PHI 2600 - Exam 1 Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025
According to the socratic view of morality summarized by Frankena, is a person brought up by immoral
parents in a corrupt society capable of making correct moral judgments? Why or why not? - Answers
Yes, morality is ingrained in all of us. From a young age we learn to justify our actions and we have a
general concept of fairness, independent of the influence of our parents.
In defending his decision about whether to escape, Socrates offers three arguments that demonstrate a
typical pattern of reasoning. - Answers 1 - you must not harm another, and escaping would be harming
the state
2 - if you remain living in a state, you agree to obey its laws (idea of social contract)
3 - one's state is like one's parents; you must obey your parents
If popular opinion led to the same conclusions arrived at through moral reasoning, would it still be
important to engage in moral philosophy? - Answers Yes, because we must question why things are
accepted as truth. What makes this right/good/moral? Ex. Female circumcision.
A sociologist would typically be most concerned with which of the following? - Answers to describe or
explain the phenomena of morality or to work out a theory of human nature which bears on ethical
questions
Someone who claims that all behavior is self-interested is making which of the following kinds of claims?
- Answers Normative
A typical pattern of moral reasoning involves which of the following? - Answers A conclusion that follows
a set of premises believed to be true.
Frankena claims that we have begun to engage in moral philosophy when - Answers We have begin to
think for ourselves about moral questions
To say that it is always wrong to harm someone is to make which of the following kinds of claims? -
Answers Normative
Someone who reflects on whether our moral judgments have any ultimate justification is engaged in
what type of inquiry? - Answers Meta-ethical
Descriptive claims are relevant to ethics because - Answers Descriptive ethics is about what motivates
pro-social behavior, how people reason about ethics, what people believe to have overriding
importance, and how societies regulate behavior (such as by punishing people for doing certain actions).
Socrates believes that it is appropriate to act immorally if by doing so we can save ourselves from
serious harm - Answers False
Normative ethics has to do with what people generally think about moral issues. - Answers True
, According to Frankena, meta-ethics has no bearing on questions about what is right, good, or obligatory
in general or in a particular case. - Answers False
The question "What does it mean to say that something is morally 'right' or good?" is meta-ethical -
Answers False
According to Socrates, moral questions can and should be settled by reason. - Answers True
Socrates believes that doing the right thing means doing the thing that is most likely to maximize
pleasure and minimize pain in any given situation. - Answers False
Socrates gives a threefold argument to show that he ought to break the laws by escaping. - Answers
True
In the Crito, what arguments does Crito make to persuade Socrates to try to escape from prison? How
does Socrates respond to these arguments? - Answers Crito argues that Socrates should escape because
it is the will of the majority. Socrates argues that the will of the majority has little importance because it
cannot make a man wise or foolish. Its consequences are up to chance. It is also preferred to have the
opinion of an expert rather than the opinion of many.
Socrates tells Crito that he should attempt to break out of prison if and only if doing so would be -
Answers Just
Socrates and Crito are engaged primarily in what type of inquiry? - Answers Normative
The "expert" on matters of justice and injustice, Socrates says, is - Answers truth
Which of the following would Socrates identify as the greatest evil? - Answers Injustice
Socrates would likely recommend which of the following responses to an unjust law? - Answers
attempting to persuade the authorities to change or revoke it.
Socrates says that the laws of Athens have functioned in his life like - Answers parents
Socrates believes that allowing the Athenians to carry out his unjust sentence would do serious harm to
society. - Answers False
Socrates thinks one should disregard what most people believe about moral questions. - Answers False
In the Crito, Socrates claims that it is permissible to commit injustice in return for injustice. - Answers
False
According to Socrates, justice consists of treating others as they have treated you. - Answers False
Socrates tells Crito that by choosing to live in a city, one agrees to live by its laws. - Answers True
Despite Crito's initial arguments, Socrates believes he would be doing harm to his friends and relatives
by escaping. - Answers True
According to the socratic view of morality summarized by Frankena, is a person brought up by immoral
parents in a corrupt society capable of making correct moral judgments? Why or why not? - Answers
Yes, morality is ingrained in all of us. From a young age we learn to justify our actions and we have a
general concept of fairness, independent of the influence of our parents.
