Exam 1-PHL256

**Metaethics**

The nature of morality in general

**Normative ethics**

Trying to identify the correct norms or rules for guiding conduct

**Applied ethics**

**The application of moral rules to particular issues**

**Teleological theory**

Define right/wrong based on the consequences of your actions

**Deontological theory**

**Tell the truth regardless of your consequences** 

**Utilitarianism**

**Right = maximizes good consequences for group (the most)** 

**Ethical egoism**

**Right = maximizes good consequences for yourself**

**Divine command theory**

Right = fulfill your duties you have as a result of the commands of the divine

**Natural law theory**

Right = fulfill your duties as they are revealed in the workings of nature

**Social contract theory**

Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of social contracts, promises, agreements, commitments and roles

**Kantianism**

**Right = fulfill the duties you have as a result of being a rational being**

**Moral relativism**

The view that right and wrong are a function of someone’s attitudes

**Cultural relativism**

Right = __whatever__ reflects the attitudes of one’s cultures

**Ethical subjectivism**

Right = __whatever__ reflects the attitudes of one’s self

**Virtue ethics**

Agent-oriented theory, focus: you, your character. Central question: who should I **be**/**become**?

**What is the difference between a descriptive claim and a prescriptive claim?**

A descriptive claim is what a person DOES do, a prescriptive claim is what a person SHOULD do

**Are moral judgements descriptive or are they prescriptive?**

Descriptive

**What is the difference between metaethics and applied ethics?**

Metaethics- The nature of morality in general

Applied ethics- The application of moral rules to particular issues

**Give an example of an applied ethics question and a corresponding metaethical question**

Is __waterboarding__ immoral?

What does “immoral” mean?

**How are cultural relativism and ethical subjectivism similar?**

They are similar because they both define right in terms of attitudes

**How are cultural relativism and ethical subjectivism different?**

They are different because one uses the culture’s attitudes and one uses the individual's attitudes

**How are ethical subjectivism and ethical egoism similar?**

They are similar because they both define right in terms of the self

**How are ethical subjectivism and ethical egoism different?**

They are different because ES defines right in terms of attitudes of the self (what you like) and EE defines right in terms of the consequences for one's self, what’s good for you

**How are cultural relativism and social contract theory similar?**

They are similar because they both determine right in terms of others/group/society/many

**How are cultural relativism and social contract theory different?**

They are different because CR checks the attitudes of the group and SCT checks the agreement of the group

**How are utilitarianism and social contract theory similar?**

They are similar because they both define right in terms of the group

**How are utilitarianism and social contract theory different?**

They are different because SCT is going to check the contract with the group. Utilitarianism will check the consequences of the group

**What is the difference between act-oriented ethics and agent-oriented ethics?**

Act-oriented focus on the same questions, focus on and judge your behavior. Agent-oriented focuses on your character

**How is psychological egoism different from ethical egoism? Which one is a prescriptive** 

**theory? Which one is a descriptive theory?**

PE: people are selfish by nature; it is impossible for them to behave unselfishly

PE is descriptive

Ethical Egoism is a prescriptive theory

**What is the “ought implies can” principle?**

To tell someone they **ought** to do something is to thereby **imply** that the **can** do it, it is unfair to require the impossible

**Present the psychological egoist’s argument in defense of ethical egoism (PE + OIC implies EE)**

1. PE: people are selfish by nature; it is impossible for them to behave unselfishly. 

\+


2. OIC: To tell someone they **ought** to do something is to thereby **imply** that the **can** do it, it is unfair to require the impossible 

=

EE is the __only__ fair moral theory. Every other theory tells you to be unselfish and YOU CAN’T

**Is Ayn Rand a psychological egoist? Explain Rand’s argument in favor of ethical egoism.**

**What are some potential problems with ethical egoism?**

1. EE is **arbitrary**, because, for no good reason, emphasizes the well-being of a single individual rather than the well-being of more/the most people
2. EE is **impractical**, because no one can ever calculate all of the consequences of their action in time to act on the calculation
3. EE appears to **make it impossible to ever know that something is right/wrong**, because it is impossible to ever know all of the consequences of one’s actions
4. **Counter-intuitive**, because it produces judgments that violate our pre-existing moral intuitions.  For example, it produces judgments like it would be morally right to use puppies or babies as stepping stones to avoid getting your own shoes dirty in the puddles

**What does the “principle of utility” say?**

We should act always so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number

**What makes an action right, according to a utilitarian?**

If it maximizes good consequences for the group

**Describe some of the formulations of the trolley through experiment intended to help determine whether utilitarianism is true**

