UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS
UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS (RELG 2650)
EXAM STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2025
bioethics - Correct Ans-The study of ethics related to issues that arise in health care.
ethics - Correct Ans-sustained and intentional reflection on morality and the moral life
with analysis, discontent, reasoning, and arguments
moral rules or principles of behavior that should guide members of a profession or
organization and make them deal honestly and fairly with each other and with their
custom
utilitarianism - Correct Ans-1 fundamental moral good-to maximize outcomes of "utility"
-greatest good for the greatest number of people-the greatest aggregate happiness
outcome
deontological - Correct Ans--concerned with universal/general and impartial rules or
responsibilities of moral conduct
-absolute rule derived from ostensibly universal principles of reason, done solely out of
sense of duty
categorical imperative - Correct Ans-A concept developed by the philosopher Immanuel
Kant as an ethical guideline for behavior. In deciding whether an action is right or wrong,
or desirable or undesirable, a person should evaluate the action in terms of what would
happen if everybody else in the same situation, or category, acted the same way.
-tells us what must be done irrespective of our personal desires or goals
natural law - Correct Ans-Thomas Aquinas
1|Page
,UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS
-right actions are those that conform to the moral standards embedded in nature and all
reasonable people can discover and affirm them through human reason
-nature itself is telological
rights theory - Correct Ans--derived from modern democratic thinking
casuistry/ethical pragmatism - Correct Ans--focus on analyzing specific cases and then
analogical reasoning from them
-claims confidence in circumstances vs broad general moral principles
divine command theory - Correct Ans--view of ethics by most people who follow religion
-source of long-standing moral code
-morality is an expression of gods will
10 commandments-the symbol
Difficulties:
-problematic in pluralistic societies because depends on religious agreement
-authoritarian and not autonomously motivated
-too focused on the next/spiritual life
revelation - Correct Ans-God will communicate to people the basis of moral life through
written and living heritage of the church (depositum fidei)
convenant - Correct Ans-(berit) the special partnership that god forges with this special
figure of Abraham and then his decendents; and then the people at large
-there are mutual rights and responsibilities; but always initiated by god (asymetric in
that sense)
2|Page
, UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS
-with specific people, but the purpose is to overflow into the rest of humanity (universal
dynamic/significance)
prophets - Correct Ans-People who are said to receive messages from God to be taught
to others
-
Torah - Correct Ans--"teaching/instruction"
-says very little about medical care
-God is the healer
The first five books of Jewish Scripture, which they believe are by Moses, are called this
-the code
Talmud - Correct Ans-compilation of Mishna combined with Rabbinic commentary and
decisions 2 versions
1.Palestinian
2. Babylonian
halakhah - Correct Ans-Jewish laws as applied to jewish living
-responsorial, ongoing engagement; return to sources and apply them to new issues in
modern society
-highly conversational, debate and questioning is part of the processes
-causist-it does focus on specific cases and how they would relate to ones that have clear
presence in the Torah
-highly porous/open-ended -extended beyond what is clearly stated in the Talmud
divine body ownership - Correct Ans-in Jewish law the body is on loan from God for the
duration of life, so there is a duty not to harm the body
3|Page
UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS (RELG 2650)
EXAM STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2025
bioethics - Correct Ans-The study of ethics related to issues that arise in health care.
ethics - Correct Ans-sustained and intentional reflection on morality and the moral life
with analysis, discontent, reasoning, and arguments
moral rules or principles of behavior that should guide members of a profession or
organization and make them deal honestly and fairly with each other and with their
custom
utilitarianism - Correct Ans-1 fundamental moral good-to maximize outcomes of "utility"
-greatest good for the greatest number of people-the greatest aggregate happiness
outcome
deontological - Correct Ans--concerned with universal/general and impartial rules or
responsibilities of moral conduct
-absolute rule derived from ostensibly universal principles of reason, done solely out of
sense of duty
categorical imperative - Correct Ans-A concept developed by the philosopher Immanuel
Kant as an ethical guideline for behavior. In deciding whether an action is right or wrong,
or desirable or undesirable, a person should evaluate the action in terms of what would
happen if everybody else in the same situation, or category, acted the same way.
-tells us what must be done irrespective of our personal desires or goals
natural law - Correct Ans-Thomas Aquinas
1|Page
,UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS
-right actions are those that conform to the moral standards embedded in nature and all
reasonable people can discover and affirm them through human reason
-nature itself is telological
rights theory - Correct Ans--derived from modern democratic thinking
casuistry/ethical pragmatism - Correct Ans--focus on analyzing specific cases and then
analogical reasoning from them
-claims confidence in circumstances vs broad general moral principles
divine command theory - Correct Ans--view of ethics by most people who follow religion
-source of long-standing moral code
-morality is an expression of gods will
10 commandments-the symbol
Difficulties:
-problematic in pluralistic societies because depends on religious agreement
-authoritarian and not autonomously motivated
-too focused on the next/spiritual life
revelation - Correct Ans-God will communicate to people the basis of moral life through
written and living heritage of the church (depositum fidei)
convenant - Correct Ans-(berit) the special partnership that god forges with this special
figure of Abraham and then his decendents; and then the people at large
-there are mutual rights and responsibilities; but always initiated by god (asymetric in
that sense)
2|Page
, UVA THEOLOGICAL BIOETHICS
-with specific people, but the purpose is to overflow into the rest of humanity (universal
dynamic/significance)
prophets - Correct Ans-People who are said to receive messages from God to be taught
to others
-
Torah - Correct Ans--"teaching/instruction"
-says very little about medical care
-God is the healer
The first five books of Jewish Scripture, which they believe are by Moses, are called this
-the code
Talmud - Correct Ans-compilation of Mishna combined with Rabbinic commentary and
decisions 2 versions
1.Palestinian
2. Babylonian
halakhah - Correct Ans-Jewish laws as applied to jewish living
-responsorial, ongoing engagement; return to sources and apply them to new issues in
modern society
-highly conversational, debate and questioning is part of the processes
-causist-it does focus on specific cases and how they would relate to ones that have clear
presence in the Torah
-highly porous/open-ended -extended beyond what is clearly stated in the Talmud
divine body ownership - Correct Ans-in Jewish law the body is on loan from God for the
duration of life, so there is a duty not to harm the body
3|Page
