Question 1

If God has excellent reasons for laying down the moral law, then
A) God's commands are what make actions right or wrong.
B) the moral law is established by God's commands.
C) these reasons, and not God's commands, are what make actions right or wrong.
D) no actions are right or wrong.

Accepted Answer

If God has excellent reasons for laying down the moral law, it implies that there are underlying reasons or principles that determine the morality of actions, not merely the fact that God commands them. This suggests that it is these reasons, rather than the mere issuing of commands, that make actions right or wrong.

Question 2

Critics say that to avoid portraying God as arbitrary, we must assume that God issues commands based on
A) God's divine will.
B) no particular reasons.
C) God's omnipotence.
D) the best possible reasons.

Accepted Answer

To avoid portraying God as arbitrary, it is argued that God's commands must be based on the best possible reasons, ensuring that the divine will is guided by wisdom and goodness, rather than caprice or arbitrariness.

Question 3

Act-utilitarianism is the view that the rightness of actions depends
A) solely on the character of the agent.
B) on both the relative good produced by individual actions and the conformity to rules.
C) solely on the relative good produced by individual actions.
D) on a good will.

Accepted Answer

Act-utilitarianism posits that the morality of an action is determined by its outcome, specifically the amount of good it produces, without consideration for the character of the agent or adherence to specific rules.

Question 4

Mill declares that it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than
A) a pig satisfied.
B) Socrates satisfied.
C) a fool satisfied.
D) a fool dissatisfied.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Mill declares that it is better to...

Question 5

Principlism is a theory or approach that focuses on
A) always doing the right action for the right reason.
B) cultivating virtues.
C) weighing competing moral principles.
D) doing whatever one feels is the right action.

Accepted Answer

Principlism is an approach in bioethics that focuses on balancing and weighing competing moral principles to resolve ethical dilemmas, rather than adhering strictly to a single rule or outcome.

Question 6

A principle is a prima facie principle if
A) it allows no exceptions.
B) it is generally accepted, but still somewhat controversial.
C) it applies in all cases, unless it conflicts with another principle.
D) it is general enough to apply to most, but not all, cases.

Accepted Answer

A prima facie principle is one that applies in all cases unless it conflicts with another principle, indicating that it is not absolute and can be overridden under certain circumstances.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a principle usually included in principlism?
A) The principle of beneficence
B) The principle of maximization
C) The principle of utility
D) The principle of nonmaleficence

Accepted Answer

Principlism, a common approach in bioethics, typically includes the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and utility, but not the principle of maximization, which is more closely associated with utilitarianism and economic theories.

Question 8

The most serious weakness for principlism is its
A) lack of a stable procedure for determining which principle is strongest.
B) complexity, with the theory postulating multiple principles.
C) inconsistency with our moral experiences and judgments.
D) failure to explain what grounds the various principles.

Accepted Answer

Principlism lacks a stable procedure for determining which principle should take precedence in cases of conflict, making it difficult to apply consistently.

Question 9

The utilitarian approach to a shortage of medical supplies during a pandemic would be to
A) distribute the supplies on a first-come, first-served basis.
B) distribute the supplies to those in the direst condition.
C) distribute the supplies using a lottery system.
D) distribute the supplies to those most likely to receive the most benefit.

Accepted Answer

The utilitarian approach focuses on maximizing overall happiness or benefit. Therefore, distributing medical supplies to those most likely to receive the most benefit aligns with utilitarian principles, as it aims to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.

Question 10

According to ethical egoism, you should do whatever you desire to do or whatever gives you the most immediate pleasure.

Accepted Answer

Ethical egoism posits that actions are morally right if they promote one's own best long-term interest, not merely immediate pleasure or whimsical desires.

Question 11

Kant declares that we should never in any circumstances treat people as a means.

Accepted Answer

Kant argues that we should never treat people merely as a means to an end, but we can treat people as a means so long as we also respect them as ends in themselves.

Question 12

Kant believes that we should not treat persons merely as a means except when society's welfare is at stake.

Accepted Answer

Kant's moral philosophy, particularly the principle of humanity, states that we should never treat persons merely as a means to an end, regardless of the situation, including society's welfare. This principle emphasizes the intrinsic value of human beings.

Question 13

Kant argues that the moral law is conditional.

Accepted Answer

Kant argues that the moral law is unconditional, meaning it applies universally and without exception, which he refers to as the Categorical Imperative.

Question 14

Alan Dershowitz believes that torture can never be morally justified.

Accepted Answer

Alan Dershowitz has argued that there might be extreme situations where the use of torture could be morally justified, particularly in a "ticking bomb" scenario where it could prevent a greater harm.

Question 15

Mill believes that the moral worth of an action depends on one's motives.

Accepted Answer

Mill's utilitarianism holds that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome or the amount of happiness it produces, not the motive behind it.

Question 16

Kant asserts that happiness is the sole end of human action.

Accepted Answer

Kant argues that moral action is guided by duty and the categorical imperative, not by the pursuit of happiness.

Question 17

Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the great forebears of feminist thought.

Accepted Answer

Mary Wollstonecraft is considered a foundational feminist philosopher, particularly known for her work "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" (1792), which argues for women's education and equality.

Question 18

Aristotle thinks that the highest good is an instrumental good (good for the sake of something else).

Accepted Answer

Aristotle believes that the highest good is an end in itself, not for the sake of something else, which he identifies as eudaimonia or happiness/flourishing.

Question 19

Aristotle says that virtue is a mean lying between two vices.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle argues in his ethical theory that virtue is a mean between two extremes of excess and deficiency, and this mean is relative to us.

Question 20

Aristotle believes that simply studying philosophy will make one virtuous.

Accepted Answer

Aristotle argues that becoming virtuous requires not just philosophical understanding but also the practice of virtuous actions until they become a habit, emphasizing the importance of both knowledge and action in the development of virtue.

Quiz 3: Morality and the Moral Life

If God has excellent reasons for laying down the moral law, then

Critics say that to avoid portraying God as arbitrary, we must assume that God issues commands based on

Act-utilitarianism is the view that the rightness of actions depends

Mill declares that it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than

Principlism is a theory or approach that focuses on

A principle is a prima facie principle if

Which of the following is not a principle usually included in principlism?

The most serious weakness for principlism is its

The utilitarian approach to a shortage of medical supplies during a pandemic would be to