ETHICS IN AMERICA DSST EXAM ACTUAL EXAM
Ethics - ANSWER: The academic discipline of analyzing morality, based on
reasoning, rules and logic.
Cosmogony - ANSWER: The study of the origin of the universe.
Pythagoras - ANSWER: A pre-Socratic philosopher, mathematician and cosmologist
who wrote nothing himself, but is historically thought to have believed in the magic
of numbers and reincarnation.
Sophists - ANSWER: A group of traveling teachers from the fifth century BC who
were paid to lecture on a variety of topics. They can be considered the first
relativists, and gained a reputation for being untrustworthy thanks to their reliance
on persuasion over truth.
Relativism - ANSWER: The belief that every point of view and standard of behavior is
equally valid.
Thucydides - ANSWER: A Greek historian who wrote The History of the
Peloponnesian War, which presented a mixture of facts and fact-based
fictionalization. In it he raises questions of the ethics of war. He equated freedom
with happiness and courage.
Socrates - ANSWER: One of the most famous thinkers of all time, not for his beliefs,
but his dialectic method of teaching. He never wrote anything himself, but was
memorialized in the works of his student, Plato. For him, virtue and knowledge were
the same, and all wickedness stemmed from ignorance. The Athenian government
saw him as a threat and had him executed.
Dialectic - ANSWER: Also known as the Socratic Method, a method of argument in
which one person asks the other questions to try to get them to realize their own
answers or the flaws in their argument.
Plato - ANSWER: Founder of the Academy and writer of the Republic.
Allegory of the Cave - ANSWER: An extended metaphor created by Plato. It describes
a group of prisoners in a cave, chained so their backs are to the entrance. They
believe that the shadows (sensed reality) before them are reality, until someone
manages to get free, turn around and see the source of the shadows (the real world,
which can only be experienced intellectually).
Aristotle - ANSWER: A philosopher and Plato's student who concentrated on
empirical knowledge. He believed that change is necessary and natural, and
everything has a purpose. He wrote Nicomachean Ethics, and that balance was the
key to happiness.
, Stoics - ANSWER: Followers of Zeno, Greeks who believed that absolute laws and
destiny ruled the universe, and that since humans could not change fate, they were
happiest when they simply accepted it and lived with self-control.
Hedonists - ANSWER: Also known as Epicureans after their original teacher, these
believed that happiness was the purpose of life, and anything that reduced pain and
increased happiness was therefore good.
Christianity - ANSWER: A religion founded by Jesus Christ, based on the Bible, that
teaches that humanity is fallen and can only find salvation through faith in Christ and
his substitutiary sacrifice.
Judaism - ANSWER: The oldest monotheistic religion, it is based on the Old
Testament or Hebrew Bible, and influenced both Christianity and Islam. It places
emphasis on history, laws and religious community.
Islam - ANSWER: A religion based on the Koran, which incorporates elements of
Christianity and Judaism but declares itself to be the fulfillment of both through its
prophet, Mohammed.
Hinduism - ANSWER: A polytheistic religion in which moral guidance is based on
principles like ahimsa (nonviolence), dharma (caste duties) and karma
(consequences). It emphasizes detachment from pain and causing as little harm as
possible.
Buddhism - ANSWER: An offshoot of Hinduism with saints instead of gods, and which
emphasizes moral behavior to achieve happiness through many cycles of
reincarnation.
Natural Law Theory - ANSWER: Beliefs based on the idea that moral standards
originate from human nature and the universe, and that deviation from the natural
norm is wrong.
Thomas Hobbes - ANSWER: An English philosopher who believed that humans live
fearfully in a world full of insecurity and violence, and that submission to rulers is the
only way to have harmony in a society. Wrote the Leviathan.
John Locke - ANSWER: An English philosopher who asserted that individuals have
certain natural rights, like living without being harmed by others, make their own
choices, and own property, and that the purpose of the government was to protect
those rights.
Jean-Jacques Rosseau - ANSWER: A French philosopher who believed that humans
were innately good and corrupted by society, and general will--power rests in the
citizens.
