BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies Philosophy and Ethics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical theory holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences?
- Deontology
- Consequentialism (Correct answer)
- Virtue Ethics
- Divine Command Theory
Correct answer: Consequentialism
Consequentialism judges actions as right or wrong based entirely on the outcomes they produce.
Question 2: Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative primarily directs individuals to:
- Act to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number
- Act only according to principles you could will to be universal laws (Correct answer)
- Act in accordance with natural inclinations and virtues
- Act according to the commands of a divine authority
Correct answer: Act only according to principles you could will to be universal laws
Kant's categorical imperative demands that we act only on maxims that we could universalize without contradiction.
Question 3: The philosophical method of Socrates, which involves a structured dialogue of questions and answers to expose contradictions, is called:
- Empiricism
- Syllogism
- Dialectic (Socratic Method) (Correct answer)
- Phenomenology
Correct answer: Dialectic (Socratic Method)
The Socratic Method uses systematic questioning and dialogue to examine assumptions and reveal contradictions in thinking.
Question 4: Which branch of philosophy examines the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge?
- Metaphysics
- Ethics
- Epistemology (Correct answer)
- Logic
Correct answer: Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge, including its sources, justification, and limits.
Question 5: John Stuart Mill's version of utilitarianism differs from Bentham's mainly because Mill:
- Rejected the idea that pleasure should guide moral decisions
- Distinguished between higher and lower qualities of pleasure (Correct answer)
- Argued that consequences are irrelevant to morality
- Based morality on individual self-interest alone
Correct answer: Distinguished between higher and lower qualities of pleasure
Mill refined Bentham's utilitarianism by arguing that intellectual and moral pleasures are qualitatively superior to purely physical ones.
Question 6: Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' is primarily meant to illustrate:
- The dangers of living underground
- How humans are naturally inclined toward evil
- The difference between appearances and true reality (Correct answer)
- The importance of democratic governance
Correct answer: The difference between appearances and true reality
The Allegory of the Cave contrasts the shadows (perceived reality) with the sunlit world outside (true Forms), illustrating the philosopher's journey from ignorance to enlightenment.
Question 7: The concept of 'tabula rasa,' the idea that the human mind begins as a blank slate at birth, is most closely associated with:
- René Descartes
- John Locke (Correct answer)
- Aristotle
- David Hume
Correct answer: John Locke
John Locke argued that the mind at birth is a blank slate (tabula rasa) and that all knowledge comes from sensory experience.
BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies Philosophy and Ethics 1
Which ethical theory holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences?