PHIL 1020- Auburn University Test 1
Questions and Answers
Value Theory - ANS-The area of ethics concerned with identifying what is valuable in its
own right, and explaining the nature of well-being
Normative Ethics - ANS-The area of ethical theory focused on identifying which kinds of
actions are right and wrong, examining the plausibility of various moral rules, and
determining which character traits qualify as virtues and which as vices.
Metaethics - ANS-The area of ethical theory that asks about the status of normative
ethical claims. It asks, for instance, about whether such claims can be true and, if so,
whether personal, cultural, or divine opinion makes them true (or none of the above). It
also considers issues about how to gain moral knowledge (if we can), and whether
moral requirements give us reasons to obey them.
Golden Rule - ANS-The normative ethical principle that says that your treatment of
others is morally acceptable if and only if you would be willing to be treated in exactly
the same way
Argument - ANS-Any claim of thought in which premises are enlisted in support of a
particular conclusion
Premises - ANS-Any reason that is used within an argument to support a conclusion
Logically Valid - ANS-The feature of an argument that indicates that its premises
logically support its conclusion. Specifically, an argument is logically valid just because
its conclusion must be true if its premises are all true. Another way to put this: Logically
valid arguments are those in which it is impossible for all premises to be true while the
conclusion is false.
Act Consequentialism - ANS-The normative ethical theory that says that an act is
morally right just because it produces the best actual or expected results.
Rule consequentialism - ANS-The normative ethical theory that says that actions are
morally right just because they would be required by an optimific social rule.
Act utilitarianism - ANS-The version of act consequentialism that says that only well-
being is intrinsically valuable, and so says that an act is morally right just because it
maximizes overall well-being.
Questions and Answers
Value Theory - ANS-The area of ethics concerned with identifying what is valuable in its
own right, and explaining the nature of well-being
Normative Ethics - ANS-The area of ethical theory focused on identifying which kinds of
actions are right and wrong, examining the plausibility of various moral rules, and
determining which character traits qualify as virtues and which as vices.
Metaethics - ANS-The area of ethical theory that asks about the status of normative
ethical claims. It asks, for instance, about whether such claims can be true and, if so,
whether personal, cultural, or divine opinion makes them true (or none of the above). It
also considers issues about how to gain moral knowledge (if we can), and whether
moral requirements give us reasons to obey them.
Golden Rule - ANS-The normative ethical principle that says that your treatment of
others is morally acceptable if and only if you would be willing to be treated in exactly
the same way
Argument - ANS-Any claim of thought in which premises are enlisted in support of a
particular conclusion
Premises - ANS-Any reason that is used within an argument to support a conclusion
Logically Valid - ANS-The feature of an argument that indicates that its premises
logically support its conclusion. Specifically, an argument is logically valid just because
its conclusion must be true if its premises are all true. Another way to put this: Logically
valid arguments are those in which it is impossible for all premises to be true while the
conclusion is false.
Act Consequentialism - ANS-The normative ethical theory that says that an act is
morally right just because it produces the best actual or expected results.
Rule consequentialism - ANS-The normative ethical theory that says that actions are
morally right just because they would be required by an optimific social rule.
Act utilitarianism - ANS-The version of act consequentialism that says that only well-
being is intrinsically valuable, and so says that an act is morally right just because it
maximizes overall well-being.
