Question 1

The Divine Command theory assumes that &#8230;&#10;A) Nothing but God can create moral laws&#10;B) God's authority is necessary for moral rectitude&#10;C) God exists&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The Divine Command theory assumes all of the given options. It posits that moral laws can only come from God's authority, and therefore, it assumes that God exists.

Question 2

An objection to normative cultural relativism is that &#8230;&#10;A) It can be false, even if descriptive relativism is true&#10;B) It is incompatible with the Divine Command theory&#10;C) It fails to capture moral diversity&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Normative cultural relativism, which states that moral standards are relative to cultures and that no moral principles can be universally applied, can be false even if descriptive relativism, which simply recognizes that moral beliefs and practices vary between cultures, is true. This is because moral beliefs and practices can be evaluated in terms of their coherence, consistency, and consequences, regardless of cultural differences. Therefore, the objection to normative cultural relativism is that it fails to provide a meaningful account of moral judgments and their justification. The other choices are not as relevant to this objection. Divine Command theory is a meta-ethical theory that grounds morality in the commands of God, which is different from cultural relativism. Moral diversity is recognized by descriptive relativism, but it does not address the normative question of how to judge moral diversity.

Question 3

The Principle of Double Effect is used by &#8230;&#10;A) Utilitarians&#10;B) Cultural relativists&#10;C) Natural Law theorists&#10;D) Kantians

Accepted Answer

The Principle of Double Effect is a concept developed by Natural Law theorists, particularly Catholic theologians, to address the complex ethical issues surrounding actions that have both good and bad consequences. It allows an action that has an unintended negative consequence to be considered morally permissible under certain conditions, such as when the good consequence is morally significant and the negative consequence is not intended as an end in itself. Utilitarians, Cultural Relativists, and Kantians do not use this principle in their ethical theories.

Question 4

If Natural Law theory is correct, then &#8230;&#10;A) Morality is objective&#10;B) The origin of morality is society&#10;C) Knowing the right thing to do is impossible&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Natural Law theory holds that moral principles are inherent in the nature of human beings and the world around us, meaning that morality is objective and universal. This theory rejects the idea that morality is solely determined by society or culture, and instead argues that it is based on fundamental principles that can be known through reason. Therefore, knowing the right thing to do is not impossible, but rather can be discovered through rational inquiry guided by the principles of Natural Law.

Question 5

One objection to utilitarianism is that &#8230;&#10;A) It amounts to the rejection of morality&#10;B) It may lead to treating individuals unfairly&#10;C) It takes lying to be always wrong&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism prioritizes the well-being of the majority over individual rights and interests, which may lead to treating individuals unfairly. However, utilitarianism does not reject morality nor does it take lying to be always wrong.

Question 6

Given consequentialism, a medical decision for a patient is right in the case that &#8230;&#10;A) It treats the patient as a person&#10;B) It maximizes health benefits, or minimizes harms&#10;C) It distributes health care resources fairly&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Consequentialism focuses on the consequences of actions, and in the case of medical decision-making, the right decision would be one that maximizes health benefits for the patient or minimizes harms. While treating the patient as a person and distributing health care resources fairly are important considerations in medical ethics, they are not the primary focus of consequentialism.

Question 7

Mill's ethical theory is a form of &#8230;&#10;A) Pluralist ethics&#10;B) Act utilitarianism&#10;C) Ethical relativism&#10;D) Virtue ethics

Accepted Answer

Mill's ethical theory is a form of act utilitarianism, meaning that he believed actions should be chosen based on their ability to maximize happiness for the greatest number of people.

Question 8

Kant calls 'maxim' &#8230;&#10;A) A principle of action that agrees with common morality&#10;B) A principle of action that one would follow under ideal conditions&#10;C) A principle of action that one gives to oneself&#10;D) A principle of action that agrees with human nature

Accepted Answer

Kant defines maxim as a principle of action that one gives to oneself based on practical reason. He argues that moral actions must be done in accordance with a maxim that can be universally applied, and not out of self-interest or emotion. Thus, the correct choice is (C) - a principle of action that one gives to oneself.

