PHIL 1020 FINAL EXAM WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Philosophical Ethics - ANS-What is the right thing to do
Descriptive Ethics - ANS-The scientific study of moral beliefs and practices
Ethics - ANS-The philosophical study of morality
Three branches of Ethics - ANS-Metaethics
Normative
Applied
Metaethics - ANS-The study of the meaning and logical structure of moral beliefs. What
does it mean to say an action is right or wrong? How does it make you feel? Moral
relativism, emotivism, and objectivism fall under metaethics
Normative Ethics - ANS-The study of principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions
and judgements. Moral theories; principles that tell us how to live ethically.
Applied Ethics - ANS-"Was the abortion permissible?" "Was this instance of mercy
killing immoral?"
Moral Relativism - ANS-What is morally right or wrong for an X is determined by the
moral beliefs of that X.
Problems with Moral Relativism - ANS-It implies that individuals/cultures are infallible
and cannot be mistaken. Implies that is it easy to know what is morally right
Disagreement Problem - ANS-"A and B are in disagreement when A's belief and B's
belief cannot both be true and at least one must be false" - Moral relativism cannot
make sense of the disagreement
Emotivism - ANS-Moral statements are not true or false, but only express
feelings/emotions/attitudes
Problems of emotivism - ANS-Cannot make sense of a moral disagreement. Very
unusual analysis of moral language
Universalizability - ANS-If harming someone is wrong in a particular situation, then
harming someone would be wrong for anyone in a similar situation
, Objectivism - ANS-SOME moral beliefs are true, SOME moral beliefs are false. We can
have REAL disagreements
Divine Command Theory - ANS-Right actions are actions commanded by God
Actions are commanded by God because they are right? - ANS-Still does not tell us why
something is right
Actions are right because they are commanded by God? - ANS-Right because God
commands them, but we do not know WHY God is commanding them
Socrates - ANS-Born in Athens, Greece
Stonemason, soldier, and philosopher
Went around asking people questions
Condemned to death on false charges
Plato - ANS-Born in Athens, Greece
Student of Socrates
Teacher of Aristotle
Founded Academy
Dialog from Socrates as main character
Euthyphro Dilemma - ANS-Assume that "right actions are those loved by the Gods"
So, is an action loved by the Gods, because it is right? Or right, because it is loved by
the Gods? BOTH are problematic
Cultural Relativism - ANS-The view that an action is morally right if one's culture
approves of it. Cant have moral disagreements between cultures but you CAN inside
the culture
Cultural Relativism implies that in the 1950's and 1960's America, the civil rights leader
and social reformer Martin Luther King Jr. was... - ANS-Wrong about his moral reforms
Subjective Relativism - ANS-The view that an action is morally right if one approves of
it. Genuine moral disagreements are nearly impossible. Cannot have moral arguments
Argument - ANS-A set of statements, one of which is supported by the others
Premise - ANS-A statement meant to support another statement
Deductive Argument - ANS-Meant to be logically conclusive (prove a conclusion beyond
any possible doubt)
Inductive Argument - ANS-Meant to show the conclusion is "probable" or likely to be
true
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Philosophical Ethics - ANS-What is the right thing to do
Descriptive Ethics - ANS-The scientific study of moral beliefs and practices
Ethics - ANS-The philosophical study of morality
Three branches of Ethics - ANS-Metaethics
Normative
Applied
Metaethics - ANS-The study of the meaning and logical structure of moral beliefs. What
does it mean to say an action is right or wrong? How does it make you feel? Moral
relativism, emotivism, and objectivism fall under metaethics
Normative Ethics - ANS-The study of principles, rules, or theories that guide our actions
and judgements. Moral theories; principles that tell us how to live ethically.
Applied Ethics - ANS-"Was the abortion permissible?" "Was this instance of mercy
killing immoral?"
Moral Relativism - ANS-What is morally right or wrong for an X is determined by the
moral beliefs of that X.
Problems with Moral Relativism - ANS-It implies that individuals/cultures are infallible
and cannot be mistaken. Implies that is it easy to know what is morally right
Disagreement Problem - ANS-"A and B are in disagreement when A's belief and B's
belief cannot both be true and at least one must be false" - Moral relativism cannot
make sense of the disagreement
Emotivism - ANS-Moral statements are not true or false, but only express
feelings/emotions/attitudes
Problems of emotivism - ANS-Cannot make sense of a moral disagreement. Very
unusual analysis of moral language
Universalizability - ANS-If harming someone is wrong in a particular situation, then
harming someone would be wrong for anyone in a similar situation
, Objectivism - ANS-SOME moral beliefs are true, SOME moral beliefs are false. We can
have REAL disagreements
Divine Command Theory - ANS-Right actions are actions commanded by God
Actions are commanded by God because they are right? - ANS-Still does not tell us why
something is right
Actions are right because they are commanded by God? - ANS-Right because God
commands them, but we do not know WHY God is commanding them
Socrates - ANS-Born in Athens, Greece
Stonemason, soldier, and philosopher
Went around asking people questions
Condemned to death on false charges
Plato - ANS-Born in Athens, Greece
Student of Socrates
Teacher of Aristotle
Founded Academy
Dialog from Socrates as main character
Euthyphro Dilemma - ANS-Assume that "right actions are those loved by the Gods"
So, is an action loved by the Gods, because it is right? Or right, because it is loved by
the Gods? BOTH are problematic
Cultural Relativism - ANS-The view that an action is morally right if one's culture
approves of it. Cant have moral disagreements between cultures but you CAN inside
the culture
Cultural Relativism implies that in the 1950's and 1960's America, the civil rights leader
and social reformer Martin Luther King Jr. was... - ANS-Wrong about his moral reforms
Subjective Relativism - ANS-The view that an action is morally right if one approves of
it. Genuine moral disagreements are nearly impossible. Cannot have moral arguments
Argument - ANS-A set of statements, one of which is supported by the others
Premise - ANS-A statement meant to support another statement
Deductive Argument - ANS-Meant to be logically conclusive (prove a conclusion beyond
any possible doubt)
Inductive Argument - ANS-Meant to show the conclusion is "probable" or likely to be
true
