Question 1

Rule utilitarianism is:

Accepted Answer

A)  The view that an act is right if and only if it produces a greater balance of pleasure over pain for the ruling class of a society. 
B)  The view that an act is right if and only if it is permitted by the rules whose widespread acceptance would have better consequences than the acceptance of any alternative set of rules. 
C)  The view that the morally best rules are those whose acceptance in a society would maximize overall happiness within that society. 
D)  The view that an act is right if and only if it is useful in upholding or maintaining the moral rules of society. 
A)  The view that an act is right if and only if it produces a greater balance of pleasure over pain for the ruling class of a society. 
B)  The view that an act is right if and only if it is permitted by the rules whose widespread acceptance would have better consequences than the acceptance of any alternative set of rules. 
C)  The view that the morally best rules are those whose acceptance in a society would maximize overall happiness within that society. 
D)  The view that an act is right if and only if it is useful in upholding or maintaining the moral rules of society. B

Question 2

What is the purpose of the discussion in Chapter 11 of Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Wall Street?

Accepted Answer

A)  To suggest that no matter how successful someone appears to be, that success is doomed to be temporary if the person is not virtuous. 
B)  To illustrate that having a virtue or vice involves a complex set of behaviors and attitudes involving oneself and others. 
C)  To contrast the way that virtue ethics evaluates a person's whole life with the way that consequentialism evaluates only a person's actions. 
D)  To show that whether someone is living the best life possible depends not only on external things, like wealth and success, but also on the person's moral character. 
A)  To suggest that no matter how successful someone appears to be, that success is doomed to be temporary if the person is not virtuous. 
B)  To illustrate that having a virtue or vice involves a complex set of behaviors and attitudes involving oneself and others. 
C)  To contrast the way that virtue ethics evaluates a person's whole life with the way that consequentialism evaluates only a person's actions. 
D)  To show that whether someone is living the best life possible depends not only on external things, like wealth and success, but also on the person's moral character. D

Question 3

What is the purpose of the discussion of "Honest Abe" in Chapter 11?

Accepted Answer

A)  To make a general point about virtues by showing that being truly honest requires not only telling the truth, but also regarding truth-telling as good for its own sake, encouraging truth-telling in others, etc. 
B)  To distinguish honesty from more specific virtues by showing that being truly honest requires not only telling the truth, but also regarding truth-telling as good for its own sake, encouraging truth-telling in others, etc. 
C)  To make a general point about virtues by showing that although we call many different attitudes and kinds of behavior "honest," honesty essentially consists in telling the truth. 
D)  To show that some virtues, such as honesty, are essentially about interpersonal relationships, whereas other virtues, such as courage, are about a person's relationship to the world as a whole. 
A)  To make a general point about virtues by showing that being truly honest requires not only telling the truth, but also regarding truth-telling as good for its own sake, encouraging truth-telling in others, etc. 
B)  To distinguish honesty from more specific virtues by showing that being truly honest requires not only telling the truth, but also regarding truth-telling as good for its own sake, encouraging truth-telling in others, etc. 
C)  To make a general point about virtues by showing that although we call many different attitudes and kinds of behavior "honest," honesty essentially consists in telling the truth. 
D)  To show that some virtues, such as honesty, are essentially about interpersonal relationships, whereas other virtues, such as courage, are about a person's relationship to the world as a whole. A

Question 4

Why do some people believe that act utilitarianism is too demanding in some cases and not demanding enough in others?

Accepted Answer

Act utilitarianism is a form of conseque

Question 5

What is a virtue? What is a vice? How are virtues and vices connected to eudaimonia?

