PHIL 103 Final Exam Test Questions
To a cultural relativist, when someone says, "Capital punishment is wrong," what is that person really saying?
"My culture says that capital punishment is wrong."
Aristotle argues that the greatest good for humans is eudaimonia, which means
"happiness" or "flourishing."
In the conditional statement "If an action has good consequences, then it is a good action," which of these is the consequent?
"it is a good action"
Premise indicator words include
"since" and "given that."
Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between a moral theory and considered moral judgment?
A moral theory is shaped by considered moral judgments and can help adjudicate conflicts among those judgments and other moral statements.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution explicitly states:
A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
(T/F) A major problem with utilitarianism is that it does not promote human welfare.
False
(T/F) A moral theory is equivalent to a moral code
False
(T/F) A typical moral argument consists of premises and a conclusion, with the conclusion being a nonmoral statement, or judgment
False
(T/F) According to Kant, one must never, under any circumstances, treat a person as a means.
False
(T/F) According to natural law theory, the general principles of right and wrong vary from person to person and from culture to culture.
False
(T/F) According to the author, if one's religious moral code gives conflicting advice on whether it is permissible to drink alcohol, then moral philosophy cannot provide any guidance because the conflict can only be resolved by interpreting religious texts.
False
(T/F) According to the author, in building a moral theory, the most important concern is to include multiple absolute rules.
False
(T/F) Act-utilitarianism fails Criterion 2 of the moral criteria of adequacy (consistency with our moral experiences).
False
(T/F) All major religious thinkers have accepted the divine command theory.
False
(T/F) All moral philosophers accept the Golden Rule as a plausible moral theory.
False
(T/F) All norms are moral norms.
False
(T/F) All parties to the debate believe that passive euthanasia is morally equivalent to active euthanasia.
False
(T/F) An ethical egoist does whatever she or he desires to do or whatever gives her or him the most immediate pleasure.
False
(T/F) An example of moral reasoning is avoiding actions whenever you feel disgusted by them.
False
(T/F) An inductive argument that manages to give probable support to the conclusion is said to be valid.
False
(T/F) Bentham and Mill had identical views on happiness.
False
(T/F) Contemporary virtue ethicists agree that a morality of rule adherence is the goal of ethics.
False
(T/F) Cultural relativism applies only when considering cultures from countries other than ones own.
False
(T/F) Cultural relativists can consistently claim that tolerance of other cultures is morally right everywhere.
False
(T/F) Feelings do not play an important role in our moral experience.
False
(T/F) Imperfect duties are always to be followed; they have no exceptions.
False
(T/F) Kant denies the existence of imperfect duties.
False
(T/F) Kant says that some duties generated by the categorical imperative are absolute. They are perfect duties. So, regarding the perfect duty not to lie, Kant would insist that lying is permitted if the only way to prevent the deaths of several innocent people is to lie.
False
(T/F) Moral permissibility is the same thing as legal permissibility.
False
(T/F) Most moral philosophers would probably say that virtues are irrelevant to morality.
False
(T/F) Multivitamins are considered a drug, as defined by doctors, nurses, and medical researchers.
False
(T/F) One can achieve happiness by pursuing happiness directly.
False
(T/F) Opponents of active euthanasia admit that modern medicine cannot relieve intense pain in dying patients.
False
(T/F) Religious moral codes typically provide clear and direct answers to all moral questions.
False
(T/F) Social reformers are always right in the view of a cultural relativist.
False
(T/F) Some philosophers, known as race skeptics, believe that race has a physical scientific basis and argue that the concept of race should be the main focus of science.
False
(T/F) The doctrine of double effect in natural law theory would hold that giving a large dose of morphine for the purpose of ending pain, even if it ends the life of the patient, is not morally permissible.
False
(T/F) The fallacy of assigning two different meanings to the same term in an argument is known as faulty analogy.
False
(T/F) The teleological character of nature has been established by science.
False
(T/F) There are never any good reasons for treating someone differently from the way we treat others.
