Deck 1: Ethics: An Overview

Question 1

What are the two traditional subdivisions of moral philosophy?

A) subjectivism and cultural relativism
B) metaphysics and moral reasoning
C) normative ethics and metaethics
D) divine command theory and natural law theory

Answer 1

normative ethics and metaethics

Question 2

Metaphysical dualists believe that:

A) we have more control over our lives when we make "to do" lists.
B) there is only one substance and that is matter. The mind is merely the physical working of a brain.
C) there are no moral truths. Morality is simply a matter of personal opinion.
D) reality is made up of two distinct substances: mind and matter.

Answer 2

reality is made up of two distinct substances: mind and matter.

Question 3

According to Aristotle, what is our most important function as humans?

A) respect for cultural traditions
B) getting in touch with our feelings
C) the pursuit of the good life
D) getting a college degree

Answer 3

the pursuit of the good life

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a noncognitive ethical theory?

A) ethical relativism
B) emotivism
C) universalist theories
D) epistemology

Question 5

In the context of the role of experience in acquiring moral knowledge, which of the following is a belief of positivists?

A) There are some moral norms that must be obeyed by all people.
B) Adhering to commonly held beliefs is the surest path to true wisdom.
C) Each individual is responsible for his or her actions and the consequences of those actions.
D) Moral judgments are simply expressions of an individual's emotions.

Question 6

Unlike the proponents of moral objectivism, absolutists believe that:

A) there are moral norms or principles that everyone should always obey.
B) each human community has the right to define for itself what is ethically right and wrong.
C) morality is dependent on God's will and may differ from person to person.
D) morals are simply expressions of emotional reactions to various situations.

Question 7

Regarding Dr. Jack Kevorkian's impassioned defense of physician-assisted suicide, an emotivist would most likely argue that his position:

A) is right for him as long as he personally feels it is right.
B) is right because his intention is to reduce pain and suffering.
C) is wrong because physician-assisted suicide is illegal.
D) is neither right nor wrong but is just an expression of his feelings.

Question 8

Which of the following statements would you most likely hear from a cultural relativist?

A) "Morality is a private choice."
B) "God approves of the good because it is good."
C) "My country defines what is right or wrong for itself."
D) "An unjust law is not legally binding."

Question 9

Frank and Rosa are arguing about morality. According to Frank, moral truths are absolute and are true for all people, regardless of their nationality or culture. Rosa disagrees, arguing that what is considered moral by one group of people may be considered immoral by another group of people. Rosa's arguments are similar to the views expressed by:

A) moral objectivists.
B) relativist theories of morality.
C) metaphysical dualists.
D) universalist theories of morality.

Question 10

Where would an empiricist be most likely to look for moral knowledge?

A) the scientific method
B) the Bible
C) cultural tradition
D) his or her gut feelings

Question 11

What is it that, by definition, all philosophers love?

A) logic
B) God
C) wisdom
D) toga parties

Question 12

Which of the following people is the best example of an autonomous moral agent?

A) Pierre, who acts on what he personally feels is right for him
B) Hyun, who looks to reason when seeking moral guidance
C) Omar, who looks to cultural traditions when making moral decisions
D) Jayne, who looks to her philosophy professor for answers to what is moral

Question 13

Buddhist metaphysics supports which of the following views of reality?

A) a hierarchical caste system
B) one with a transcendent God at the top
C) an interconnected web
D) a mechanical, deterministic universe

Question 14

Where is truth to be found in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"?

A) on the back wall of the cave
B) in the shadows cast by the puppeteers
C) through serene acceptance of our chains
D) outside the cave

Question 15

Identify a characteristic of karma, an ethical principle in Eastern philosophy and religion.

A) It provides individuals with guidance toward liberation from their past harmful actions and illusions.
B) It holds that there is no such thing as divinity, and consequently, morality is simply an illusion.
C) It suggests that an individual can achieve moral perfection only by embracing an ascetic lifestyle.
D) It claims that morality is nothing more than an individual's emotional response to a situation.

Question 16

Ethical theories that place humans at the center of the moral community are known as:

A) anthropological.
B) anthropocentric.
C) anthropomorphic.
D) utilitarian.

Question 17

Which of the following statements best describes ecofeminist Karen Warren's view of Western dualism?

A) It destroys the concept of moral responsibility by reducing humans to purely material beings.
B) It places too much emphasis on intuition as the source of moral knowledge.
C) It liberates women by placing all humans above other animals.
D) It is based on a "logic of domination" that some people are morally superior to others.

Question 18

In the context of metaphysical materialism, sociobiologists define biological altruism as:

A) an individual's tendency to go to great lengths to help those who share his or her genes.
B) a group's tendency to cooperate with those who are most different from them.
C) a community's use of impartial reasoning to decide which members most need their help.
D) an individual's tendency to value divinity and divine morality over objective reasoning.

Question 19

Which of the following traits would you most likely find in a self-actualized person?

A) authenticity
B) cynicism
C) fatalism
D) egoism

Question 20

Identify the person who said each of the following.

-..the human function is the soul's activity that expresses reason..."

A) Aristotle
B) Alan Dershowitz
C) E. O. Wilson
D) Karen Warren

Question 21

Identify the person who said each of the following.

-"I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet."

A) A. J. Ayer
B) Sandra Harding
C) Socrates
D) the puppeteer

Question 22

Identify the person who said each of the following.

-"We begin by admitting that the fundamental ethical concepts are unanalysable, inasmuch as there is no criterion by which one can test the validity of the judgments in which they occur..."

A) Plato
B) Buddha
C) E. O. Wilson
D) A. J. Ayer

Question 23

Identify the person who said each of the following.

-"The first rule for seeking truth was to accept nothing as true which I did not clearly recognize to be so."

A) A. J. Ayer
B) Aristotle
C) Sigmund Freud
D) René Descartes