PHIL 202 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
Argument - Answers - A set of statements, containing a conclusion and some premises,
where the premises support the conclusion
Valid - Answers - An argument whose conclusion must logically follow from its premises
is called ___.
Sound - Answers - An argument that is valid, and also whose premises are true is called
___.
Psychological egoism - Answers - The idea that all people act in their own self-interest.
Ethical egoism - Answers - The idea that all people should act in their own self-interest,
or that psychological egoism is "right".
James Rachels - Answers - The author of a philosophical essay that argued against
ethical egoism.
Rachels' arguments against ethical egoism - Answers - Ethical egoism a) cannot handle
conflicts of interest, b) is logically inconsistent and c) is unacceptably arbitrary.
Moral Isolationism - Answers - A variant of cultural relativism proposed by Mary Midgley
in "Trying Out One's New Sword" which states that because we cannot understand
other cultures, we cannot judge them.
Cultural Relativism - Answers - The idea that one can only interpret the beliefs and
activities of someone else's culture by putting them in the context of one's own culture.
Mary Midgley - Answers - The author of "Trying Out One's New Sword" who defends
the idea of moral isolationism.
Ethical Subjectivism - Answers - The idea that there are no "moral facts" or that there
are no objectively correct ethical standards.
Objective - Answers - That which is undeniably factually true, the opposite of subjective.
Subjective - Answers - That which varies contextually, the opposite of objective.
Normative Subjectivism - Answers - An ethical theory which states that an act is morally
right if, and only if, the person judging the action approves of it.
, Consequentialism - Answers - A normative ethical theory which states that whether an
act is morally right or not depends solely on its outcomes.
Utilitarianism - Answers - A form of consequentialism which states that whether an act is
morally right or not depends on how much "utility" it produces (whatever it may be).
Hedonistic Utilitarianism - Answers - The idea that the "utility" proposed in utilitarianism
is pleasure, and thus that all actions are judged as morally right or not based on how
much pleasure they produce.
Jeremy Bentham - Answers - English philosopher and advocate of utilitarianism. His
form of utilitarianism treated all pleasures as equal to each other.
John Stuart Mill - Answers - English philosopher and advocate of utilitarianism. His form
of utilitarianism contrasted with Bentham's by suggesting that intellectual and moral
pleasures are superior to physical pleasures.
"It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pit satisfied"
Peter Singer - Answers - The author of "Famine, Affluence, and Morality", in which he
argues that one ought to always give to charities as long as one doesn't have to
sacrifice anything "morally significant".
Criterion of right action - Answers - A defining characteristic of right action. It does not
suggest how to perform right actions, but simply what they are.
Guide to right action - Answers - An explanation or demonstration of how to perform
right actions.
Deontology - Answers - The normative ethical theory that an action is judged to be
morally right or wrong based on its adherence to a previously-defined set of rules.
Categorical Imperative - Answers - An idea proposed by Immanuel Kant which states
that one must "act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the
same time will that it become a universal law".
John Rawls - Answers - American philosopher and author of "A Theory of Justice" who
proposed such ideas as the Original Position and the Liberty and Difference Principles.
Justice as fairness - Answers - Rawls' idea that the principles of justice should be
agreed upon in an initial situation that is fair
The Original Position - Answers - A hypothetical scenario described by Rawls separate
from reality, where humanity would decide on fair procedures of justice. It assumes that
we are rational, self-interested people and we do not know what advantages or
disadvantages we may have outside of it.
ANSWERS
Argument - Answers - A set of statements, containing a conclusion and some premises,
where the premises support the conclusion
Valid - Answers - An argument whose conclusion must logically follow from its premises
is called ___.
Sound - Answers - An argument that is valid, and also whose premises are true is called
___.
Psychological egoism - Answers - The idea that all people act in their own self-interest.
Ethical egoism - Answers - The idea that all people should act in their own self-interest,
or that psychological egoism is "right".
James Rachels - Answers - The author of a philosophical essay that argued against
ethical egoism.
Rachels' arguments against ethical egoism - Answers - Ethical egoism a) cannot handle
conflicts of interest, b) is logically inconsistent and c) is unacceptably arbitrary.
Moral Isolationism - Answers - A variant of cultural relativism proposed by Mary Midgley
in "Trying Out One's New Sword" which states that because we cannot understand
other cultures, we cannot judge them.
Cultural Relativism - Answers - The idea that one can only interpret the beliefs and
activities of someone else's culture by putting them in the context of one's own culture.
Mary Midgley - Answers - The author of "Trying Out One's New Sword" who defends
the idea of moral isolationism.
Ethical Subjectivism - Answers - The idea that there are no "moral facts" or that there
are no objectively correct ethical standards.
Objective - Answers - That which is undeniably factually true, the opposite of subjective.
Subjective - Answers - That which varies contextually, the opposite of objective.
Normative Subjectivism - Answers - An ethical theory which states that an act is morally
right if, and only if, the person judging the action approves of it.
, Consequentialism - Answers - A normative ethical theory which states that whether an
act is morally right or not depends solely on its outcomes.
Utilitarianism - Answers - A form of consequentialism which states that whether an act is
morally right or not depends on how much "utility" it produces (whatever it may be).
Hedonistic Utilitarianism - Answers - The idea that the "utility" proposed in utilitarianism
is pleasure, and thus that all actions are judged as morally right or not based on how
much pleasure they produce.
Jeremy Bentham - Answers - English philosopher and advocate of utilitarianism. His
form of utilitarianism treated all pleasures as equal to each other.
John Stuart Mill - Answers - English philosopher and advocate of utilitarianism. His form
of utilitarianism contrasted with Bentham's by suggesting that intellectual and moral
pleasures are superior to physical pleasures.
"It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pit satisfied"
Peter Singer - Answers - The author of "Famine, Affluence, and Morality", in which he
argues that one ought to always give to charities as long as one doesn't have to
sacrifice anything "morally significant".
Criterion of right action - Answers - A defining characteristic of right action. It does not
suggest how to perform right actions, but simply what they are.
Guide to right action - Answers - An explanation or demonstration of how to perform
right actions.
Deontology - Answers - The normative ethical theory that an action is judged to be
morally right or wrong based on its adherence to a previously-defined set of rules.
Categorical Imperative - Answers - An idea proposed by Immanuel Kant which states
that one must "act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the
same time will that it become a universal law".
John Rawls - Answers - American philosopher and author of "A Theory of Justice" who
proposed such ideas as the Original Position and the Liberty and Difference Principles.
Justice as fairness - Answers - Rawls' idea that the principles of justice should be
agreed upon in an initial situation that is fair
The Original Position - Answers - A hypothetical scenario described by Rawls separate
from reality, where humanity would decide on fair procedures of justice. It assumes that
we are rational, self-interested people and we do not know what advantages or
disadvantages we may have outside of it.
