DAT 250 exam 1 || QUESTIONS WITH A+ VERIFIED
ANSWERS!!
Kantianism correct answers an ethical philosophy claiming that motives and universal rules are
important aspects in judging what is right or wrong
kantianism - imperative #1 correct answers • Act only from moral rules that you can at the same
time will to be universal moral laws.
• The universal moral laws should be followed by everyone without deriving a logical
contradiction.
kantianism - imperative #2 correct answers • Act so that you treat both yourself and other people
as ends in themselves and never only as a means to an end.
• This is usually an easier formulation to work with than the first formulation of the Categorical
Imperative.
case for Kantianism correct answers • Treats all persons as moral equals
• Gives all people moral worth as rational, autonomous beings
• Holds everyone to the same standard
• Produces universal moral guidelines
case against kantianism correct answers • Sometimes no rule adequately characterizes an action
• Sometimes there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules
- In a conflict between a perfect duty and an imperfect duty, perfect duty prevails
- In a conflict between two perfect duties, no solution
• Kantianism allows no exceptions to perfect duties
• Conclusion: Despite weaknesses, a workable ethical theory
perfect duty correct answers duty obliged to fulfill without exception -> telling the truth
imperfect duty correct answers duty obliged to fulfill in general but not in every instance ->
helping others
act utilitarianism correct answers - Add up change in happiness of all affected beings
- Sum > 0, action is good- Sum < 0, action is bad
, - Right action to take: one that maximizes the sum
act utilitarianism - principle of utility correct answers • Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
• An action is good if its benefits exceeds its harms
• An action is bad if its harms exceed its benefits
• Utility: tendency of an object to produce happiness or prevent unhappiness for an individual or
a community
• Happiness = advantage = benefit = good = pleasure
• Unhappiness = disadvantage = cost = evil = pain
• An action is right (or wrong) to the extent that it increases(or decreases) the total happiness of
the affected parties.
• The morality of an action has nothing to do with the attitude behind the action.
rule utilitarianism correct answers a utilitarian theory asserting that the morally right action is the
one covered by a rule that if generally followed would produce the most favorable balance of
good over evil, everyone considered
social contract theory correct answers • Thomas Hobbes
- Without rules and a means of enforcing them, people would not bother to create anything of
value because nobody could be sure of keeping what they created.
- In a "state of nature" our lives would be "solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short"
- We implicitly accept a "social contract"
▪ Establishment of moral rules to govern relations among citizens
▪ Government capable of enforcing these rules
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- In ideal society, no one above rules
- That prevents society from enacting bad rules
social contract theory - negative right correct answers A right that another can guarantee by
leaving you alone (Right of free expression)
virtue ethics theory correct answers • A right action is an action that a virtuous person, acting in
character, would do in the same circumstances.
• A virtuous person is a person who possesses and lives out the virtues
• The virtues are those character traits human beings needs in order to flourish and be truly
happy.
ANSWERS!!
Kantianism correct answers an ethical philosophy claiming that motives and universal rules are
important aspects in judging what is right or wrong
kantianism - imperative #1 correct answers • Act only from moral rules that you can at the same
time will to be universal moral laws.
• The universal moral laws should be followed by everyone without deriving a logical
contradiction.
kantianism - imperative #2 correct answers • Act so that you treat both yourself and other people
as ends in themselves and never only as a means to an end.
• This is usually an easier formulation to work with than the first formulation of the Categorical
Imperative.
case for Kantianism correct answers • Treats all persons as moral equals
• Gives all people moral worth as rational, autonomous beings
• Holds everyone to the same standard
• Produces universal moral guidelines
case against kantianism correct answers • Sometimes no rule adequately characterizes an action
• Sometimes there is no way to resolve a conflict between rules
- In a conflict between a perfect duty and an imperfect duty, perfect duty prevails
- In a conflict between two perfect duties, no solution
• Kantianism allows no exceptions to perfect duties
• Conclusion: Despite weaknesses, a workable ethical theory
perfect duty correct answers duty obliged to fulfill without exception -> telling the truth
imperfect duty correct answers duty obliged to fulfill in general but not in every instance ->
helping others
act utilitarianism correct answers - Add up change in happiness of all affected beings
- Sum > 0, action is good- Sum < 0, action is bad
, - Right action to take: one that maximizes the sum
act utilitarianism - principle of utility correct answers • Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
• An action is good if its benefits exceeds its harms
• An action is bad if its harms exceed its benefits
• Utility: tendency of an object to produce happiness or prevent unhappiness for an individual or
a community
• Happiness = advantage = benefit = good = pleasure
• Unhappiness = disadvantage = cost = evil = pain
• An action is right (or wrong) to the extent that it increases(or decreases) the total happiness of
the affected parties.
• The morality of an action has nothing to do with the attitude behind the action.
rule utilitarianism correct answers a utilitarian theory asserting that the morally right action is the
one covered by a rule that if generally followed would produce the most favorable balance of
good over evil, everyone considered
social contract theory correct answers • Thomas Hobbes
- Without rules and a means of enforcing them, people would not bother to create anything of
value because nobody could be sure of keeping what they created.
- In a "state of nature" our lives would be "solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short"
- We implicitly accept a "social contract"
▪ Establishment of moral rules to govern relations among citizens
▪ Government capable of enforcing these rules
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- In ideal society, no one above rules
- That prevents society from enacting bad rules
social contract theory - negative right correct answers A right that another can guarantee by
leaving you alone (Right of free expression)
virtue ethics theory correct answers • A right action is an action that a virtuous person, acting in
character, would do in the same circumstances.
• A virtuous person is a person who possesses and lives out the virtues
• The virtues are those character traits human beings needs in order to flourish and be truly
happy.
