Exam #1 Study Guide – Ethical Choice

Definitions of morality, ethics, normative ethical theories, ethical relativism (including cultural and individual relativism), consequentialism, ethical egoism, care ethics, Moism, Confucianism, Legalism, deontology, divine command theory, natural law theory.

Mill – Definition of utilitarianism, doctrine of the swine objection, intellectual and bodily pleasures, morality as self-sacrifice objection, too high for humanity objection, critique of hedonism, and the claim that utilitarianism conflicts with our conceptions of justice and individual rights.

Kant – Why good will is the only unqualifiedly good thing, four categories of actions and examples illustrating them, difference between categorical and hypothetical imperatives, the universal law and end in itself formulations, why a lie sets a double standard, why coercion and deception undermine the rationality and autonomy of the other person, the moral status of animals.

Plato – The three parts of the soul, the four virtues.

Aristotle – Why is virtue a mean between two extremes, illustrated with the virtue of bravery, the objection that virtue ethics is vague.

Essay Questions:

1. State which of the normative ethical theory you prefer and justify your choice by giving good reasons why this theory is preferable to the others. In the process, discuss two other theories in detail.

2. Recount in detail one of the objections to utilitarianism we read about and Mill’s response to it. Do you think that Mill’s response is successful? State another objection that you think would be more of a problem for utilitarianism and explain why you think so.

3. Do you think that Kant is right that we are able to be act against our desires and be motivated by reason alone? Explain and justify you view, and illustrate it with at least two examples.