PhB Bachelor of Philosophy Ethics and Moral Philosophy 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, most famously developed by Bentham and Mill.
Question 2: Kant's categorical imperative instructs us to act only according to that maxim which we can simultaneously will to become a:
- Personal virtue
- Social contract
- Universal law (Correct answer)
- Divine command
Correct answer: Universal law
Kant's first formulation of the categorical imperative demands that we act only on principles we could consistently universalize for all rational beings.
Question 3: Which philosopher is most closely associated with virtue ethics and the concept of eudaimonia?
- Immanuel Kant
- John Stuart Mill
- Aristotle (Correct answer)
- Jeremy Bentham
Correct answer: Aristotle
Aristotle argued in the Nicomachean Ethics that eudaimonia (flourishing or happiness) is the highest good, achieved through virtuous character.
Question 4: The trolley problem is primarily used in moral philosophy to illustrate tension between which two ethical frameworks?
- Stoicism and Epicureanism
- Relativism and absolutism
- Consequentialism and deontology (Correct answer)
- Virtue ethics and divine command theory
Correct answer: Consequentialism and deontology
The trolley problem forces a choice between saving more lives (consequentialist reasoning) and the deontological prohibition on using a person as a mere means.
Question 5: Moral relativism is the view that moral judgments are:
- Universally true across all cultures
- Relative to individuals or cultures and not universally binding (Correct answer)
- Determined by divine authority
- Derived from natural law
Correct answer: Relative to individuals or cultures and not universally binding
Moral relativism holds that right and wrong are not absolute but are defined by the standards of particular individuals, cultures, or societies.
Question 6: Peter Singer's argument for famine relief is primarily grounded in which ethical principle?
- We are obligated to prevent bad things if we can do so without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance (Correct answer)
- Charity is a supererogatory act beyond moral duty
- National borders determine the limits of moral obligation
- Virtue requires only local community care
Correct answer: We are obligated to prevent bad things if we can do so without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance
Singer argues that distance and nationality are morally irrelevant, so affluent people are obligated to give to the global poor whenever they can do so at little cost to themselves.
PhB Bachelor of Philosophy Ethics and Moral Philosophy 1
Which ethical theory holds that the morality of an action is determined solely by its consequences?