Question 1

Which of the following best captures the difference between normative claims and descriptive claims?

Accepted Answer

A)  Normative claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad, whereas descriptive claims are about how the world is, was, or would be. 
B)  Normative claims are about what is seen as normal in a society, whereas descriptive claims describe what is statistically normal in a society. 
C)  Normative claims tell you what to do in a particular situation, whereas descriptive claims only describe the situation. 
D)  Normative claims are about how the world is, was, or would be, whereas descriptive claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad. 
A)  Normative claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad, whereas descriptive claims are about how the world is, was, or would be. 
B)  Normative claims are about what is seen as normal in a society, whereas descriptive claims describe what is statistically normal in a society. 
C)  Normative claims tell you what to do in a particular situation, whereas descriptive claims only describe the situation. 
D)  Normative claims are about how the world is, was, or would be, whereas descriptive claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad.

Question 2

To say that something is morally permissible is the same as saying that society actually permits it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Describe one action that you think is widely recognized to be morally wrong, one that you think is widely recognized to be morally obligatory, one that you think is widely recognized to be supererogatory, and one that you think is widely recognized to be morally indifferent.

Accepted Answer

Morally wrong action: One action that is

Question 4

"The United States imprisons too many people" is a normative statement.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

If an action is morally indifferent, it is neither wrong nor supererogatory for you to do it.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Hume's Law applies only to deductively valid arguments.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Do you think that all illegal actions are immoral? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The question of whether all illegal acti

Question 8

Normative claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

An axiological claim is:

Accepted Answer

A)  A kind of mathematical claim that is sometimes relevant in ethics. 
B)  A nonnormative claim, which is never relevant in ethics. 
C)  A claim about whether something or someone is good or bad. 
D)  A claim specifically about whether a work of art is good or bad. 
A)  A kind of mathematical claim that is sometimes relevant in ethics. 
B)  A nonnormative claim, which is never relevant in ethics. 
C)  A claim about whether something or someone is good or bad. 
D)  A claim specifically about whether a work of art is good or bad.

Question 10

To say that an action of yours was supererogatory is to say:

Accepted Answer

A)  That you ought not to have done it, but it wasn't strictly forbidden. 
B)  That it was good that you did it, but it wouldn't have been wrong for you not to do it. 
C)  That it doesn't matter, morally speaking, that you did it. 
D)  That it would be seriously morally wrong for you not to have done it. 
A)  That you ought not to have done it, but it wasn't strictly forbidden. 
B)  That it was good that you did it, but it wouldn't have been wrong for you not to do it. 
C)  That it doesn't matter, morally speaking, that you did it. 
D)  That it would be seriously morally wrong for you not to have done it.

Question 11

According to Hume's Law, a moral argument must:

Accepted Answer

A)  Make its hidden premises explicit. 
B)  Contain at least one normative premise. 
C)  Contain at least one descriptive premise. 
D)  Be deductively valid. 
A)  Make its hidden premises explicit. 
B)  Contain at least one normative premise. 
C)  Contain at least one descriptive premise. 
D)  Be deductively valid.

Question 12

Which of the following best explains Hume's Law?

Accepted Answer

A)  Normative premises are never relevant to descriptive conclusions. 
B)  Descriptive premises are never relevant to normative conclusions. 
C)  Every cogent moral argument has at least one normative premise. 
D)  Every argument has at least one hidden premise. 
A)  Normative premises are never relevant to descriptive conclusions. 
B)  Descriptive premises are never relevant to normative conclusions. 
C)  Every cogent moral argument has at least one normative premise. 
D)  Every argument has at least one hidden premise.

Question 13

Consider this argument: "Giraffes are faster than elephants. Therefore, cheetahs are faster than elephants." Which of the following is LEAST appropriate to use as a hidden premise in this argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  Anything that's slower than a giraffe is slower than a cheetah. 
B)  Cheetahs are faster than giraffes. 
C)  No other land animal is as fast as a cheetah. 
D)  Nothing is faster than a cheetah. 
A)  Anything that's slower than a giraffe is slower than a cheetah. 
B)  Cheetahs are faster than giraffes. 
C)  No other land animal is as fast as a cheetah. 
D)  Nothing is faster than a cheetah.

Question 14

When finding hidden premises, any premise that connects the premises to the conclusion is equally appropriate to use as a hidden premise.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The following argument commits the fallacy of circular reasoning: "I read last week on Wikipedia that any false information is removed from Wikipedia within 24 hours. Therefore, any information that's been on Wikipedia for more than 24 hours is true."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Which of the following actions would modern Americans be most likely to categorize as supererogatory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Donating money to a good cause. 
B)  Enslaving orphans. 
C)  Ensuring that one's own children have enough to eat. 
D)  Buying breakfast cereal that doesn't have raisins in it. 
A)  Donating money to a good cause. 
B)  Enslaving orphans. 
C)  Ensuring that one's own children have enough to eat. 
D)  Buying breakfast cereal that doesn't have raisins in it.

Question 17

The following argument violates Hume's Law: "Everyone ought to treat others with respect. Therefore, no one should ever tell a lie, regardless of the consequences."

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Consider this argument: "Security cameras showed that someone in a blue shirt just robbed the bank. That guy running away from the bank is wearing a blue shirt. Therefore, he must be the bank robber." Which of the following could plausibly be a hidden premise in this argument?