Accepted Answer

A virtue is a positive trait or quality

Question 6

Which of the following best captures the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whereas act utilitarianism allows any action that maximizes happiness, rule utilitarianism only allows happiness-maximizing actions that are permitted by social norms. 
B)  Act utilitarianism focuses only on the effects of an individual action, whereas rule utilitarianism looks at the effects of that action being performed over and over again. 
C)  Act utilitarianism considers the effects of each action individually, whereas rule utilitarianism considers the effects of making the rule of your action a universal law. 
D)  Whereas act utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of individual actions, rule utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of society's acceptance of a particular set of rules. 
A)  Whereas act utilitarianism allows any action that maximizes happiness, rule utilitarianism only allows happiness-maximizing actions that are permitted by social norms. 
B)  Act utilitarianism focuses only on the effects of an individual action, whereas rule utilitarianism looks at the effects of that action being performed over and over again. 
C)  Act utilitarianism considers the effects of each action individually, whereas rule utilitarianism considers the effects of making the rule of your action a universal law. 
D)  Whereas act utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of individual actions, rule utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of society's acceptance of a particular set of rules.

Question 7

What is eudaimonia?

Accepted Answer

A)  The state of living the best life possible for a human being. 
B)  The state of living a pleasurable life that is free from pain. 
C)  The state of living a life that mixes both pleasure and pain. 
D)  The state of living a virtuous life, regardless of whether one is happy. 
A)  The state of living the best life possible for a human being. 
B)  The state of living a pleasurable life that is free from pain. 
C)  The state of living a life that mixes both pleasure and pain. 
D)  The state of living a virtuous life, regardless of whether one is happy.

Question 8

What is Rossian deontology?

Accepted Answer

A)  The view that the rightness of an action can be determined using Rossian felicific calculus. 
B)  The view that the correct moral code consists of a set of irreducible, unorderable prima facie obligations. 
C)  The view that the correct moral code consists of a strict hierarchy of prima facie obligations. 
D)  The view that the rightness of an action depends entirely on the specific facts of the case, not on generalizable rules. 
A)  The view that the rightness of an action can be determined using Rossian felicific calculus. 
B)  The view that the correct moral code consists of a set of irreducible, unorderable prima facie obligations. 
C)  The view that the correct moral code consists of a strict hierarchy of prima facie obligations. 
D)  The view that the rightness of an action depends entirely on the specific facts of the case, not on generalizable rules.

Question 9

What are the two ways in which universalizing a maxim could lead to a contradiction in your own will?

Accepted Answer

Universalizing a maxim means applying a

Question 10

What is the point of the example from Chapter 11 in which you must choose between rescuing your mother or a famous cancer researcher from a burning building?

Accepted Answer

A)  To prove that act utilitarianism is not the correct normative theory. 
B)  To show that some people are more useful to society than others. 
C)  To demonstrate a particular kind of mistake that many people make in applying act utilitarianism to particular cases. 
D)  To illustrate that act utilitarianism sometimes leads to surprising conclusions about what you should do. 
A)  To prove that act utilitarianism is not the correct normative theory. 
B)  To show that some people are more useful to society than others. 
C)  To demonstrate a particular kind of mistake that many people make in applying act utilitarianism to particular cases. 
D)  To illustrate that act utilitarianism sometimes leads to surprising conclusions about what you should do.

Question 11

What is a maxim?

Accepted Answer

A)  A claim about what someone is obligated to do, all things considered. 
B)  A type of categorical imperative. 
C)  A goal, desire, or interest that would be achieved or satisfied by obeying some hypothetical imperative. 
D)  A principle that specifies someone's reason for performing a particular action. 
A)  A claim about what someone is obligated to do, all things considered. 
B)  A type of categorical imperative. 
C)  A goal, desire, or interest that would be achieved or satisfied by obeying some hypothetical imperative. 
D)  A principle that specifies someone's reason for performing a particular action.

Question 12

What is practical wisdom?

Accepted Answer

A)  The skill of recognizing which people are truly virtuous and which are truly pretending. 
B)  The ability to correctly apply the relevant virtues in a specific case. 
C)  The state that a person achieves when he or she has fully cultivated all of the virtues. 
D)  The knowledge of the true components of eudaimonia. 
A)  The skill of recognizing which people are truly virtuous and which are truly pretending. 
B)  The ability to correctly apply the relevant virtues in a specific case. 
C)  The state that a person achieves when he or she has fully cultivated all of the virtues. 
D)  The knowledge of the true components of eudaimonia.

