Foundations of Professional Ethics
Wednesday, 02-29-12: Test 2 -- Review
Synopsis:
TEST 2 REVIEW QUESTIONS
Foundations of Professional Ethics
PHIL 3340.001, 002, and 003
Test Dates: Monday, March 5 (for MW sections) or Tuesday March 6 (for TR sections)
This review gives you a fair indication of the content of the second test. If you study our text, review the lecture notes - and attend the lectures, of course - and compose answers for each of the following questions, you should be well prepared for the test. The format of the test will consist of some T/F questions, some multiple-choice questions, and one essay question. The essay question will be on social contract theory.
1. What is the “state of nature” (as Hobbes describes it)? According to Hobbes, what facts about human life and nature can lead to a state of nature?
2. Explain the Prisoner¹s Dilemma. What lessons does Rachels think we should learn from the Prisoner¹s Dilemma?
3. According to Social Contract Theory, when is civil disobedience morally acceptable?
4. What are some advantages and difficulties of the Social Contract Theory?
5. What is the Principle of Utility?
6. What role does the distribution of happiness play in the Utilitarian’s calculations?
7. The Utilitarian sees the racist, sexist and speciesist as making the same kind of mistake: explain.
8. What might a Utilitarian have to say about euthanasia? Legalizing marijuana? Animal rights?
9. What is the Principle of Rational Benevolence?
10. What is the "Backward-Looking Reasons" based objection to Utilitarianism?
11. How might Utilitarianism disrupt our personal relationships, according to critics of Utilitarianism?
12. What is the difference between act and rule Utilitarianism?
13. What is the difference between dutiful (or morally required, obligatory) acts and supererogatory acts?
14. What is the “Utilitarianism is too demanding” objection to Utilitarianism? Briefly explain, and include the notion of supererogatory acts in your explanation.
15. What are Consequentialist ethical theories, what are Deontological ethical theories, and how do they differ from each other? Is uUtilitarianism a Consequentialist ethical theory or a Deontological one? Is Kant’s ethical theory Consequentialist or Deontological?
16. Did Kant base his ethical theory on our sentiments or our reason? Briefly explain.
17. What is a hypothetical imperative, according to Kant, and how does a hypothetical imperative differ from a categorical imperative? Provide an example of each.
18. State the first formulation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative.
19. Briefly, how might we test to see if an action of ours conforms to Kant's first formulation of the categorical imperative?
20. Present and explain two objections, discussed in class, to Kantian absolutism with respect to lying; include the example of the “inquiring murderer” in your explanation of one of the objections.
21. What is Kant’s second formulation of the Categorical Imperative, and what does Kant mean when he says that we should “always treat persons as ends”?
22. What is the difference between a) treating a person as a means, and b) treating a person merely as a means?
23. What is “autonomy,” and how does it relate to Kant’s second formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
24. Briefly explain what a “negative right” (as described in the lectures) is. Give at least two examples of negative rights.