False
(T/F) To a nonconsequentialist, telling a lie is wrong primarily because it results in bad consequences.
False
(T/F) Utilitarianism reminds us that the consequences of actions must figure in our moral deliberations.
False
(T/F) Virtue ethics and utilitarianism are nearly identical theories.
False
(T/F) Virtue theorists and Kantian theorists agree that one must always act out of a sense of duty, not from such unstable motivations as compassion or loyalty.
False
(T/F) Virtue theorists believe that right action is unimportant.
False
(T/F) When you strictly follow the moral rules passed down to you from others, you are doing ethics.
False
(T/F)Psychological egoism is a moral theory.
False
Which of the following is a reason that religious believers need to do ethics?
Religious rules of conduct sometimes conflict with each other or with our beliefs.
How should we evaluate nonmoral premises?
See whether they are supported by good reasons.
Central to emotivism is the view that moral judgments are not statements that can be true or false. What does emotivism add to this view?
That moral judgments express attitudes and influence others to share those attitudes.
(T/F) One reason to support a harm-reduction drug policy is that criminalization of drugs has disproportionately affected minorities.
True
(T/F) One's considered moral judgments can be mistaken
True
(T/F) Self-interest is a pillar on which the economic system of capitalism is built.
True
(T/F) Some argue against virtue ethics by pointing out that a person may possess all the proper virtues and still be unable to tell right from wrong actions.
True
(T/F) Some kinds of killing are considered by most people to be morally permissible.
True
An act-utilitarian would hold that an abortion is morally right, depending on the rule being followed and the amount of net happiness that results from adhering to the rule.
false, because act-utilitarians are not concerned with the adherence to rules
During which period of a pregnancy is an abortion safest for the mother?
first trimester
Most abortions are performed in the
first twelve weeks of gestation.
An argument in the logical sense is a
group of statements, one of which is supposed to be supported by the rest.
According to Aristotle, moral virtue is acquired through
habit
According to the author, which of the following is crucial to good writing and speaking about moral issues?
honestly and thoroughly considering alternative views
In arguing against the divine command theory, many critics insist that
if an action is right only because God wills it, then many evil actions would be right if God willed them.
If you believe that there is no moral difference between killing someone and letting someone die, you might reason that
in both active and passive euthanasia the patient's death is caused, and they are therefore morally equivalent.
In Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that
in the first three months of pregnancy, the woman's right to an abortion is unrestricted; after this period, a state may regulate (but not ban) abortion; after viability, a state may regulate and even forbid abortions, except when abortion is necessary to preserve the health or life of the woman.
Subjective relativism implies that when a person states their moral beliefs, that person is
incapable of being in error.
In natural law theory, the emphasis on reason makes morality
independent of religion and belief in God.
According to Lawrence Blum, popular thinking about race generally dispenses with the biological component, but not with the idea of ________, the notion that "certain traits of mind, character, and temperament are inescapably part of a racial group's 'nature' and hence define its racial fate."
inherency
Aristotle distinguishes between
intellectual virtues and moral virtues.
Which of the following is broadly illegal and is widely regarded as immoral?
involuntary euthanasia
A major criticism of ethical egoism is that it
is not consistent with one's considered moral judgments.
The main criticism of virtue ethics is that it
is not useful.
A moral theory is inconsistent with our considered moral judgments if
it allows us to torture infants for fun.
Cultural relativists would say that if an action is morally right in one culture
it can be morally wrong in another culture.
Critics of rule-utilitarianism say that
it collapses into act-utilitarianism.
One criticism of social contract theory is that
it is unclear how those who don't explicitly agree to a social contract can be obligated to it.
The one premise that both liberals and conservatives agree on is that
it is wrong to kill an innocent person.
Even if the basic argument for cultural relativism fails, it is an appealing doctrine to many people because
it seems to promote tolerance toward other cultures.
A moral theory would fail to meet the minimum requirement of coherence if
it states that the same action in the same conditions is both right and wrong.
