Philosophy Final (copy)

Test On: Critical Thinking (with short answer) The Righteous Mind (with short answer)

Be able to recognize whether an example given is an example of a strong inductive generalization or a hasty generalization. (Large sample size vs small sample size)

Hasty Generalization Example: I’ve hired three San Pedrans in the past six months, and all three were lazy and shiftless. I guess most San Pedrans are lazy and shiftless.

Strong Inductive Generalization Example: The fifteen winters Eric spent in New York City are cold. So, it may be that most winters in New York City are cold.

Be able to recognize whether an example of a statistical argument is inductively strong or weak. (Chances are greater than 50%)

Inductively Strong Statistical Argument Example: Fifty-five percent of Wexford students voted for Watkins as “Teacher of the Year.” Eileen is a Wexford student. So, Eileen probably voted for Watkins

Inductively Weak Statistical Argument Example: Only 3 percent of Wexford College students are against building the new gymnasium. Johnny Z is a Wexford College student. So, Johnny Z is against building the new gymnasium.

Be able to recognize whether an example of an argument from analogy is a strong analogy or a weak analogy. (Relevance of similarities, truth of premises)

Example of a strong argument from analogy: Taking care of your body is like taking care of your car. Preventive maintenance and a yearly inspection are required.

Example of a weak argument from analogy: My father did an excellent job of balancing the family budget, so they should let him try to balance the city budget.

Short Answer Critical Thinking: Give your own example of the following fallacy of insufficient evidence: False Alternatives (i.e. False Dilemma)

You need to vote democrat, or else America will turn into a faciast dictatorship.

Short Answer Critical Thinking: Give your own example of the following fallacy of insufficient evidence: Hasty Generalization

I met 3 people from France and they were very snobby, therfore all French people must be snobby.

Short Answer Critical Thinking: Give your own example of the following fallacy of insufficient evidence: Slippery Slope

If I drink this water, you will need to go to the bathroom. If I need to stop to go to the bathroom, I will be late to work. If I am late to work, I might get fired. So I cant drink this water or else I might be fired.

Short Answer Critical Thinking: Give your own example of the following fallacy of insufficient evidence: Weak Analogy

My car has 2 doors and 4 wheels. A ferrari has 2 doors and 4 wheels, and ferrari’s are fast. Therefore my car is as fast as a ferrari.

Give a basic definition of the following positions in moral psychology:
Rationalism
Empiricism
Nativism

Rationalism: Our goal should be to make all of our moral decisions based on reasoning.

Empiricism: Mind is a blank slate at birth, moral intuitions come from experience.

Nativism: We’re born with our moral intuitions.

If Jacobs’s HT corresponds to the _________ of reasoning, Haidt’s RM corresponds to the _________ of reasoning.

Art, Science

Who is the philosopher representative of rationalism, for Haidt?

Plato 

Who is the philosopher representative of empiricism, for Haidt?

David Hume 

Who is the scientist representative of nativism, for Haidt?

Darwin  

Hume: “Reason is, and ought only to be the _________ of the _________.”

Slave, Passions

What did Haidt’s own experiment, recounted in Chapter 1, add to our understanding of what Schweder’s experiments reveal?

Those who are upper class have a more individual understanding of what counts as moral. It’s not Westerner vs. Non-Westerner; it’s upper class vs lower class.

Who is our system 2 moral reasoning meant to convince?

Ourselves and Others. (All of the above, choice D)

Contrary to popular assumptions, there are two types of cognition. What are they?

Intuition and Reasoning.  

According to the diagram at p. 55, how might our moral intuitions, judgments, and reasoning actually be led to change?

Social interactions, dialogue! Our judgments, intuitions, and reasoning can change in dialogue with others who we trust but don’t agree with.

_________ is the antidote to self-righteousness.

Empathy is the antidote to self-righteousness.

What is the “mere exposure effect”?

Familiarity breeds attraction! Objects, things, people, and products we are familiar with breed attraction.

Give a one-sentence definition of confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is the practice of taking new information we learn, and using it to reiencforce what we already beleive.

