Question 1

To call a judgment "factual" is to say that it is true.

Accepted Answer

A judgment being "factual" means it is based on or concerned with facts, but it does not necessarily mean it is true, as facts can be interpreted or used incorrectly.

Question 2

Divine Command Theory seems to imply that if God commanded gratuitous acts of torture those acts would be right.

Accepted Answer

Divine Command Theory posits that an action's moral status is determined solely by God's commands, so if God were to command gratuitous acts of torture, those acts would be considered morally right within this framework.

Question 3

Virginia Held argues that if there is a social contract, it is actually a "domination contract."

Accepted Answer

Virginia Held is known for her work in feminist ethics, not for arguing that social contracts are actually "domination contracts." This perspective is more closely associated with Carole Pateman's critique of traditional social contract theories. Held, instead, critiques traditional ethics from a feminist perspective and emphasizes the importance of care ethics.

Question 4

Carol Gilligan argued that there is a special sort of female thinking about ethical problems.

Accepted Answer

Carol Gilligan, in her book "In a Different Voice," argued that women have a distinct way of thinking about ethical problems, emphasizing care and relationships over abstract principles.

Question 5

"Is abortion wrong?" would be a
A) metaethical question.
B) normative ethical question.
C) factual question.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

This is a normative ethical question because it asks about what actions are right or wrong, which is the domain of normative ethics. It seeks to establish norms or standards of behavior.

Question 6

Moral objectivism says that where we have a moral judgment and its negation
A) both must be true.
B) both must be false.
C) one must be true and the other false.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Moral objectivism holds that moral judgments are objective statements, which means that for any given moral judgment and its negation (opposite statement), one must be true and the other false, reflecting the belief in absolute truths in moral issues.

Question 7

To believe that moral judgments are like statements of taste would make one a
A) moral objectivist.
B) moral subjectivist.
C) utilitarian.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Believing that moral judgments are like statements of taste aligns with moral subjectivism, which holds that moral opinions are based on personal feelings or attitudes rather than objective facts.

Question 8

The "'X is right' means 'I approve of X'" version of moral subjectivism is unsatisfactory because it doesn't
A) specify what "X" is.
B) allow for moral debate.
C) say who "I" is.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

This version of moral subjectivism is criticized because it implies that moral statements are expressions of personal approval or disapproval, which makes genuine moral disagreement or debate difficult. If moral statements are just expressions of personal preference, then there is no objective basis for arguing over them, as they are reduced to matters of individual taste rather than issues that can be rationally discussed or resolved.

Question 9

"Moral preferences" (as defined by the text) are preferences for
A) good over evil.
B) how people should treat one another.
C) how I will treat you, but not how you will treat me.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

"Moral preferences" refer to preferences regarding how people should treat one another, encompassing a broad range of ethical considerations about interpersonal behavior.

Question 10

To say that all moral beliefs are equally true would be to voice a form of
A) metaethical cultural relativism.
B) metaethical individual relativism.
C) normative relativism.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Metaethical individual relativism is the view that moral beliefs are true relative to each individual's perspective, implying that all individual moral beliefs are equally valid.

Question 11

To say that we ought not to judge other cultures would be to voice a form of
A) metaethical cultural relativism.
B) metaethical individual relativism.
C) normative relativism.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Normative relativism posits that what is right or wrong depends on the norms of each culture, thus suggesting we should not judge other cultures by our own standards.

Question 12

Moral objectivism is
A) cognitivist.
B) moral anti-realist.
C) relativist.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Moral objectivism is a form of cognitivism because it asserts that moral statements are capable of being true or false in an objective sense, independent of individual opinions or cultural norms.

Question 13

"If you want to do X, then you ought to do Y" would be a
A) categorical imperative.
B) hypothetical imperative.
C) hypothetical syllogism.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

This statement is an example of a hypothetical imperative, as it presents a conditional command or advice: if one wants to achieve a certain end (X), then one ought to take a certain means (Y). It contrasts with a categorical imperative, which would command an action unconditionally.