Critics charge that act-utilitarianism's most serious problem is that it conflicts with commonsense views about
justice.
A moral theory is
less useful than a moral code.
Which type of view holds that abortion is always, or almost always, permissible?
liberal
Virtue ethicists try to achieve the moral ideal by
looking to moral exemplars.
Which field would study the following question: "What does it mean for an action to be wrong?"
metaethics
The position that rejects the claim that abortions are almost never permissible as well as the notion that they are almost always permissible is the
moderate position.
For Aristotle, the virtuous and happy life is a life of
moderation.
Aristotle insists that there must be room in morality for
moral achievement.
When looking for moral guidance, a virtue ethicist is likely to consult which of the following?
moral exemplars
Noncognitivism is the view that
moral judgments are not statements that can be true or false.
A statement affirming that an action is right or wrong or that a person is good or bad is called a(n)
moral statement.
Contemporary virtue ethicists maintain that a full-blown ethics must take into account
motives, feelings, intentions, and moral wisdom.
Many philosophers insist that the teleological character of nature has never been supported by logical argument or empirical science because
nature is not teleological at all, but instead random and purposeless.
Which of the following would likely be part of a harm-reduction policy on drug use?
needle-exchange programs
Euthanasia performed on a person who is not competent to decide the issue and has left no instructions regarding end-of-life preferences is called
nonvoluntary euthanasia.
Which field studies the moral principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions and judgments?
normative ethics
According to Kant, negative rights obligate others
not to interfere with our obtaining something.
Which view says that an action may be morally right for a person even if no one, even the person himself, approves of it?
objectivism
If you believe that some moral principles are valid for everyone, regardless of culture or moral outlook, you subscribe to
objectivism.
A major reason for devising a moral theory is to
obtain practical guidance.
Joel Feinberg critiques psychological egoism by arguing that
one cannot pursue happiness directly and expect to find it.
One response that act-utilitarians make to the "no-rest problem" is that
one should be willing to perform, as one's duty, many actions that are usually considered supererogatory.
The preeminence of reason refers to the
overriding importance of critical reasoning in ethics.
Which of the following is widely recognized as being morally unproblematic?
passive voluntary euthanasia
By law, competent patients have the right to refuse any kind of medical treatment. This means that patients have a right to
passive voluntary euthanasia.
Applying the second formulation of the categorical imperative to the act of lying to a friend on important matters would show that the action is impermissible because
performing the action would treat the friend merely as a means to an end.
A being with full moral rights is considered a
person.
Life-threatening withdrawal symptoms are potential consequences of which condition?
physical dependence
In which of the following is the patient the ultimate causal agent of the suicide?
physician-assisted suicide
The phrases "because," "given that," "due to the fact that," and "for the reason that" are
premise indicators.
In an argument, the supporting statements are known as ________; the statement being supported is known as the ________.
premises; conclusion
What does normative ethics study?
principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions and judgments
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decided that a woman's right to an abortion is based on a fundamental right to
privacy.
A theory in conflict with one's basic moral experiences is
probably false.
A true ethical egoist chooses actions that
promote his own self-interests.
Like many moral theories, Kant's system fails to
provide an effective means for resolving major conflicts of duties.
The point in fetal development when the mother can feel the fetus moving is
quickening.
The unfavorable treatment of people because of their race is called
racial discrimination
Consequentialist moral theories say that what makes an action right is its
results.
Act-utilitarianism is the theory that
right actions are those that directly produce the best balance of good over evil, everyone considered.
A valid deductive argument is defined as an argument with
a conclusion that must be true if the premises are true.
An emotivist would call a moral disagreement about abortion
a disagreement in attitude.
Kant believes that every action implies
a general rule, or maxim.
A key argument for strong affirmative action is based on
a history of injustices against minorities.
Hobbes believes that a secure and orderly society arises from a social contract and
a powerful sovereign.
