Deck 56: Moral Saints Susan Wolf

Question 1

Wolf defines a "moral saint" as a person who

A) is as morally worthy as possible.
B) tries to be as religiously observant as possible.
C) dies for the cause of morality.
D) All of the above

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A Loving Saint is someone

A) whose happiness lies in the happiness of others.
B) who pays little or no attention to his own happiness, in light of the overriding importance of morality.
C) loves all human beings equally.
D) is morally perfect only in relation to those she loves.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A Rational Saint is someone

A) whose happiness lies in the happiness of others.
B) who pays little or no attention to their own happiness, in light of the overriding importance of morality.
C) who never makes an error in reasoning.
D) acts morally only when it is in their rational self-interest.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

According to Wolf, a moral saint

A) cannot read Victorian novels.
B) cannot have a sarcastic wit.
C) cannot have an interest in gourmet cooking.
D) All of the above

Question 5

Wolf claims that the life of the moral saint-that is, a life lived perfectly morally-is

A) the best life and the one we are required to strive to live.
B) the best life but one we are not required to strive to live.
C) a life that is, in some key respects, unattractive.
D) a positively bad life.

Question 6

Moral sainthood shares its troubling feature of fanaticism with

A) the pure aesthete.
B) the thoroughgoing egoist.
C) certain religious ideals.
D) All of the above

Question 7

Both Loving Saints and Rational Saints share in common

A) the overriding motive to surpass the average person in moral excellence.
B) dedication to utilitarian ideals.
C) the overriding motive to be as morally good as possible.
D) dedication to Kantian ideals.

Question 8

Wolf claims that ultimately, philosophers must consider how to live from

A) the moral point of view.
B) the point of view of virtue.
C) the point of view of individual perfection.
D) a perspective that makes room for non-moral values.

Question 9

Wolf argues that it is natural upon reflection to feel that a moral saint would be

A) too good to be psychologically possible.
B) too good for her own well-being.
C) too good for the well-being of others.
D) All of the above

Question 10

Wolf claims that allowing morality to dominate our lives

A) enhances our commitment to non-moral pursuits.
B) almost always ends up causing us to behave immorally.
C) enhances our sense of having an identifiable, personal self.
D) requires the lack or the denial of the existence of an identifiable, personal self.

Question 11

According to Wolf, moral saints cannot develop in themselves a variety of non-moral virtues and social interests because they are completely consumed by being moral.

Question 12

Wolf claims that a necessary condition of moral sainthood is that one's life be dominated by a commitment to improving the welfare of others or society as a whole.

Question 13

According to Wolf, a moral saint may compensate for her strenuous devotion to altruism with sarcastic wit, which is relatively harmless.

Question 14

Wolf argues that morality is a suitable object of passion.

Question 15

Wolf claims that, when it comes to admiring people, there seems to be a limit to how much morality we can stand.

Question 16

Wolf regards moral sainthood as a model of personal well-being that it is rational, but not good, for human beings to strive towards.

Question 17

Wolf denies that moral sainthood requires the denial of the existence of an identifiable, personal self.

Question 18

According to Wolf, the utilitarian moral saint cannot exist.

Question 19

Moral saints would spend most of their time reading interesting books and creating and appreciating art, cuisine, and music.

Question 20

The moral saint shares something important in common with the pure aesthete, the religious person fanatic, and the egoist.

Question 21

What is a moral saint? Is moral saintliness a desirable ideal? Why or why not?

Question 22

What two models of moral sainthood does Wolf distinguish? To whom does she think each would appeal and why? Do you find one model more attractive than the other? Defend your answer.

Question 23

What lessons for moral philosophy does Wolf draw from her conclusion that moral sainthood is an unattractive ideal? What ideal does she substitute in its place? Do you agree with her?

Question 24

What would moral sainthood look like for a utilitarian? What objections does Wolf raise to this as an ideal? Do you find her objections compelling? Defend your answer.