Exam 7: Ethics

Mill distinguishes between higher and lower __________ and says that humans, unlike pigs, are capable of both because we possess higher cognitive faculties.

Who does Mill think that the cultivation of noble character is necessary for?

Sartre's moral philosophy is a curious mixture of the most radical relativism and the most traditional moralizing..

Like Bentham, __________ insists that the principle of utility cannot be proved as such, for it is the ultimate end in terms of which everything else is justified.

"The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals 'utility' or 'the greatest happiness principle' holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure." The moral theory introduced in this passage insists that the highest good is __________.

In Nietzsch's book, a long quasi-biblical epic called, __________he introduces his famous idea of the Übermensch, the superman who is more than human and superior in his virtues.

Does it make any sense to ask whether some action is right or wrong apart from any relation to a comparison class? Is the predicate "is right" functionally different from "is tall," "is sour," or "is located between A and B"? Don't we ask if Sam is tall in relation to Betty, or as compared with most people? We wouldn't understand what was meant by "sour" unless we had tasted sweet, would we? "Is the post office located between Main Street and First Street?" is a relational question that cannot be answered unless we had Main Street and First Street for comparison. Moral relativism asserts that "is right" needs a comparison class, too. Do you agree? Argue both pro and con sides of the issue.

Altruism is identical to ethical egoism.

Categorical imperative is the name Kant gave to duty, that is, the duty to act in a way that you can will everyone else to act, too.

A "maxim," according to Kant, was a subjective principle of action, that is, one's intention.

"The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals 'utility' or 'the greatest happiness principle' holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure." The author of this passage is __________.

What did Nietzsche mean by "Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Űbermensch"? How is man a bridge rather than a goal? Does everyone have the capacity to become an Űbermensch? How does one go about it? Is the "will to power" something morally efficacious?

A deontologist would argue that morality should not be based on feelings but rather __________.

What do art and morality have in common? According to Sartre, which elements unite them?

Gilbert Harman defends the ethical absolutists position.

Which of the following is not a moral rule by which we live with other people?

Compare Rousseau's notion of conscience with Hume's notion of sentiment. Does one theory seem to be stronger than the other, based on the differences and/or similarities between the notions of sentiment and conscience?

A popular objection to Bentham's version of utilitarianism complained that __________.

Which Harvard psychologist changed the course of ethics by arguing that women tended to think about moral issues differently than men did, thereby challenging the standard initial assumptions on which further philosophical inquiry is made?

Hedonism is the moral theory arguing that __________.