What is an implied premise?
a premise that is not explicitly stated
The sociologist Tanya Maria Golash-Boza says that race is
a social construction.
Which view says that moral judgments ascribe moral properties to actions or people and are statements that can be true or false?
cognitivism
The first step in assessing a theory is to ensure that the theory meets the minimum requirement of
coherence.
Human development begins at
conception.
The slippery slope argument against active voluntary euthanasia is what kind of argument?
consequentialist
In Kant's theory, the freedom and rights of persons override
consequentialist concerns.
Which of the following must an adequate moral theory be consistent with?
considered moral judgments
Aquinas says that judging the rightness of actions is a matter of
consulting reason and considering rational grounds for moral beliefs.
A serious criticism of Kant's theory is that it
allows too much subjectivity in moral decision making.
Some opponents of active euthanasia argue that euthanasia is uncalled for; a dying patient in the grip of unimaginable pain, for example, does not have to be killed to escape her agony. Modern medicine offers dying patients unprecedented levels of pain relief. A common reply to this argument is
although it is possible to manage even severe pain well, too often pain is not well managed.
The means-ends principle is the rule that one must
always treat people as ends in themselves, never merely as a means.
Therapeutic abortion refers to
an abortion performed to protect the life or health of the mother.
Subjective relativism is the doctrine that
an action is morally right if one approves of it.
What is a moral theory?
an explanation of what makes an action right or what makes a person or thing good
What is a negative right?
an obligation for others to not prevent us from obtaining something
The fallacy of arguing that the absence of evidence entitles us to believe a claim is called
appeal to ignorance.
What is the fallacy used in the following passage? "John argues that active euthanasia is sometimes morally acceptable. But we can reject out of hand anything he has to say because he's an ultraconservative."
appeal to the person
Applied ethics is the
application of moral norms to specific moral issues or cases.
Which field concerns questions such as "Was this abortion permissible?" or "Was this instance of mercy killing immoral?"
applied ethics
Virtue ethics claims that the right action is the one performed by the virtuous person and that the virtuous person is the one who performs the right action. But some philosophers say that this way of framing the matter amounts to
arguing in a circle.
A group of statements, one of which is supported by the rest, is called a(n)
argument
A key premise in the argument for active euthanasia is that the right of self-determination includes the right of competent persons to decide the manner of their dying. This premise is
controversial.
Which form does the following argument have? "Nonhuman animals do not have rights. And if nonhuman animals did have rights, it would be wrong to eat meat. Therefore, it is not wrong to eat meat."
denying the antecedent
The primary argument for ethical egoism
depends heavily on psychological egoism.
Refusing to give a good worker a raise in pay just because he is black or Hispanic is an example of
discrimination
Nonconsequentialist moral theories say that the rightness of an action
does not depend entirely on its consequences.
Paternalists argue that the best reason to oppose the legalization of drugs is that some people will be worse off if drugs are legalized. The people referred to here would be
drug users.
Suppose a moral theory is inconsistent with two of your most trustworthy and important moral judgments (and other considerations do not counterbalance this fact). You should then regard the theory as
dubious and possibly false.
The fallacy of assigning two different meanings to the same term in an argument is known as
equivocation
According to emotivism, if someone says, "No one should eat meat," that person is
expressing his/her emotions.
Some people contend that regardless of the moral permissibility of euthanasia in specific cases, a general rule (that is, a social policy or law) permitting some types of euthanasia would cause more harm than good. This kind of argument is based on
rule-utilitarianism.
The claim that morality arises from an agreement that self-interested and rational people abide by in order to secure a degree of peace, prosperity, and safety is called
social contract theory.
Objectivism is the view that
some moral principles are valid for everyone.
A valid deductive argument with true premises is said to be
sound.
Aristotle says that the moral life consists not in following moral rules that stipulate right actions but in
striving to be a virtuous person whose actions stem naturally from virtuous character.
Which view holds that there is no objective morality and that cultural norms do not make something right or wrong but rather that individuals do?
subjective relativism
Inductive arguments are
supposed to offer only probable support for their conclusions.