Accepted Answer

A)  No one else nearby is wearing a blue shirt. 
B)  All bank robbers wear blue shirts. 
C)  Some security cameras record in black and white. 
D)  The bank robber has stashed the stolen money somewhere. 
A)  No one else nearby is wearing a blue shirt. 
B)  All bank robbers wear blue shirts. 
C)  Some security cameras record in black and white. 
D)  The bank robber has stashed the stolen money somewhere.

Question 19

Which of the following arguments does NOT violate Hume's Law?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hunting animals for food is morally permissible because humans naturally eat meat. 
B)  Hunting animals for food is morally wrong because there are other ways that humans can survive. 
C)  Cheating in professional sports is morally permissible because the players are morally obligated to do everything they can to help their team win. 
D)  Cheating in professional sports is morally permissible because almost everyone does it. 
A)  Hunting animals for food is morally permissible because humans naturally eat meat. 
B)  Hunting animals for food is morally wrong because there are other ways that humans can survive. 
C)  Cheating in professional sports is morally permissible because the players are morally obligated to do everything they can to help their team win. 
D)  Cheating in professional sports is morally permissible because almost everyone does it.

Question 20

Give an example of an action that society generally permits (or forbids) but that you think is morally wrong (or morally permissible). Explain why you think the action is wrong (or permissible). What does this example show about the connection between an action's being morally permissible and its being permitted by society?

Accepted Answer

An example of an action that society gen

Which of the following best captures the difference between normative claims and descriptive claims?

To say that something is morally permissible is the same as saying that society actually permits it.

Describe one action that you think is widely recognized to be morally wrong, one that you think is widely recognized to be morally obligatory, one that you think is widely recognized to be supererogatory, and one that you think is widely recognized to be morally indifferent.

"The United States imprisons too many people" is a normative statement.

If an action is morally indifferent, it is neither wrong nor supererogatory for you to do it.

Hume's Law applies only to deductively valid arguments.

Do you think that all illegal actions are immoral? Why or why not?

Normative claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad.

An axiological claim is:

To say that an action of yours was supererogatory is to say:

According to Hume's Law, a moral argument must:

Which of the following best explains Hume's Law?

Consider this argument: "Giraffes are faster than elephants. Therefore, cheetahs are faster than elephants." Which of the following is LEAST appropriate to use as a hidden premise in this argument?

When finding hidden premises, any premise that connects the premises to the conclusion is equally appropriate to use as a hidden premise.

The following argument commits the fallacy of circular reasoning: "I read last week on Wikipedia that any false information is removed from Wikipedia within 24 hours. Therefore, any information that's been on Wikipedia for more than 24 hours is true."

Which of the following actions would modern Americans be most likely to categorize as supererogatory?

The following argument violates Hume's Law: "Everyone ought to treat others with respect. Therefore, no one should ever tell a lie, regardless of the consequences."

Consider this argument: "Security cameras showed that someone in a blue shirt just robbed the bank. That guy running away from the bank is wearing a blue shirt. Therefore, he must be the bank robber." Which of the following could plausibly be a hidden premise in this argument?

Which of the following arguments does NOT violate Hume's Law?

An Introduction to Arguments

Reasoning With Obligations

Reasoning About Consequences

Reasoning With Virtues and Vices

Reasoning With Principles and Counterexamples

Reasoning With Analogies

Answering Moral Questions

Skepticism, Subjectivism, and Relativism

Religion and Moral Reasoning

Normative Theories, Part 1

Normative Theories, Part 2

Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

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Exam 2: Moral Arguments

Which of the following best captures the difference between normative claims and descriptive claims?

To say that something is morally permissible is the same as saying that society actually permits it.

Describe one action that you think is widely recognized to be morally wrong, one that you think is widely recognized to be morally obligatory, one that you think is widely recognized to be supererogatory, and one that you think is widely recognized to be morally indifferent.

"The United States imprisons too many people" is a normative statement.

If an action is morally indifferent, it is neither wrong nor supererogatory for you to do it.

Hume's Law applies only to deductively valid arguments.

Do you think that all illegal actions are immoral? Why or why not?

Normative claims are about how the world should be or about what is good or bad.

An axiological claim is:

To say that an action of yours was supererogatory is to say:

According to Hume's Law, a moral argument must:

Which of the following best explains Hume's Law?

Consider this argument: "Giraffes are faster than elephants. Therefore, cheetahs are faster than elephants." Which of the following is LEAST appropriate to use as a hidden premise in this argument?

When finding hidden premises, any premise that connects the premises to the conclusion is equally appropriate to use as a hidden premise.

The following argument commits the fallacy of circular reasoning: "I read last week on Wikipedia that any false information is removed from Wikipedia within 24 hours. Therefore, any information that's been on Wikipedia for more than 24 hours is true."

Which of the following actions would modern Americans be most likely to categorize as supererogatory?

The following argument violates Hume's Law: "Everyone ought to treat others with respect. Therefore, no one should ever tell a lie, regardless of the consequences."

Consider this argument: "Security cameras showed that someone in a blue shirt just robbed the bank. That guy running away from the bank is wearing a blue shirt. Therefore, he must be the bank robber." Which of the following could plausibly be a hidden premise in this argument?

Which of the following arguments does NOT violate Hume's Law?

An Introduction to Arguments

Reasoning With Obligations

Reasoning About Consequences

Reasoning With Virtues and Vices

Reasoning With Principles and Counterexamples

Reasoning With Analogies

Answering Moral Questions

Skepticism, Subjectivism, and Relativism

Religion and Moral Reasoning

Normative Theories, Part 1

Normative Theories, Part 2

Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

Filters