HU2702: Study Questions for Final Exam (Fall, 2006)
Define, Explain, Describe, Identify
“always as an end”
“as a means only”
act utilitarianism
actionable rightness
actual moral obligation
Aquinas, Saint Thomas
Aristotle
Augustine, Saint
axiological
caring
categorical imperative
Categorical Imperative
consequentialist
contextualism
contractarianism
correlation of rights and
obligations
cultural relativism
deontological
distributive justice
Divine Command theory
Doctrine of Double
Effect
egalitarianism
equalitarianism
ethical absolutism
ethical egoism
ethical relativism
ethical universalism
extreme relativism
feminist moral theory
good
happiness
hedonism
hedonistic utilitarianism
human nature
hypothethical imperative
immoral
imperative
intellectual virtues
intrinsic value
justice
Kant, Immanuel
master morality
maxim
mean
mechanical conception
of justice
metaethics
moral experience
moral judgment
moral legalism
moral particularism
morally right/wrong
moral rights
moral skepticism
moral virtue
natural law
negative right
Nietzsche, Friedrich
nonconsequentialism
nonmoral
normative ethics
obligation
original position
Plato
pleasure
pluralism
positive right
practical wisdom
prima facie duty
procedural
(commutative) justice
psychological egoism
rationality
Rawls, John
Ross, W. D.
rule utilitarianism
selective conception of
justice
self-realization
slave morality
stringency of prima
facie duties
subjective rightness
teleological
theory of intrinsic value
theory of moral
obligation
theory of moral
right and wrong
transvaluation of values
unethical
universal law
Principle of
Universalizability
universalizable
universally lawgiving
value judgment
veil of ignorance
virtue
virtue ethics
well-ordered society
will to power
wisdom
Discussion
- Can a person ever be justified in choosing to do what is morally wrong? If so, on what grounds? If not, why not? Explain.
- Compare and contrast cultural relativism and ethical universalism. Exactly how are they alike? Exactly how do they differ? Be specific. What are the main arguments for and against cultural relativism? What are the main arguments for and against ethical universalism? Which arguments do you find more convincing? Why? Be specific.
- Classify each of the following theories as (1) axiological or deontological, (2) consequentialist or nonconsequentialist, and (3) teleological or non-teleological. Explain and justify your answers.
A. ethical egoism
B. act utilitarianism
C. rule utilitarianism
D. the Divine Command theory
E. natural law ethics
F. Kant’s Categorical Imperative
G. feminist moral theory
H. Rawls’s contractarian theory
I. virtue ethics
5. What are the principal theories of intrinsic value that we have discussed in their course? In your view, what are the main arguments for and against each theory? In your view, which theory of intrinsic value is the most likely to be correct? Explain.
6. Compare and contrast ethical egoism and psychological egoism? Which of the two is a theory of moral obligation? What are the main relationships between the two? What are the most important arguments for and against each principle? Be specific.
7. What are act utilitarian theories of moral obligation? What are the main arguments for and against act utilitarianism? Which argument do you find more convincing? Why? Be specific.
8. What are rule utilitarian (RU) theories of moral obligation? What are the main arguments for and against RU theories? Which argument do you find more convincing? Why? Be specific.
9. What exactly is the Divine Command Theory of moral obligation? What are the main arguments for and against the theory? Which argument do you find more convincing? Why? Be specific
10. What is natural law ethics? What are the main arguments for and against natural law ethics? Which argument do you find more convincing? Why? Be specific.
11. What is Kant’s theory of obligation? What are the 3 formulations of it that Kant provides? What are the main arguments for and against that theory? Which argument do you find more convincing? Explain. Be specific.
12. What is distributive justice? What are the main theories of distributive justice? Which theory do you find most plausible? Why? Why is distributive justice important in moral philosophy? Be specific.
13. What are the main similarities and differences between traditional theories of moral obligation and virtue ethics? What are the most important questions in ethics as far as virtue ethics is concerned? Do you agree or disagree that those are the most important ethical questions? Explain.
14. What is feminist moral theory? How is it different from traditional theories like utilitarian and Kantian ethics? What are the deficiencies of the traditional theories, according to feminist moral theory? What do its proponents say about women’s moral experience—both how it is different from men’s moral experience and why it is important in ethical theory? What does feminist moral theory say about universal ethical principles? How do feminists say we should go about making moral decisions? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
15. What is a prima facie duty? How does it differ from an actual moral obligation? What is W. D. Ross’s view about the relationship between prima facie duties and actual moral obligations? According to him, how do we know what our prima facie duties are? What does he say about our knowledge of our actual moral obligations in real-life situations? What are the main criticisms of Ross’s theory? Do they successfully discredit his theory, in your view? Why or why not? Be specific.
16. What is a moral right? What is the relationship between moral rights and moral obligations? Be specific.
17. What is a contractarian ethical theory? In what respects is John Rawls’s ethical theory a contractarian theory? What sort of contract is involved in his theory? Why does Rawls believe that the ethical rules that would be negotiated in the original position by individuals who are negotiating behind a veil of ignorance would be valid? Explain. Be specific.
18. What does Robert Holmes mean by “actionable rightness”? How is “actionable rightness” different from “actual rightness”? Why does Holmes develop his ethical theory as a theory of actionable rightness rather than as one of actual rightness? What is the role of “moral experience” and “conscience” in his theory? Do you see any difficulties with his approach? Why or why not? Be specific.
19. Has your study of ethics in this course affected your ethical views in any significant respect? If so, in what significant respects have your views changed? What particular topics have we covered that have caused those changes in your views? Be specific.