What is the dominance of moral norms?
that moral norms override nonmoral norms when there is a conflict
A categorical imperative tells us
that we should do something in all situations regardless of our wants and needs.
Aristotle's notion of a moral virtue is what he calls
the Golden Mean.
Applying the first formulation of the categorical imperative to the act of lying to a friend would show that the action is impermissible because
the action's maxim cannot be universalized.
Some argue that preferential programs create role models for minorities and women. These role models are essential for demonstrating to young people that significant achievement is possible. Opponents reply that
the best role models are people who are the most competent, regardless of race or gender.
According to Kant, all of one's moral duties can be derived from
the categorical imperative.
Natural law theory adjudicates between conflicting moral duties using
the doctrine of double effect.
Many advocates of euthanasia contend that if a competent dying patient is in agony and asks to be put out of his or her misery (active voluntary euthanasia), rejecting his or her plea for mercy would be to act against which moral principle?
the duty of beneficence
If, according to Jeremy Bentham, only the total quantity of happiness produced by an action matters, then the person closest to the moral ideal would be
the glutton.
A Kantian approach to abortion is more likely than a utilitarian approach to abortion to be concerned with the moral status of the fetus as a person.
true, because Kantian approaches to ethics value treating people as ends in themselves, and if the fetus is a person, it should be treated as an end in itself
(T/F) Modus ponens is symbolized by the following: if p, then q; p; therefore, q.
True
(T/F) Moral agents can be mistaken about their moral experience.
True
(T/F) Natural law theorists maintain that some actions are always wrong.
True
(T/F) Nothing is truly good or bad, according to emotivists.
True
Which of the following is MOST likely an implied premise in the following argument? "It is wrong to lie, because lying is unnatural."
All unnatural actions are wrong.
Which type of view holds that abortion is never, or almost never, morally permissible?
Conservative
Cultural relativists may believe their theory promotes tolerance of other cultures. However, the author argues against this. Which statement best summarizes his argument?
Cultural relativists cannot consistently say that tolerance is objectively good.
Which of the following BEST summarizes the Euthyphro dilemma that Socrates raises for divine command theory?
Either actions are morally right because God wills them to be so, or God commands actions because they are right, and both options lead to problems for divine command theory.
Which of the following statements BEST summarizes what the author describes as important features of ethics?
Ethics requires that we be able to give good reasons for our judgments, especially when we judge that two people should be treated differently.
Which of the following correctly applies the principle of impartiality?
Everyone deserves the same treatment, unless there is a morally relevant reason to favor someone.
Which of the following is true according to subjective relativism?
I cannot be mistaken about what is morally right for me.
Within the context of drug legalization, some critics of legal moralism argue that, if legal moralism were applied in different contexts, other practices, like cheating at golf, plagiarizing, and lying to a spouse, would also have to be illegal. How is this intended as an objection to legal moralism?
It's not clear why the immorality of drug use is sufficient for making it illegal, when the other also immoral practices are not against the law.
What does it mean if something is instrumentally valuable?
Its value comes from its use as a tool.
Some might argue that euthanasia is never permissible because it entails treating persons as mere disposable things. This stance is most likely based on
Kantian ethics.
What is a major difference between descriptive ethics and normative ethics?
Normative ethics implies that some people's moral beliefs are incorrect, whereas descriptive ethics does not.
Miguel believes that it is wrong for a doctor to assist a patient in committing suicide. To convince others of this, he provides the reason that it is up to God when someone dies, not up to humans. According to the author, what would be a major limitation of Miguel's strategy for convincing others to share his belief?
People with different religious views may not accept this reason.
Consider the argument "If a fetus is a person, then it is wrong to kill a fetus. But it is wrong to kill a fetus. Therefore, a fetus is a person." How do we apply the counterexample method to test the validity of this argument?
Provide a twin argument with the same form that is obviously invalid.
