Free Philosophy: Morality and The Moral Life Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Feelings are _____ in the moral life.
- an unerring guide
- reason based
- essential and inevitable (Correct answer)
- essential to impartiality
Correct answer: essential and inevitable
While moral philosophy often emphasizes reason, feelings (emotions) are widely recognized as an essential and inevitable component of human moral experience. They motivate moral action, inform our perceptions of right and wrong, and are deeply intertwined with our values and empathy. Although not an unerring guide, emotions play a crucial role in our moral judgments and responses.
Question 2: According to a moral philosophy, _____.
- why people do what they do
- why an action is right or wrong (Correct answer)
- why one moral event caused another
- where a moral agent got her values
Correct answer: why an action is right or wrong
Moral philosophy, or ethics, is a branch of philosophy that explores fundamental questions about morality, including the concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, justice, and virtue. Its primary aim is to systematically analyze and provide reasoned justifications for why certain actions are considered morally right or wrong, and what principles should guide human conduct. It seeks to establish normative frameworks for ethical decision-making.
Question 3: A crucial moral standard of sufficiency is called as _____.
- fruitfulness
- fallibility
- simplicity
- consistency with our considered moral judgments (Correct answer)
Correct answer: consistency with our considered moral judgments
In moral philosophy, a robust ethical theory or standard should be consistent with our 'considered moral judgments' or 'moral intuitions' – those deeply held moral beliefs that we maintain after careful reflection and without obvious bias. While not the sole criterion, a theory that radically contradicts these widely accepted judgments often faces significant challenges in gaining acceptance. This consistency helps ensure the theory is plausible and applicable to real-world moral dilemmas.
Question 4: The divine command theory has been criticized for suggesting that God's orders are ___.
- arbitrary (Correct answer)
- well supported
- unclear
- unknowable
Correct answer: arbitrary
A major criticism of the Divine Command Theory, which states that an action is morally right if and only if God commands it, is that it makes morality seem arbitrary. If God's commands are the sole basis for morality, then God could, in principle, command anything (e.g., cruelty) and it would become morally right. This implies that morality is not based on inherent goodness or reason, but simply on divine will, which many find problematic and lacking a rational foundation.
Question 5: Kant asserts that only _____ can be characterized as "good" without further explanation.
- happiness
- a good will (Correct answer)
- right action
- good consequences
Correct answer: a good will
Immanuel Kant famously argued that the only thing that is 'good without qualification' or 'good in itself' is a good will. He believed that qualities like intelligence, courage, or even happiness can be used for bad purposes, and thus are not inherently good. A good will, for Kant, is one that acts purely out of duty and respect for the moral law, regardless of the consequences or personal inclinations.
Question 6: Making a false promise, in Kant's view, would be wrong because _______
- most people condemn the practice
- lying to people can cause them harm
- lying to people harms society
- you could not consistently will that everyone should make lying promises (Correct answer)
Correct answer: you could not consistently will that everyone should make lying promises
Kant's ethical philosophy, particularly the Categorical Imperative, dictates that an action is moral only if it can be universalized without contradiction. If everyone were to make lying promises, the very concept of a promise would lose its meaning and trust, making it impossible to consistently will such a practice as a universal law. Therefore, making a false promise is wrong because it fails this test of universalizability.
Question 7: According to Mill, we must _____ to decide which pleasures are more valuable than others.
- consult science
- determine which one is objectively most pleasurable
- determine which pleasure most experienced people prefer (Correct answer)
- consult philosophers of the past
Correct answer: determine which pleasure most experienced people prefer
John Stuart Mill, a proponent of utilitarianism, distinguished between higher and lower pleasures, arguing that the quality of pleasure is as important as its quantity. To determine which pleasures are more valuable, Mill proposed consulting the judgment of those who have experienced both types of pleasures. These 'competent judges' are considered the most qualified to assess the relative worth and desirability of different pleasures.
Free Philosophy: Morality and The Moral Life Questions and Answers
Feelings are _____ in the moral life.