Question 13

What does it mean to say that a set of obligations is unorderable?

Accepted Answer

A)  That for each obligation in the set, there is some situation in which it overrides each of the others and some situation in which each of the others overrides it. 
B)  That each of the obligations can be reduced to some more basic obligation, but that none of the obligations can be reduced to the same obligation. 
C)  That none of the obligations can be reduced to any other obligation, including any of the other obligations in the set. 
D)  That each of the obligations in the set can only be known through careful reflection on the meaning of the words used to state the obligation, rather than as the conclusion of an argument. 
A)  That for each obligation in the set, there is some situation in which it overrides each of the others and some situation in which each of the others overrides it. 
B)  That each of the obligations can be reduced to some more basic obligation, but that none of the obligations can be reduced to the same obligation. 
C)  That none of the obligations can be reduced to any other obligation, including any of the other obligations in the set. 
D)  That each of the obligations in the set can only be known through careful reflection on the meaning of the words used to state the obligation, rather than as the conclusion of an argument.

Question 14

In your own words, explain the concept of eudaimonia. Why is "happiness" an imperfect translation of the word eudaimonia?

Accepted Answer

Eudaimonia is a Greek word that is often

Question 15

What does it mean to treat humanity as an end in itself?

Accepted Answer

A)  That we should treat human beings as imposing limits on the maxims that we choose for ourselves. 
B)  That we should treat people's capacity for rational action as something that has value in itself and deserves to be honored, promoted, and protected. 
C)  That we should treat people as if they have the capacity for rational decision making, even when they don't. 
D)  That we should promote other people's interests without asking why those interests are valuable. 
A)  That we should treat human beings as imposing limits on the maxims that we choose for ourselves. 
B)  That we should treat people's capacity for rational action as something that has value in itself and deserves to be honored, promoted, and protected. 
C)  That we should treat people as if they have the capacity for rational decision making, even when they don't. 
D)  That we should promote other people's interests without asking why those interests are valuable.

Question 16

Deontology is:

Accepted Answer

A)  A metaethical theory according to which the rightness of an action depends ultimately on the consequences of accepting rules that obligate people to perform the action. 
B)  A normative theory according to which the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on whether the actor is violating his or her moral obligations. 
C)  A normative theory according to which each person is obligated to treat others as ends in themselves and never merely as means. 
D)  A metaethical theory according to which there are objective moral facts that determine what we ought to do. 
A)  A metaethical theory according to which the rightness of an action depends ultimately on the consequences of accepting rules that obligate people to perform the action. 
B)  A normative theory according to which the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on whether the actor is violating his or her moral obligations. 
C)  A normative theory according to which each person is obligated to treat others as ends in themselves and never merely as means. 
D)  A metaethical theory according to which there are objective moral facts that determine what we ought to do.

Question 17

If someone lacks the virtue of kindness, does that necessarily mean that he or she has the vice of cruelty?

Accepted Answer

A)  No, because kindness is intermediate between cruelty and being ingratiating, and so one could fail to be kind by being "too nice" to others. 
B)  Yes, because cruelty is the absence of kindness, and so anyone who lacks kindness will necessarily be cruel. 
C)  No, because someone can lack the virtue of kindness simply by not caring enough about kindness, but being cruel means valuing cruelty for its own sake. 
D)  Yes, because kindness involves caring about others, and anyone who does not care about others is cruel. 
A)  No, because kindness is intermediate between cruelty and being ingratiating, and so one could fail to be kind by being "too nice" to others. 
B)  Yes, because cruelty is the absence of kindness, and so anyone who lacks kindness will necessarily be cruel. 
C)  No, because someone can lack the virtue of kindness simply by not caring enough about kindness, but being cruel means valuing cruelty for its own sake. 
D)  Yes, because kindness involves caring about others, and anyone who does not care about others is cruel.

Question 18

What are the two different senses in which universalizing the maxim of your action could lead to a contradiction in your will?