(T/F) A cultural relativist will agree with this statement: "It is morally permissible to smoke marijuana in Amsterdam if the culture of Amsterdam approves of it.
True
(T/F) A moral theory that is internally inconsistent is not eligible for further evaluation
True
(T/F) According to Aquinas, right actions are those that accord with the natural law.
True
(T/F) According to social contract theory, morality is objective.
True
(T/F) All divisions of ethics concern both values and obligations. These two topics are similar in that they both concern things that we care about - things that we can favor or oppose.
True
(T/F) An act-utilitarian might see euthanasia as morally impermissible because it rules out the possibility of future happiness for the person who dies.
True
(T/F) An inductive argument is not intended to provide decisive support to its conclusion
True
(T/F) Critics claim that virtue ethicists argue in a circle when they speak about moral character and right action.
True
(T/F) Drug addiction is defined as an intense craving for the drug and compulsive, uncontrolled use of the drug despite harm done to the user or other people.
True
(T/F) Emotivists believe that moral judgments are about feelings rather than the truth or falsity of moral statements.
True
(T/F) Ethical egoism says that the morally right action is the one that produces the most favorable balance of good over evil for oneself
True
(T/F) For Kant, promise keeping is a perfect duty.
True
(T/F) Hasty generalization is a fallacy of inductive reasoning.
True
(T/F) If a moral belief such as "Equals should be treated equally" is self evident, then we can be confident that it is true, unless we find good evidence against it.
True
(T/F) If money is instrumentally valuable, then having a paying job is also instrumentally valuable.
True
(T/F) In general, intention plays a larger role in natural law theory than it does in Kant's categorical imperative.
True
(T/F) Kantian ethics would likely condemn illicit drug use because it impairs autonomy.
True
(T/F) Many great religious thinkers have relied on reason to understand the truths of morality.
True
(T/F) Some opponents of active voluntary euthanasia argue that lifting a moral or legal prohibition against this kind of mercy killing will dilute respect for life and encourage a slow slide from active voluntary euthanasia to active nonvoluntary euthanasia and then perhaps to involuntary euthanasia. This is a slippery slope argument.
True
(T/F) The doctrine of double effect says that performing a good action may be permissible even if it has bad effects, but performing a bad action for the purpose of achieving good effects is never permissible.
True
(T/F) The rate of gun ownership in the United States is among the highest rates in the world.
True
(T/F) The statement "Shoplifting is wrong" attempts to influence others' attitudes about shoplifting, according to emotivists.
True
(T/F) The strongest arguments for active voluntary euthanasia are built on two fundamental moral principles: persons have (1) a right of self-determination and (2) an obligation to help someone in serious distress or peril (if they are in a position to help without great risk to themselves)
True
(T/F) The traditional idea about race is that it consists of heritable biological features common to all members of a racial group—features that explain the character and cultural traits of those members. However, most scientists and philosophers believe that this view is false.
True
(T/F) This statement is morally sound for subjective relativists: "If I think that inflicting pain on an innocent child for no reason is right (that is, I approve of such an action), then the action is right."
True
(T/F) Virtue ethics puts primary emphasis on being a good person and living a good life.
True
(T/F) What matters most in act-utilitarianism is how much net happiness comes directly from performing an action, as opposed to how much happiness following a rule that applies to the action tends to create.
True
(T/F) William Frankena says that virtues without principles are blind.
True
The essential question of the morality of drug policy and law is,
Under what circumstances is the government justified in preventing recreational drug use?
If I say that violence is never morally permissible, and you say that violence is sometimes morally permissible, then which statement is true according to subjective relativism?
We are not having a moral disagreement.
If you and I belong to the same culture, and I say capital punishment is always wrong, whereas you say capital punishment is sometimes right, which statement is true according to cultural relativism?
We can resolve our disagreement through an opinion poll.
Which of these questions belongs to metaethics?
What does it mean for an action to be right?
Assume that human life is intrinsically valuable. Which of these conclusions is BEST supported by that assumption?
