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PHIL 1175
Exam one
9/26/2023
Your Name________________
[1] What does the Divine Command Theory of Morality claim? What is Euthyphro’s Dilemma? What was
Socrates’ main objection to the DCTM? Explain. (20 points)
The DCTM claims that an act is morally required just because it is commanded by God, and
immoral just because God forbids it. Euthyphro’s Dilemma was when Socrates asked him, “Do the gods
love actions because they are pious or are actions pious because the gods love them?” which was
basically saying: “does God command actions because they are right or are actions right because they are
commanded by God?”. Socrates main objection was then, if you say an action is right because the god
loves it/ commands it you cannot also maintain that the gods love it because it is right- if the DCTM were
true God’s moral commands are arbitrary and that seems bad for God to do.
[2] What does the Error Theory of Morality claim? We discussed three reasons why someone might think
the Error Theory is true. Explain one of those reasons. (20)
The error theory claims there are no moral properties/features in the world, no moral judgements
are true, moral claims fail to describe the real world and there is no moral knowledge. One reason to
accept the error theory is that moral properties are not physical things. The claim cannot be true unless
science can verify it is true.
Multiple choice: 5 points each
[3] The methods of the social sciences, such as sociology or anthropology, are suitable for informing us
about which of these?
a.
Critical morality
b.
Conventional morality
c.
Meta-ethics
[4] Suppose Statement A is true. Suppose that Statement A logically entails Statement B. That is, B
follows from A. This guarantees that Statement B is also true.
a.
True
b.
False
PHIL 1175
Exam one p2
F23
J. Collins
[5] The ethical principle “’ought’ implies ‘can’” means what?
a.
If something is impossible to do, then you are not morally obligated to do it.
b.
If something is not morally obligatory, then it is impossible to do.
c.
To lead a good life, one must be capable of many things.
[6] Ethical Egoism is the theory that:
a.
Nobody can act except from selfish motives.
b.
Nobody has any ethical obligations.
c.
Each person has an ethical obligation only to themselves.
[7] If you assume Psychological Egoism to be true, and use it to support Ethical Egoism, your reasoning
relies on what principle?
a.
The Golden Rule
b.
‘Ought’ implies ‘can’.
We are not morally obligated to do what is impossible.
c.
The Desire Satisfaction Theory
d.
Ethical Relativism
[8] “The medieval Mongolians were nomadic. When a physically disabled child was born to them, they
would kill it. They were morally justified in this, because they would have been unable to care for a
physically disabled person, while traveling in an era without technology. But it would be wrong for
Americans today to kill a physically disabled infant, because we have the technology and means for
accommodating disabled people that the Mongolians lacked.” Would an Ethical Relativist agree with the
moral claims made in the quoted sentences?
a.
Yes
b.
No
What justified the Mongolians was not that they approved of
this, but it was justified because
performing this is what made survival possible. An objective moral theory will agree whether an action is
right or wrong can be circumstantial, it will not just depend on whether it is approved by a society or not.
[9] According to Ethical Relativism, what is morally right is relative to a society, and is based on
a.
The circumstances found in that society, such as living conditions.
b.
The beliefs of most of the people in the society.
Ethical Relativism- moral principles are true only relative to a society and a time and
what makes a principle true relative to a society at a given time is that most people in the
society accept the principle. Whatever majority of the society believes, goes. Ex- it is
frowned upon in Saudi Arabia for a woman to contradict a man in public but in Denmark
it isn’t.
c.
Both the above
d.
None of the above
PHIL 1175
Exam one p3
9/26/2023
Your Name__________
[10] Suppose there is a society where most people believe it is right to persecute trans people. Gradually,
the society changes, and now most people believe that trans people shouldn’t be persecuted. If Ethical
Relativism is true, this society has made moral progress.
a.
True
b.
False
[11] Suppose Max lives in a society in which most people believe there is no moral right to an abortion.
But Max thinks there is such a right. Eventually, Max changes his mind and agrees with most others in his
society that there is no moral right to abortion. According to Ethical Relativism, Max made moral
progress.
a.
True
Since Max was a part of the small percentage of the society with opposing morals (Iconoclast)
when his mind was changed into believing what the society believed, he individually made moral
progress. If the whole society were to change from no abortion to pro-abortion, this would not be
considered moral progress. This is because it would not make sense for a society to go from a
belief that is see as correct to the opposing belief now being as seen as correct.
b.
False
[12
] Suppose that most Canadians believe in a moral right to assisted suicide, and most Italians believe
that assisted suicide is morally wrong. A Canadian says to the Italian: “There is nothing morally wrong
with assisted suicide.” The Italian replies: “No, there is something wrong with it.” If Ethical Relativism is
true, then:
a.
They are disagreeing with each other about the morality of assisted suicide.
b.
They are agreeing with each other about the morality of assisted suicide.
Both societies are correct because it is situational amongst the society, they are a part of but, they
also cannot disagree with the other person because it is all societal and they are a part of different
societies.
c.
Neither of the above
[13] If friendship is valuable not for its own sake, but only because it contributes to some other valuable
thing, then friendship is
a.
An instrumental good
b.
An intrinsic good
c.
Both the above
d.
None of the above
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