Possible Exam Questions for Ethics Final

Note: The format for the final exam will be the same as for the midterm exam. The exam will be held at 10:00AM on Tuesday, December 17 in our regular classroom.

1. What are some reasons for thinking that Aristotle is a ‘particularist’ (i.e., someone who thinks that ethical judgments cannot be understood as the application of general principles to a specific situation)?

2. What, according to Aristotle are the three kinds of friendship? (Say a little about each one.)

3. Which kind of friendship is best (and why)? Do you agree?

4. In Book X, Aristotle says that the life of theoretical study is best. What are his reasons and what do you think?

5. What do you think about the claim that at least some of the virtues are universal, in the sense that they are needed for a good life regardless of your cultural context?

6. What reasons does John Stuart Mill give (in “On Liberty”) for thinking that freedom of speech provides important benefits to society?

7. What reasons might be given for thinking that widespread use of pornography is not a good thing?

8. What is ‘the civil rights approach’ to pornography and why does Barry Lynn think it’s unacceptable?

9. How, according to Rae Langton, does pornography silence and subordinate women?

10. What are some reasons for thinking that it might be a good idea for a university to have regulations prohibiting racist speech on campus? How good are these reasons?

11. Why might someone think that ‘affirmative action’ is needed to overcome a legacy of discrimination (that is, that we can’t solve the problem by simply making it illegal to continue to discriminate)? What do you think about this?

12. Is affirmative action unfair to white males? (Why or why not?)

13. Why does Mary Ann Warren think that human fetuses are not, morally speaking, human beings? Is she right?

14. What do you think is the most compelling reason to think that early abortions are morally wrong? How good a reason is that?

15. How does Susan Sherwin distinguish between ‘feminine ethics’ and ‘feminist ethics’?

16. How might one explain the difference between a ‘feminine’ and a ‘feminist’ approach to the issue of abortion?

17. How does Michael Walzer use ‘the domestic analogy’ to set out a framework for thinking about war?

18. According to Walzer, when is a preemptive war justifiable?

19. What are some reasons for thinking that it might be a bad idea for the US to make war on Iraq anytime soon? How compelling are those reasons?

20. In your opinion, what (if anything) could justify a US attack on Iraq? (Explain.)