* Switch
* Flip: switch, kill one
* Don’t flip, kill 5
* Bridge
* Push guy off, kill one
* Don't push guy off, kill 5

**What are some of the reasons utilitarianism can be difficult to put into practice?**

Fails to take into account considerations of justice. We can imagine instances where a certain course of action would produce great benefits for society, but they would be clearly unjust

**What does it mean to say that a moral theory is counterintuitive? Try to provide a clear-cut example of a counterintuitive implication of utilitarianism**

**Counter-intuitive**, because it produces judgments that violate our pre-existing moral intuitions.  For example, it produces judgments like it would be morally right to use puppies or babies as stepping stones to avoid getting your own shoes dirty in the puddles

**Which is the branch of ethics that attempts to understand the nature of morality in general?**

Metaethics

**Which of the following is a teleological theory?**

**A. divine command theory**

**B. utilitarianism**

B. Utilitarianism

**Deontological theories define “right” and “wrong” in terms of:**

**A. fulfillment of one’s duties**

**B. consequences of one’s actions**

A. fulfillment of one’s duties

**“Was it wrong to send inert grenades to incoming new Congress members as a greeting?” is an example of:**

**A. a metaethical question**

**B. an applied ethical question**

B. an applied ethical question

**“What does ‘wrong’ mean"?” is an example of:**

**A. an applied ethical question**

**B. a metaethical question**

B. a metaethical question

**Which of the following is a deontological theory?**

**A. Kantianism**

**B. ethical egoism**

A. Kantianism

**Which of the following is a relativistic theory?**

**A. ethical egoism**

**B. ethical subjectivism**

B. ethical subjectivism

**Moral relativists define “right” and “wrong” in terms of:**

**A. consequences of individual actions**

**B. attitudes**

B. attitudes

**Which of the following theories defines “right” in terms of the fulfillment of duties?**

**A. utilitarianism**

**B. natural law theory**

B. natural law theory

**Which of the following theories define morality in terms of fulfilling one’s promises and commitments?**

**A. ethical subjectivism**

**B. social contract theory**

B. social contract theory

**Which of the following is true?**

**A. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory**

**B. a moral theory is a descriptive theory**

A. Psychological egoism is a descriptive theory

**Which of the following is true?**

**A. a descriptive theory tries to report what we actually do**

**B. a descriptive theory tries to report what we should do**

A. a descriptive theory tries to report what we actually do

**Which of the following metaethical theories would the following objection most likely be aimed: “This theory results in moral judgments that violate our institutions about what’s right. For example, this theory says that it is right for you to start civil unrest, even riot in the community as long as doing so produces the best outcome for you personally.”**

**A. utilitarianism**

**B. ethical egoism**

B. ethical egoism

**Which of the following is psychological egoism?**

**A. People can only be selfish**

**B. People should only be selfish**

A. People can only be selfish

**According to the “ought implies can” principle:**

**A. it is unfair to require of people what’s impossible for them to do**

**B. people are selfish by nature**

A. it is unfair to require of people what’s impossible for them to do

**According to the psychological egoist’s argument in favor of ethical egoism, we should be selfish because:**

**A. that is all we are capable of being anyway**

**B. that is what brings about a happier world for as many people as possible**

**C. that is the most efficient way and effective way to protect and enhance what has intrinsic value, namely, the individual self**

**D. that is what our culture is likely to approve of**

A. that is all we are capable of being anyway

**The trolley problem thought experiment we talked about in class us designed to test whether people generally support which moral theory?**

**A. ethical egoism**

**B. utilitarianism**

B. utilitarianism

**The parachute thought experiment we talked about in class is designed to test whether people generally support which moral theory?**

**A. ethical egoism**

**B. utilitarianism**

A. ethical egoism

**According to the studies in moral psychology cited in the video that we watched, which version of the trolley though experiment causes more people to intervene to try to save more lives?**

**A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment**

**B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment**

A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment

**According to those same studies in moral psychology, which version of the thought experiment feels to people more like “making someone die” as opposed to “letting someone die?”**

**A. the “pull the lever” version of the thought experiment**

**B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment**

B. the “push" the guy off the bridge” version of the thought experiment

**Common criticisms of Utilitarianism-**

1. Counter-intuitive
2. Violates our deeply held fundamental moral intuitions
3. Impractical 


1. Requires an impossible calculation
4. Requires definition of  “group”


1. __**Who**__ counts in the group?
2. All people?
3. Only people?
4. Future people?