Question 1

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Stace characterizes ethical relativism as
A) the extreme right wing of moral philosophy.
B) the extreme left wing of moral philosophy.
C) conservative.
D) old-fashioned.

Accepted Answer

Stace characterizes ethical relativism as the extreme left wing of moral philosophy, contrasting it with ethical absolutism, which he associates with Christian theology.

Question 2

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Ethical absolutism developed out of
A) Christian theology.
B) Greek mythology.
C) Jewish mysticism.
D) Arabic numerology.

Accepted Answer

Ethical absolutism developed out of Christian theology, as mentioned in the context provided.

Question 3

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-When a culture has a different sense of what is right and wrong, according to an absolutist, they most likely ___________ the one, true moral code.
A) have varying interpretations of
B) are living in ignorance of
C) understand
D) purposefully disregard

Accepted Answer

According to an absolutist perspective, if a culture has a different sense of right and wrong, they are likely seen as being ignorant of the one, true moral code.

Question 4

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-For an absolutist, not recognizing a universal moral truth is akin to not recognizing a ___________ truth.
A) mortal
B) legal
C) scientific
D) professional

Accepted Answer

Absolutists equate universal moral truths with scientific truths, which are considered objective and universally valid.

Question 5

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Which of the following is NOT true of ethical absolutism?
A) It is applicable to all people.
B) It is applicable at all times.
C) Its laws and morals are unvarying.
D) Its laws and morals are limited by considerations of time and space.

Accepted Answer

Ethical absolutism holds that moral principles are universal and unchanging, not limited by time or space.

Question 6

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Ethical relativism is a denial of
A) ethical standards.
B) ethical absolutism.
C) moral philosophy.
D) unrecognized presuppositions.

Accepted Answer

Ethical relativism denies ethical absolutism by rejecting the idea of universal moral standards, instead asserting that moral principles are relative to cultural or individual perspectives.

Question 7

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-According to Stace, ethical relativists use the term ___________ in a different sense than that used by ethical absolutists.
A) culture
B) custom
C) standard
D) science

Accepted Answer

Stace argues that ethical relativists use the term "standard" differently than ethical absolutists, as relativists equate what is right with what is thought to be right, unlike absolutists who distinguish between the two.

Question 8

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Ethical relativism arose in part as a result of
A) renewed fervor in religious dogma.
B) the decay of belief in the dogmas of orthodox religion.
C) belief in Christian monotheism.
D) reactionary tendencies of the 1960s.

Accepted Answer

Ethical relativism arose in part due to the decline in belief in the dogmas of orthodox religion, as people began to question absolute moral standards derived from religious teachings.

Question 9

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Ethical absolutists would agree with which of the following statements?
A) What is right is not the same as what is thought to be right.
B) What is right is the same as what is thought to be right.
C) No universal moral standards exist.
D) What is right differs across different times and periods.

Accepted Answer

Ethical absolutists believe in universal moral standards, distinguishing between what is objectively right and what is merely perceived to be right.

Question 10

Walter Stace | On Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism can be understood as an extreme left-wing response to ethical absolutism, which arose naturally out of Christian theology. Stace points out that while the former denies the latter, it also uses the term standard in a different way. While absolutist distinguishes between what is right and what is only thought to be right, the relativist sees them as the same.
-Ethical relativists would agree with which of the following statements?
A) What is right is not the same as what is thought to be right.
B) What is right is the same as what is thought to be right.
C) Universal moral standards exist across different cultures.
D) What is right does not differ across the ages.

Accepted Answer

Ethical relativists believe that what is considered right is determined by cultural or individual beliefs, meaning what is right is the same as what is thought to be right.

Question 11

Stace draws a parallel between ethics and science by stating that someone who holds morals other than those of a universal moral code is simply ignorant of the absolute truths, in the same way that someone believing that the earth is flat is simply ignorant of the scientific truth that the earth is shaped like a globe. Do you agree that this comparison is justified? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stace draws a parallel between ethics and...

Question 12

Do you see a contradiction between believing that the ideas of philosophers are "molded by the civilizations in which they live" and also believing that there exist universal moral truths unaffected by considerations of space and time? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Do you see a contradiction between believing...

Question 13

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-Aristotle states that the person most qualified to judge a subject
A) is youthful in character.
B) is young in years.
C) has experience in that subject.
D) follows one's passions.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle argues that the person most qualified to judge a subject is one who has experience in that subject, as experience provides the necessary understanding and insight.

Question 14

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-While most people would agree that the highest good achievable by action is ___________, they differ on what exactly is meant by this term.
A) politics
B) contemplation
C) happiness
D) virtue

Accepted Answer

Happiness is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.

Question 15

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-The end, or goal, of a political life is
A) happiness.
B) honor.
C) wealth.
D) pleasure.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this...

Question 16

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-For Aristotle, the chief good must NOT be
A) final.
B) desirable in itself.
C) desired for the sake of something else.
D) chosen for its own sake.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle argues that the chief good must be final, desirable in itself, and chosen for its own sake, meaning it should not be desired for the sake of something else.

Question 17

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-Self-sufficiency, for Aristotle, is
A) counted as one good thing among others.
B) includes one's ancestors, descendants, and friends of friends.
C) what would make someone sufficient in isolation.
D) what makes life desirable and lacking in nothing.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle argues that self-sufficiency is what makes life desirable and lacking in nothing, as it is the ultimate goal that fulfills all needs and desires, leading to true happiness.

Question 18

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-One who delights in abstaining from pleasure, according to Aristotle, would be considered
A) brave.
B) a coward.
C) self-indulgent.
D) temperate.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle considers temperance a virtue, which involves moderation and self-control, especially in relation to pleasures.

Question 19

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-Eudoxus saw pleasure as good because
A) all things, both rational and irrational, aim for the good.
B) pleasure is not an object of choice.
C) pleasure added to the good makes it unworthy of choice.
D) the good is not pleasure.

Accepted Answer

Eudoxus argued that pleasure is good because all things, both rational and irrational, aim for the good, suggesting that pleasure is universally sought after.

Question 20

Aristotle | On the Good Life
In this excerpt from The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores what it means to lead a good life and how this is related to pleasure, pain, virtue, and character. He concludes that happiness, or pleasure, is the chief good, or end goal, of a well-lived life.
-Which of the following is NOT an example Aristotle uses to describe the disgraceful pleasures?
A) something derived from base sources
B) something derived from noble sources
C) a reward of betrayal
D) something derived from disease

Accepted Answer

Aristotle does not describe pleasures derived from noble sources as disgraceful; rather, he considers them aligned with virtue and the good life.

Quiz 2: How to Be Ethical

Do you see a contradiction between believing that the ideas of philosophers are "molded by the civilizations in which they live" and also believing that there exist universal moral truths unaffected by considerations of space and time? Why or why not?