PHL 250 Review Guide for Exam #2 Summer 2004 Dr Stephens
Rachels Chapter 9
a. List the SEVEN
acts that Elizabeth Anscombe believed may not be done no matter what (p.119).
b. Why did Anscombe think that Harry Truman was a murderer? (p.119)
c. Explain the difference between hypothetical imperatives
and categorical imperatives (p.120–121).
d. State verbatim the first formulation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative.
(p.121)
e. Explain what this formulation means (e.g., what is a maxim?), and
describe how it would be used to test the morality of various actions.
f. What criticisms can be made of the Categorical Imperative? Explain the Case
of the Inquiring Murderer and what it shows about lying (p.122–125).
g. What does it mean to say that a moral judgment is universalizable? Why is
universalizability important for moral judgments?
h. Explain the basic idea Rachels draws from Kant moral theory (p.128).
Rachels Chapter 10
a. What was Kant’s view of our moral
obligations to nonhuman animals? (p.130)
b. Explain Kant’s view of humans as ends in themselves. What
things are mere means and why are they mere means?
c. State verbatim the second formulation of Kant’s Categorical
Imperative. (p.131)
d. Explain what this formulation means, and describe how it can be used to test
the morality of various actions.
e. Explain Kant’s concept of human dignity. What is the relationship between the
moral law and rational agents? Explain Kant’s concept of autonomy.
f. What are the two Utilitarian justifications for "punishment"? Who may
be punished and for what reasons, according to Utilitarianism? (p.134–135)
g. Who was Karl Menninger? (p.135)
h. What are Kant’s criticisms of the Utilitarian theory of punishment? (p.136)
i. Explain Kantian Retributivism. What are Kant’s two principles of just
punishment? (p.136–137)
j. What did Kant think was the just punishment for murder? What is Kant’s
argument for this? (p.137–140)
Rachels Chapter 11
a. When did Hobbes live? What is the title of his most famous book and when
was it published? (p.141)
b. When did Rousseau live? What was the title of his book on Social Contract
Theory and when was it published? (p.144)
c. Explain Hobbes’ concept of the state of nature (p.141–142).
d. What are the four conditions in the state of nature which lead to the
formation of the Social Contract? (p.142–143)
e. What is the Social Contract? State verbatim what morality
consists in according to the Social Contract Theory. (p.144–145)
f. Explain the logic at work in the Prisoner’s Dilemma. How does it lead to the
Social Contract Theory? What is the best situation possible? Why is the
second best situation in fact more realistic and more reasonable to hope
for? (p.145–149)
g. What are the four strengths of the Social Contract Theory, i.e. what four
questions does it answer, and how does it answer them? (p.150–152)
h. How does the Social Contract Theory explain when and how civil
disobedience is justified? (p.152–155)
i. What is the first objection to the Social Contract Theory, and how could a
Social Contract Theorist reply to that objection? (p.156–157)
j. Explain Rachels’ account of a second, deeper criticism of the Social Contract
Theory. (p.157–159)
Explain the concept of reciprocity and why it is important.
Rachels Chapter 12
a. What did Kant say about women's "civil personality"? (p.160)
b. What did Rousseau say about the virtues of men and women? (p.160)
c. What do recent feminists think about female ways of thinking? (p.160–161)
d. Describe Lawrence Kohlberg's account of "Heinz’s
Dilemma." (p.161)
e. Explain Kohlberg’s
six stages of moral development. (p.161–163)
f. Explain Carol Gilligan’s
objection to Kohlberg's theory of moral development. (p.163–164)
g. Describe Virginia Held’s
view about the nature of ethics. (p.164)
h. What does Rachels say about women and men thinking differently about ethics?
(p.165)
i. What two possible explanations for how the sexes think differently about
ethics does Rachels discuss? Which of these two accounts does Rachels believe
is "more interesting"? (p.165–167)
j. Explain how the ethics of care does a better job of explaining the nature of
our moral relations with family and friends than traditional theories of
obligation do. (p.167)
k. Explain how Nel Noddings applies the ethic of care to the issue of famine
relief. What does Rachels think about personal relationships and a benevolent
concern for people generally? (p. 168–169)
l. Explain how Nel Noddings applies the ethic of care to the issue of
obligations to nonhuman animals. (p.169–170)
m. What does Rachels say about intuitions and feelings? (p.170)
n. Which virtues are required in public life? Which virtues are required in
private life? (p.172)
o. Explain why Rachels thinks that the ethics of care ultimately turns out to be
one part of the ethics of virtue. (p.172)
Rachels Chapter 13
a. Explain how virtue ethics approaches
morality much differently than Consequentialism (e.g. Mill’s Utilitarianism),
Deontology (e.g. Kant), and Contractarianism (e.g. Hobbes & Rousseau).
b. Which ancient Greek philosopher is most associated with the ethics of virtue
and when did he live?
c. What are the four Christian (theological) virtues? Which four cardinal
virtues of the ancient Greeks did they replace?
d. List the virtues on p.176. What other virtues could be
added to this list?
e. What five things must a theory of virtue ethics do, according to Rachels?
(p.175)
f. How does Rachels define what a virtue is? (p.176)
g. Can a stalwart Nazi soldier properly be called "courageous"? (p.177–178)
Explain.
h. How much does a person have to give to be considered "generous"? (p.178–179)
Explain.
i. Does the virtue of honesty require telling the truth under all circumstances?
Explain the case of Athanasius and what it shows (p.179–180).
j. Explain Rachels’ account of the virtues of loyalty and friendship. What does
Aristotle say about friends? (p.180–182)
k. Explain the difference between partial and impartial
virtues. Give examples of several impartial virtues (p.186–187).
l. Why does Rachels think the virtues are important? (p.182–183)
m. Explain Rachels’ account of how a virtue ethicist would reply to the question
of whether the virtues are the same for everyone and in every society. (p.183–185)
m. Explain the two advantages of virtue ethics as presented by
Rachels (p.185–187.
n. What partial virtues does Rachels think apply to
family and friends? (p. 181–182;
186–187)
o. Explain what Rachels believes is the principal problem with virtue ethics
(p.188–190).
How might "b." above reply to Rachels’ criticism? Why does Rachels think
unsupplemented virtue theory couldn’t handle cases of moral conflict? How might
"b." appeal to the virtue of practical wisdom as a reply to
this criticism?
Strike & Moss, Ethics and College Student Life: A Case Study Approach
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. Describe the FIVE ethical principles Strike and
Moss discuss.
Chapter 2: Academic Integrity, Grading, and
Cheating (12–30)
2. Consider Case 2.2: David getting LOTS of help from grad
student Maria writing his paper. Did he cheat? If so, how serious is it and
what punishment does he deserve? Did Maria act wrongly? Explain your
judgments.
3. Is Micaela justified in lying in Case 2.3: "Time Crunch"? Did Debbie act
wrongly? Explain your judgments.
4. Evaluate the ethical issues (and problems) revolving around the TakeNote
service at Cornell in Case 2.4.
5. Consider Case 2.5. If you were Shirpad, how would you deal with beefy Steven
Zanko? Did Zanko plagiarize? Explain.
Chapter 3: Tolerance, Diversity, and Hate Speech (31–65)
1. Consider Case 3.1: Hate Speech. How does hate speech harm people? How does
hate speech exclude people? Do prohibitions against hate speech protect or
violate free speech? Explain.
2. Present the (6-step) Argument for Regulating Hate
Speech (p.34).
3. Present J. S. Mill’s Four Reasons for
Protecting Freedom of Expression of Opinions (p.34).
4. Present the (5-step) Argument against Regulating Hate
Speech (p.37).