Question 9

Kant's ethics can be understood as a form of &#8230;&#10;A) Consequentialism&#10;B) Particularism&#10;C) Ethical pluralism&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Kant's ethics can be understood as a form of deontological ethics, which is neither consequentialist nor particularist nor ethical pluralist.

Question 10

According to virtue ethics, the most basic question of morality is &#8230;&#10;A) Which values should I seek to promote?&#10;B) What kind of person should I be?&#10;C) Which rule should I follow?&#10;D) How might my actions affect others?

Accepted Answer

Virtue ethics focuses on developing good character traits and becoming a good person rather than solely following rules or seeking to promote certain values. Therefore, the most basic question of morality according to virtue ethics is "What kind of person should I be?" (choice B).

Question 11

The moral theory inspired by Carol Gilligan's In a Different Voice is known as &#8230;&#10;A) Care ethics&#10;B) Ethical egoism&#10;C) Natural law ethics&#10;D) Utilitarianism

Accepted Answer

The answer of The moral theory inspired by Carol Gilligan's...

Question 12

Carol Gilligan believes that rights and justice &#8230;&#10;A) Are not emphasized enough in ethical theory&#10;B) Are overly emphasized in ethical theory&#10;C) Are the key to understanding morality&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Carol Gilligan believes that rights and justice...

Question 13

Ross attempted to justify his list of seven prima facie duties by appeal to &#8230;&#10;A) Fundamental moral principles that imply those duties&#10;B) Intuition and self-evidence&#10;C) Common morality&#10;D) What a virtuous agent, acting in character, does

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ross attempted to justify his list of...

Question 14

In Rossian ethics, a moral reason to act or abstain from acting in a certain way is one's actual duty in the case that &#8230;&#10;A) It is one's duty, other things being equal&#10;B) It is one's duty, all things considered&#10;C) It follows from an absolute moral principle&#10;D) It is mandated by statute

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Rossian ethics, a moral reason to...

Question 15

According to Ross, a moral agent evaluates an action in a situation by reflecting on &#8230;&#10;A) Moral rules that apply to relevantly similar situations&#10;B) Her prima facie duties given the action's right- and wrong-making features&#10;C) What a virtuous person, acting in character, would do in relevantly similar situations&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Ross, a moral agent evaluates...

Question 16

Ethical particularism is consistent with &#8230;&#10;A) Ethical monism&#10;B) Ethical absolutism&#10;C) The ethics of prima facie duties&#10;D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Ethical particularism is consistent with &#8230;&#10;A) Ethical...

Question 17

According to moral particularism, the right thing to do for an agent in a situation depends on &#8230;&#10;A) A universally valid moral rule&#10;B) Intuition about her actual duty in the situation&#10;C) Moral discernment on the details of the situation&#10;D) What the virtuous agent, acting in character, would do in a similar situation

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to moral particularism, the right thing...

Question 18

State what you consider the best reason for, and the best reason against, normative cultural relativism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of State what you consider the best reason...

Question 19

State the Principle of Double Effect and discuss under which circumstances, if any, the principle might justify harvesting donated organs from anencephalic newborns.

Accepted Answer

The answer of State the Principle of Double Effect and...

Question 20

Explain why virtue ethics might face the problems of indeterminacy, relativity of virtue, and weak evidence for the existence of moral character.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why virtue ethics might face the...

Question 21

Chapter 2's closing remarks argue that the moral theories can sharpen our thinking about what to do or believe morally in a situation. What does this mean? Illustrate with examples. Suggestion: use some of the cases presented in the chapter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Chapter 2's closing remarks argue that the...

Question 22

Why does classical utilitarianism amount to a position that is neither altruism nor egoism?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does classical utilitarianism amount to a...

Deck 2: Philosophical Accounts of Morality