Question 14

"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." This quote is from
A) Adam Smith.
B) Jeremy Bentham.
C) Immanuel Kant.
D) John Rawls.

Accepted Answer

This quote is from Immanuel Kant, encapsulating the central idea of his categorical imperative in moral philosophy, which emphasizes acting in a way that one's actions could be universalized as a moral law.

Question 15

"By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question." This quote is from
A) Adam Smith.
B) Jeremy Bentham.
C) Immanuel Kant.
D) John Rawls.

Accepted Answer

This quote is from Jeremy Bentham, who is known for founding the doctrine of utilitarianism, which evaluates actions based on their consequences for overall happiness.

Question 16

John Rawls criticizes utilitarianism on grounds that it
A) doesn't acknowledge the importance of religion.
B) focuses too much on rules.
C) doesn't give enough protection to individuals.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

John Rawls criticizes utilitarianism primarily because he believes it does not provide sufficient protection for individual rights. According to Rawls, utilitarianism, which aims to maximize overall happiness, can justify sacrificing the rights of a few for the greater good of the majority, a stance he finds unacceptable.

Question 17

"To evaluate a person's life we need a kind of 'binocular vision' to assess 'two strands of the good life.'" This quote is from
A) Aristotle.
B) Lawrence Kohlberg.
C) Jonathan Glover.
D) John Rawls.

Accepted Answer

Jonathan Glover discusses the concept of 'binocular vision' in evaluating a person's life, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple aspects or 'strands' of what constitutes a good life. This metaphor highlights the complexity of human well-being and moral evaluation.

Question 18

According to Glover, if one strand of the good life is happiness, the other would be
A) self-satisfaction.
B) flourishing.
C) virtue.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Glover identifies flourishing as the other strand of the good life alongside happiness, emphasizing a holistic view of well-being that includes personal growth and fulfillment.

Question 19

"What's ultimately wrong with cheating someone is not that you're a cheater but that they got cheated; what's ultimately wrong with being mean to someone is not that you're a mean person but that they got hurt." This quote (from the text) is a criticism of
A) utilitarianism.
B) virtue ethics.
C) an ethic of rules.
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

The quote criticizes virtue ethics by focusing on the consequences of actions (someone getting cheated or hurt) rather than the moral character of the person performing the actions (being a cheater or mean).

Question 20

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This quote is from
A) Carol Gilligan.
B) Nel Noddings.
C) Virginia Held.
D) Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Accepted Answer

This quote is a modification of a passage from the Declaration of Independence, adapted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton for the Declaration of Sentiments, presented at the first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Stanton was a leading figure in the early women's rights movement.

Quiz 6: Morality

To call a judgment "factual" is to say that it is true.

Divine Command Theory seems to imply that if God commanded gratuitous acts of torture those acts would be right.

Virginia Held argues that if there is a social contract, it is actually a "domination contract."

Carol Gilligan argued that there is a special sort of female thinking about ethical problems.

"Is abortion wrong?" would be a

Moral objectivism says that where we have a moral judgment and its negation

To believe that moral judgments are like statements of taste would make one a

The "'X is right' means 'I approve of X'" version of moral subjectivism is unsatisfactory because it doesn't

"Moral preferences" (as defined by the text) are preferences for

To say that all moral beliefs are equally true would be to voice a form of

To say that we ought not to judge other cultures would be to voice a form of

Moral objectivism is

"If you want to do X, then you ought to do Y" would be a

"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." This quote is from

"By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question." This quote is from

John Rawls criticizes utilitarianism on grounds that it

"To evaluate a person's life we need a kind of 'binocular vision' to assess 'two strands of the good life.'" This quote is from

According to Glover, if one strand of the good life is happiness, the other would be

"What's ultimately wrong with cheating someone is not that you're a cheater but that they got cheated; what's ultimately wrong with being mean to someone is not that you're a mean person but that they got hurt." This quote (from the text) is a criticism of

"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This quote is from