Possible Exam Questions for the first Ethical Inquiry Exam -- on June 19
Note:
I will transform six or seven questions from this list into multiple choice
questions. Two or three will be presented as short essay questions. (Short = half a page.) You will be able to consult your textbooks but
not any notes or handouts or other papers.
1.
Clearly kinds of behavior that are praised or
tolerated by one culture may be condemned or punished by another. According to James Rachels we can accept this
fact without accepting the doctrine of cultural relativism. How?
2.
Why does James
Rachels think that subjectivism is unacceptable as a theory of ethics?
3.
What is the
best argument against ethical egoism, according to James Rachels?
4. Explain and assess Peter
Singer’s argument for the claim that people in affluent countries like the
5.
Why does Garret Hardin think it would be a bad idea to try to feed the
world’s hungry people?
6.
How does J. S.
Mill try to justify his view that some pleasures are qualitatively better than
others?
7. How does Mill answer the
objection that utilitarianism is impractical, because we don’t have time to
calculate the effect of our actions on the general happiness?
8.
What is the
difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism? Which is better?
9. What do you think is the most important criticism
that can be made of utilitarianism? Do
you think there is any way to save the theory, or does this criticism show that
it is no good?
10. According to Rachels (in
his article in Applied Ethics), active euthanasia (killing) is no worse
(and in some cases better) than passive euthanasia (letting people die by
withholding lifesaving treatment). How
does he try to prove this point and how good is his argument?
11. What reasons might a
utilitarian have for opposing the legalization of euthanasia?
12. What is the difference between a ‘hypothetical imperative’ and a ‘categorical imperative’, as Kant uses these terms?
13. According to
Kant there is only one Categorical Imperative (though it can be formulated in
several different ways). In plain
English, explain the meaning of the so-called “universal law formulation” of
the Categorical Imperative.
14. How can the Categorical Imperative be used as a test
for whether an action is morally right?
(What steps should one go through to apply this test?) Do you think this is a good way to determine
if an action is right or wrong?
15. How does a Kantian
approach to the question of whether or not we ought to feed the hungry differ
from a utilitarian approach? Which
approach is better?
16. How does van Wyk think we should take history into account when we think
about our obligations to the hungry?
The
following questions are on new material and will be judged accordingly:
17. Briefly, what is the
retributive theory of punishment? What
do you think about this theory?
18. What does Kant mean by
saying that we should regard persons as “ends-in-themselves” and not merely as
means? What do you think of this idea?
19. How does a utilitarian
approach to the problem of capital punishment differ from a Kantian approach?
Which do you think is better?
20. Why does Primoratz think that death is the only morally appropriate
penalty for murder?
I
may also ask you what you think about
these arguments, theories, and ideas.
In addition, one exam question
will describe a hypothetical case and ask you to work out what an
act-utilitarian would think should be done and what a Kantian would think
should be done.