What does Haidt mean when he writes that, “Our politics is groupish, not selfish”?

In politics, we care more about what’s in it for our group than what’s in it for us.

-Fill in the acronym:
W_________
E_________
I_________
R_________
D_________

Western

Educated

Industrialized

Rich

Democratic

Of innateness, in Chapter 7, it is suggested that the five moral foundations are like the (what) of the chapters of a book?

First/Rough drafts of the book 

What is the biological/evolutionary foundation of the Care/Harm foundation?

Being innately sensitive to things that are suffering/in distress. Being naturally caring for kids and for things that are cute.

Who (which group) does the American left tend to associate with the Care/Harm foundation?

Innocent victims 

Who (which group) does the American right tend to associate with the Care/Harm foundation?

Those who've sacrificed for the group: Veterans, Police Officers, First Responders 

Why does the reality of altruism make sense from the standpoint of biological evolution? (if we are selfish, why are we also generous)

The reality of altruism makes sense because of the idea of reciprocal altruism. We give expecting later for others to give to us. We believe our good deeds will be reciprocated

On the American left, Fairness is understood or interpreted to mean _________. On the right, it is understood or interpreted to mean _________.

Left: Equality, Right: Proportionality

What’s the “original trigger” of the Loyalty/Betrayal foundation?

The original trigger is anything that tells you who is a team player and who is a traitor.

T/F: In nature, hierarchical structures of authority are inherently unjust. Leaders of the group always exploit their underlings or subjects without providing anything in return.

False.

Be able to recognize examples of how the Sanctity foundation appears positively among the contemporary American right and (perhaps more difficult) the American left.

The American Right: The body is a temple and the flag, something sacred that shouldnt be touched.

The American Left: Things inncoent like the enciornment shouldn’t be harmed.

What’s the genetic claim that Haidt makes about the brains of liberals and conservatives?

Right: Less open to experiencing new things, more aware of new dangers. Left: More pleasure from looking for new experiences.

What kind of “heroism” narrative characterizes the contemporary American left?

Heroism of liberation

What kind of “heroism” narrative characterizes the contemporary American right?

Heroism of defense

Give a one-sentence definition of social capital

• The networks of trust, friendship, and respect that lead a group to function more efficiently.

What’s the downside to emphasizing our differences, over and above what a group shares in common? (What does Haidt argue?)

Emphasizing differences creates isolation. When you only disscuss your differences with other people, it makes you more defensive and argumentative.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: Why won’t (some) atheists sell their souls?

They have a subconscious belief that their body/soul deserves more self respect. It is worth more than 2 dollars, even if the experiment is fake.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What does Haidt call his own model of the origins of our moral reasoning? Why?

The social intuisionist model because all of our reasoning comes from innate intuitions.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What’s the difference between “can” and “must”? How does this relate to self-interest in reasoning?

If we are told we must do something, we will be much less willing to do it. But if we are told we can do something, we are much more likely to do it.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What can the ethics of community and the ethics of divinity teach those whose moral matrix is the ethics of autonomy?

Autonomy: Do what you want.

Divinity: Act like God's children.

Community: Think beyond yourself.

Both Divinity and community ask the individual to look beyond just themselves.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: Explain what Haidt means when he coins the term moral capital

Moral Capital means how much a community has in common regarding values, practices, and identities that makes cooperation easier in the community. It is how trust leads to cooperation.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: Identify 3 positive features among the contemporary left and right (3 for each).

Left: The left is very open to diversity they emphisize the environment/nature, and they support free healthcare.

Right: The right promotes the idea of individual liberties, Lower taxes and less government spending, and patriotism.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What’s wrong with unregulated markets?

Companies have little to no regulations to follow, causing uninvolved third parties harm.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What’s right about free markets?

Having more compition leads to better and cheaper products.

The Righteous Mind Short Answer: What are some indirect changes that could be made in society to help foster a shift from Manichaeism in our political thinking toward a more complementary (yin-and-yang) perspective?

Some indirect changes we could make would be to be more open minded to new ideas, and be willing to make constructive dialog with those we dissagree with.