Accepted Answer

A)  Universalizing the maxim might undermine the maxim itself, or it might lead to a situation that is not strictly self-defeating but that you don't like. 
B)  Universalizing the maxim might lead to a situation that is not strictly self-defeating but that you don't like, or it might conflict with some other maxim for the sake of which you adopted the maxim in the first place. 
C)  Universalizing the maxim might be inconsistent with your previous actions, or it might undermine the maxim itself. 
D)  Universalizing the maxim might undermine the maxim itself, or it might conflict with some other maxim for the sake of which you adopted the maxim in the first place. 
A)  Universalizing the maxim might undermine the maxim itself, or it might lead to a situation that is not strictly self-defeating but that you don't like. 
B)  Universalizing the maxim might lead to a situation that is not strictly self-defeating but that you don't like, or it might conflict with some other maxim for the sake of which you adopted the maxim in the first place. 
C)  Universalizing the maxim might be inconsistent with your previous actions, or it might undermine the maxim itself. 
D)  Universalizing the maxim might undermine the maxim itself, or it might conflict with some other maxim for the sake of which you adopted the maxim in the first place.

Question 19

Deontology is the normative theory according to which morality is primarily a matter of fulfilling one's obligations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

According to act utilitarianism, an action is right if it maximizes the number of people who feel happy as a result of the action.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Rule utilitarianism is:

What is the purpose of the discussion in Chapter 11 of Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Wall Street?

What is the purpose of the discussion of "Honest Abe" in Chapter 11?

Why do some people believe that act utilitarianism is too demanding in some cases and not demanding enough in others?

What is a virtue? What is a vice? How are virtues and vices connected to eudaimonia?

Which of the following best captures the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism?

What is eudaimonia?

What is Rossian deontology?

What are the two ways in which universalizing a maxim could lead to a contradiction in your own will?

What is the point of the example from Chapter 11 in which you must choose between rescuing your mother or a famous cancer researcher from a burning building?

What is a maxim?

What is practical wisdom?

What does it mean to say that a set of obligations is unorderable?

In your own words, explain the concept of eudaimonia. Why is "happiness" an imperfect translation of the word eudaimonia?

What does it mean to treat humanity as an end in itself?

Deontology is:

If someone lacks the virtue of kindness, does that necessarily mean that he or she has the vice of cruelty?

What are the two different senses in which universalizing the maxim of your action could lead to a contradiction in your will?

Deontology is the normative theory according to which morality is primarily a matter of fulfilling one's obligations.

According to act utilitarianism, an action is right if it maximizes the number of people who feel happy as a result of the action.

An Introduction to Arguments

Moral 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 2

Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

Filters

Exam 11: Normative Theories, Part 1

Rule utilitarianism is:

What is the purpose of the discussion in Chapter 11 of Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Wall Street?

What is the purpose of the discussion of "Honest Abe" in Chapter 11?

Why do some people believe that act utilitarianism is too demanding in some cases and not demanding enough in others?

What is a virtue? What is a vice? How are virtues and vices connected to eudaimonia?

Which of the following best captures the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism?

What is eudaimonia?

What is Rossian deontology?

What are the two ways in which universalizing a maxim could lead to a contradiction in your own will?

What is the point of the example from Chapter 11 in which you must choose between rescuing your mother or a famous cancer researcher from a burning building?

What is a maxim?

What is practical wisdom?

What does it mean to say that a set of obligations is unorderable?

In your own words, explain the concept of eudaimonia. Why is "happiness" an imperfect translation of the word eudaimonia?

What does it mean to treat humanity as an end in itself?

Deontology is:

If someone lacks the virtue of kindness, does that necessarily mean that he or she has the vice of cruelty?

What are the two different senses in which universalizing the maxim of your action could lead to a contradiction in your will?

Deontology is the normative theory according to which morality is primarily a matter of fulfilling one's obligations.

According to act utilitarianism, an action is right if it maximizes the number of people who feel happy as a result of the action.

An Introduction to Arguments

Moral 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 2

Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

Filters