Possible Exam Questions for Ethics Final
Note:
With one exception, the format for the final exam will be the same as for the
midterm exam. There will be several
questions to be answered quite briefly (1/3 page), one or two questions to be
answered at greater length (1 page) and (here’s the exception) some quotes to
identify.
1.
What does it mean to call an imperative “categorical”?
2.
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.
3.
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?
4.
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?
5.
What reason does Norman give for thinking that Kant failed to “provide
any good reason for adhering to an altruistic morality”? (Hint: it has to do with his distinction
between three different senses of “universalizability”.) Do you think Norman is right?
6.
How does J. S. Mill try to justify his view that some pleasures are
qualitatively better than others? What
do you think of this view?
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? Does his answer
succeed in rebutting the objection?
8.
How does Mill try to “prove” the principle of utility? How successful do you think his proof is?
9.
What objection to utilitarianism can be summarized by saying that it
“ignores the separateness of persons”?
(See Norman p. 185) What do you
think of this objection?
10.
James Rachels defends active euthanasia using both utilitarian and
Kantian arguments. Explain how these
arguments are different.
11.
If you were trying to decide whether we ought to legalize recreational
drugs, and you were a utilitarian, what sorts of facts would you need to
consider?
12.
James Q. Wilson offers, and Douglas N. Husak rejects, a ‘virtue-based’
argument for keeping recreational drugs illegal. What is the argument? Why does Husak reject it? What do you
think?
13.
What reason does Norman offer for thinking that Bradley’s ‘Hegelian’
ethics represents a significant advance over the theories of Kant and
Mill? (See especially pp.117-118)
14.
What is the difference between ‘slave morality’ and ‘noble morality’
according to Nietzsche?
15.
According to Nietzsche what is
the underlying motivation for ‘slave morality’?
16.
Where does ‘bad conscience’ come from, according to Nietzsche?
17.
What values does Nietzsche seem to endorse (at least tacitly) in his
criticisms of previous moralities?
18.
How can Freud, Marx, Nietzsche, and feminist ethicists be seen as
pursuing similar critiques of conventional morality?
19.
How does Susan Sherwin distinguish between ‘feminine ethics’ and
‘feminist ethics’?
20.
How according to Norman can we develop an objective account of human
needs? Do you think that he succeeds in
showing that his account is objective?
21.
Norman says, “The version of moral realism which I have been presenting
shows, if it succeeds, that there can be objective reasons for actions,
objective reasons for living a certain kind of life. The practical choices we make are not just a matter of subjective
preference; one kind of life is objectively better than another.” (P.222) Explain
and evaluate his view.