jarvis Thomson's point in the Henry Fonda thought experiment? How is it related to abortion? Do you have any moral obligations to a stranger? Answer from your perspective, but connect your reply to elements from class
open ended paragraph response
Explain Jonathan Haidt's account of empirical ethics. Be sure to mention the "press agent theory" of moral reasoning, the moral cores, and the analogies we mentioned to help understand his views. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
open-ended paragraph response
We distinguished four positions on the realist/relativist spectrum. Explain each in terms of the analogous non-moral belief with which we associated it. Where would you position yourself, and why? What's the best objection to your position?
open-ended paragraph response
Haidt claims that morality is based on four foundations, which are sort of like clusters of intuitive values. Which of the following is NOT one of the four foundations Haidt identifies? (Note that the four foundations are described in several different ways through out the reading, and even for the correct answers below, not all of the terms actually appear in the text. Nonetheless, one of the answers below is clearly NOT discussed at all.)
trust, honesty, simplicity
