BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies Philosophy and Ethics

Question 1

Which ethical theory holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences?

Accepted Answer

Consequentialism

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Act only according to principles you could will to be universal laws

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Dialectic (Socratic Method)

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Epistemology

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Distinguished between higher and lower qualities of pleasure

Answer

Mill refined Bentham's utilitarianism by arguing that intellectual and moral pleasures are qualitatively superior to purely physical ones.

BGS, BSGS Bachelor of General Studies Practice Test