Exam 12: Financial Statement Analysis

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. It's no surprise that they've stopped seeing each other.

Identify the moral perspective at work here: At the supermarket, Vickie just ran her cart into a display of jars with jams and preserves, and now the aisle is full of broken glass and jam. She feels like leaving the store as quickly as possible. Is that an acceptable course of action? No, it isn't, because Vickie couldn't imagine such a behavior becoming a universal law, allowing everybody to run away from his or her responsibility.

In the following, discuss whether Marina is treating relevantly similar cases in sufficiently similar fashions; identify instances in which the cases are not relevantly similar. Marina's twins, Mary and Myron, have different aspirations. Mary wants to be an engineer. She's good at mathematics and has a good chance of winning a scholarship to a good college. Myron is both inept and uninterested in such matters. He shows signs of artistic talent and wants to study painting. For their seventeenth birthdays, Marina got them a computer.

For the following, try to come up with an additional premise that will turn the passage into a deductively valid or an inductively strong argument. Usually this requires adding a general moral principle and, sometimes, an extra nonmoral claim as well. The idea is to guarantee that the "ought" claim follows from the "is" claim. You have no right to complain about Stephenson's performance; after all, you voted for him.

For the following, try to come up with an additional premise that will turn the passage into a deductively valid or an inductively strong argument. Usually this requires adding a general moral principle and, sometimes, an extra nonmoral claim as well. The idea is to guarantee that the "ought" claim follows from the "is" claim. Scotty's mother not only is getting too old to take care of herself but also is unable to pay for proper care in a nursing home. It seems to me that Scotty should either take her in or otherwise make sure she is taken care of properly.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. It is wrong for the United States to intervene in local wars outside U.S. territory.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. Miami is too hot this time of the year.

Evaluate the issue of human cloning from the viewpoint of a deontologist (duty theorist).

In the following, discuss whether Marina is treating relevantly similar cases in sufficiently similar fashions; identify instances in which the cases are not relevantly similar. Marina's automobile is a large, gas-guzzling, luxury car, but in some circumstances (such as cocktail parties when she is among strangers), she will make it a point to criticize people who drive such cars.

In this pair of cases, the first may serve as precedent for the second. Decide whether the second case is so relevantly similar to the first that it should be decided identically. Explain your decision.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. Elizabeth should compensate her neighbor for damaging her lawn.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. Alicia has not been entirely honest with her husband; that much is clear.

Identify the moral perspective at work here: At the supermarket, Vickie just ran her cart into a display of jars with jams and preserves, and now the aisle is full of broken glass and jam. She feels like leaving the store as quickly as possible. Is that an acceptable course of action? No, it isn't, because a person of integrity and moral responsibility wouldn't act like that.

In the following, discuss whether Marina is treating relevantly similar cases in sufficiently similar fashions; identify instances in which the cases are not relevantly similar. Marina leaves large tips at a posh restaurant, where meals are quite expensive, but she leaves much smaller tips at another, much plainer and less expensive restaurant, even though the service is as good and the waiters work just as hard.

Identify the moral perspective at work here: Taffy is a university lab chimpanzee; the university has lost its animal research grant and has to decide what to do with Taffy. God says that humans have mastery over animals, so the lab people can do what they want with her.

Answer the question in the passage below from one of the perspectives described in the text. Shelley and Maurita are both disturbed by their C+ final grades in Mr. Carlton's geography class, and they request that he recheck his grade book. He does so and finds that, indeed, he had made mistakes. Maurita was supposed to get a B- and Shelley was supposed to get a C-. He gives Maurita the B- and allows Shelley to keep the C+. Should he have lowered Shelley's grade to a C-? Construct one argument whose conclusion is that he should, and construct one argument whose conclusion is that he should not. Be sure to spell out clearly any moral principles in the arguments.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. You should get rid of your dog's fleas so that it won't be miserable.

For the following, try to come up with an additional premise that will turn the passage into a deductively valid or an inductively strong argument. Usually this requires adding a general moral principle and, sometimes, an extra nonmoral claim as well. The idea is to guarantee that the "ought" claim follows from the "is" claim. Mortimer did the right thing when he decided to start a regular deduction from his paycheck on behalf of the United Way.

State whether the following item expresses moral value or nonmoral value; or no value at all. She was really hurt by the way he treated her.

For the following, try to come up with an additional premise that will turn the passage into a deductively valid or an inductively strong argument. Usually this requires adding a general moral principle and, sometimes, an extra nonmoral claim as well. The idea is to guarantee that the "ought" claim follows from the "is" claim. Dr. Shelby is getting away with charging outrageous fees because she is the only physician in town. She really ought to lower her rates so that she won't be taking advantage of the isolation of the community.