Whatever helps humans stay alive is instrumentally valuable.
Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the disadvantages of trying to avoid doing ethics?
You will not really be in control of your own choices, and you will run a risk of being lost if your moral beliefs do not answer certain questions
The principle of universalizability demands that a moral statement that applies to one situation must apply in
all other situations that are relevantly similar.
The liberal argues that if the unborn is not a person until birth, and it is wrong to kill a person, then
abortion before birth would not be the killing of an innocent person.
The deliberate termination of a pregnancy by surgical or medical (with drugs) means is known generally as
abortion, or induced abortion.
For Kant, to act with a good will is to
act with a desire to do one's duty simply because it is one's duty.
Consider a scenario involving the possible killing of an innocent person for the good of others. Such an action could conceivably be sanctioned by
act-utilitarianism.
Which actions does divine command theory say are morally right?
actions that God commands
Those who believe there is a profound moral difference between killing and letting die believe there is a corresponding moral difference between
active and passive euthanasia.
The principle of autonomy (the right of self-determination) can be used to argue for
active euthanasia.
Name the form of the following argument: If the dog barks, something must be wrong. Something must be wrong. Therefore, the dog will bark.
affirming the consequent
Cognitivism is the view that moral statements
can be true or false.
Cultural relativism implies that the abolition of slavery in the United States
cannot be regarded as moral progress.
The traditional definition of death is
cessation of breathing and heartbeat.
A strong inductive argument with true premises is said to be
cogent.
An argument that is supposed to give logically conclusive support to its conclusion is said to be
deductive.
Consider this argument: "Drugs are addictive and addiction is a disease where the addict can no longer make free choices. Addicts are slaves to the drug and will commit any number of crimes to support their addictions. We should prohibit drug use to prevent this corruption of society." This view draws support from
the harm principle.
The dominance of moral norms suggests that if a speed limit on a highway conflicts with a person's moral duty to rush a dying man to the hospital, then
the moral duty would take precedence over the legal duty.
Ethics, or moral philosophy, is
the philosophical study of topics such as right and wrong
Some supporters of decriminalization reject utilitarian standards for evaluating drug law and policy because
the real issue is not harm and benefits, but justice.
Ethical egoism is the theory that
the right action is the one that advances one's own best interests.
What is descriptive ethics?
the scientific study of moral beliefs and practices
The text uses the example of breaking a promise in order to save someone's life as evidence against Kant's claim that
there are exceptionless moral duties.
Which of the following is required by the principle of impartiality?
to justify any discriminatory treatment by providing morally relevant differences
Recreational drug use likely violates Kant's categorical imperative, because using drugs
treats a person merely as a means to an end.
A rule-utilitarian could hold that abortion is morally right or wrong, depending on the rule being followed and how much net happiness results from adhering to it.
true, because rule-utilitarians generalize from rules thought to maximize happiness, and such rules could allow or disallow abortion
If a Kantian maintained that the fetus is a person with full moral rights, then very few moral reasons, one such reason being self-defense, would be compelling enough to override those moral rights.
true, because the Kantian would argue that abortion is permissible if the fetus is threatening the mother's life
According to natural law theorists, direct, intentional killing of a fetus is always morally impermissible.
true, because the fetus is an innocent person, and it is always morally wrong to directly kill the innocent
Not thinking too deeply or too systematically about ethical concerns
undermines your personal freedom
The official position of the American Medical Association, the main professional group for physicians, is that physician-assisted suicide is
unethical.
Kant's theory emphasizes three of morality's most important features; the three are
universality, impartiality, and respect for persons.
Kant's first version of the categorical imperative focuses on
universality.
Which of these is a method to test the truth of a moral premise?
using counterexamples
Generally, in virtue ethics, moral obligations are derived from
virtues
Rosalind Hursthouse responds to criticisms that virtue ethics may not offer guidance in all situations by claiming that
we can discover our moral duties by examining the terms that refer to virtues and vices.