In defending his decision about whether to escape, Socrates offers three arguments that demonstrate a
typical pattern of reasoning. - Answers 1 - you must not harm another, and escaping would be harming
the state
2 - if you remain living in a state, you agree to obey its laws (idea of social contract)
3 - one's state is like one's parents; you must obey your parents
If popular opinion led to the same conclusions arrived at through moral reasoning, would it still be
important to engage in moral philosophy? - Answers Yes, because we must question why things are
accepted as truth. What makes this right/good/moral? Ex. Female circumcision.
A sociologist would typically be most concerned with which of the following? - Answers to describe or
explain the phenomena of morality or to work out a theory of human nature which bears on ethical
questions
Someone who claims that all behavior is self-interested is making which of the following kinds of claims?
- Answers Normative
A typical pattern of moral reasoning involves which of the following? - Answers A conclusion that follows
a set of premises believed to be true.
Frankena claims that we have begun to engage in moral philosophy when - Answers We have begin to
think for ourselves about moral questions
To say that it is always wrong to harm someone is to make which of the following kinds of claims? -
Answers Normative
Someone who reflects on whether our moral judgments have any ultimate justification is engaged in
what type of inquiry? - Answers Meta-ethical
Descriptive claims are relevant to ethics because - Answers Descriptive ethics is about what motivates
pro-social behavior, how people reason about ethics, what people believe to have overriding
importance, and how societies regulate behavior (such as by punishing people for doing certain actions).
Socrates believes that it is appropriate to act immorally if by doing so we can save ourselves from
serious harm - Answers False
Normative ethics has to do with what people generally think about moral issues. - Answers True
, According to Frankena, meta-ethics has no bearing on questions about what is right, good, or obligatory
in general or in a particular case. - Answers False
The question "What does it mean to say that something is morally 'right' or good?" is meta-ethical -
Answers False
According to Socrates, moral questions can and should be settled by reason. - Answers True
Socrates believes that doing the right thing means doing the thing that is most likely to maximize
pleasure and minimize pain in any given situation. - Answers False
Socrates gives a threefold argument to show that he ought to break the laws by escaping. - Answers
True
In the Crito, what arguments does Crito make to persuade Socrates to try to escape from prison? How
does Socrates respond to these arguments? - Answers Crito argues that Socrates should escape because
it is the will of the majority. Socrates argues that the will of the majority has little importance because it
cannot make a man wise or foolish. Its consequences are up to chance. It is also preferred to have the
opinion of an expert rather than the opinion of many.
Socrates tells Crito that he should attempt to break out of prison if and only if doing so would be -
Answers Just
Socrates and Crito are engaged primarily in what type of inquiry? - Answers Normative
The "expert" on matters of justice and injustice, Socrates says, is - Answers truth
Which of the following would Socrates identify as the greatest evil? - Answers Injustice
Socrates would likely recommend which of the following responses to an unjust law? - Answers
attempting to persuade the authorities to change or revoke it.
Socrates says that the laws of Athens have functioned in his life like - Answers parents
Socrates believes that allowing the Athenians to carry out his unjust sentence would do serious harm to
society. - Answers False
Socrates thinks one should disregard what most people believe about moral questions. - Answers False
In the Crito, Socrates claims that it is permissible to commit injustice in return for injustice. - Answers
False
According to Socrates, justice consists of treating others as they have treated you. - Answers False
Socrates tells Crito that by choosing to live in a city, one agrees to live by its laws. - Answers True
Despite Crito's initial arguments, Socrates believes he would be doing harm to his friends and relatives
by escaping. - Answers True