Ethics - ANSWER: The academic discipline of analyzing morality, based on
reasoning, rules and logic.
Cosmogony - ANSWER: The study of the origin of the universe.
Pythagoras - ANSWER: A pre-Socratic philosopher, mathematician and cosmologist
who wrote nothing himself, but is historically thought to have believed in the magic
of numbers and reincarnation.
Sophists - ANSWER: A group of traveling teachers from the fifth century BC who
were paid to lecture on a variety of topics. They can be considered the first
relativists, and gained a reputation for being untrustworthy thanks to their reliance
on persuasion over truth.
Relativism - ANSWER: The belief that every point of view and standard of behavior is
equally valid.
Thucydides - ANSWER: A Greek historian who wrote The History of the
Peloponnesian War, which presented a mixture of facts and fact-based
fictionalization. In it he raises questions of the ethics of war. He equated freedom
with happiness and courage.
Socrates - ANSWER: One of the most famous thinkers of all time, not for his beliefs,
but his dialectic method of teaching. He never wrote anything himself, but was
memorialized in the works of his student, Plato. For him, virtue and knowledge were
the same, and all wickedness stemmed from ignorance. The Athenian government
saw him as a threat and had him executed.
Dialectic - ANSWER: Also known as the Socratic Method, a method of argument in
which one person asks the other questions to try to get them to realize their own
answers or the flaws in their argument.
Plato - ANSWER: Founder of the Academy and writer of the Republic.
Allegory of the Cave - ANSWER: An extended metaphor created by Plato. It describes
a group of prisoners in a cave, chained so their backs are to the entrance. They
believe that the shadows (sensed reality) before them are reality, until someone
manages to get free, turn around and see the source of the shadows (the real world,
which can only be experienced intellectually).
Aristotle - ANSWER: A philosopher and Plato's student who concentrated on
empirical knowledge. He believed that change is necessary and natural, and
everything has a purpose. He wrote Nicomachean Ethics, and that balance was the
key to happiness.
, Stoics - ANSWER: Followers of Zeno, Greeks who believed that absolute laws and
destiny ruled the universe, and that since humans could not change fate, they were
happiest when they simply accepted it and lived with self-control.
Hedonists - ANSWER: Also known as Epicureans after their original teacher, these
believed that happiness was the purpose of life, and anything that reduced pain and
increased happiness was therefore good.
Christianity - ANSWER: A religion founded by Jesus Christ, based on the Bible, that
teaches that humanity is fallen and can only find salvation through faith in Christ and
his substitutiary sacrifice.
Judaism - ANSWER: The oldest monotheistic religion, it is based on the Old
Testament or Hebrew Bible, and influenced both Christianity and Islam. It places
emphasis on history, laws and religious community.
Islam - ANSWER: A religion based on the Koran, which incorporates elements of
Christianity and Judaism but declares itself to be the fulfillment of both through its
prophet, Mohammed.
Hinduism - ANSWER: A polytheistic religion in which moral guidance is based on
principles like ahimsa (nonviolence), dharma (caste duties) and karma
(consequences). It emphasizes detachment from pain and causing as little harm as
possible.
Buddhism - ANSWER: An offshoot of Hinduism with saints instead of gods, and which
emphasizes moral behavior to achieve happiness through many cycles of
reincarnation.
Natural Law Theory - ANSWER: Beliefs based on the idea that moral standards
originate from human nature and the universe, and that deviation from the natural
norm is wrong.
Thomas Hobbes - ANSWER: An English philosopher who believed that humans live
fearfully in a world full of insecurity and violence, and that submission to rulers is the
only way to have harmony in a society. Wrote the Leviathan.
John Locke - ANSWER: An English philosopher who asserted that individuals have
certain natural rights, like living without being harmed by others, make their own
choices, and own property, and that the purpose of the government was to protect
those rights.
Jean-Jacques Rosseau - ANSWER: A French philosopher who believed that humans
were innately good and corrupted by society, and general will--power rests in the
citizens.
