ETH 3580 Midterm Examination with 100% correct answers 2024

descriptive ethics correct answers activity of describing behaviors of right and wrong AKA study of morality Philosophical ethics correct answers attempt to clarify meaning of ethics Metaethics correct answers the philosophy of ethics Normative ethics correct answers arrives at principle to help make decisions Cultural relativism correct answers actions are right if they comply with the norms of the culture, but the norms of the culture have no bindingness outside of a particular culture Nonrelativist replies/objections to cultural relativism correct answers -argument does not show relativism to be true since it could still be false -Reasons against normative cultural relativism 1. It lacks intuitive appeal: the commonsense intuition is that some actions are morally impermissible, no matter where or when it happens-wrong, period 2. Incompatible with moral progress 3. Faces the Moral Reformer Problem - cannot adequately explain why those who fight to change seemingly unjust moral rules of their culture are thought to deserve praise and gratitude Divine command theory (God as moral authority) correct answers an action is right if, and only if, it is commanded by God. An action is wrong if, and only if, it violates one of God's commands or is prohibited by God Objections against Divine Command Theory correct answers - the Euthyphro Problem (Is X right because God commands it or does God command X because it is right?) - implies God's actions are arbitrary, and therefore irrational. But this conflicts with the traditional understanding of a perfectly rational -not everyone believes in God -there are differing interpretation of the sacred writings - there are many different religions- which one is correct? Injections to the view that religion as necessary for moral motivation correct answers - people are often motivated to do the right thing without any religious belief -if someone only does the right thing because of a hope for a reward in the afterlife, then we would question whether he deserves praise