PHIL 160 FINAL EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS
ethics definition - Answers - the normative study of human conduct; more specifically
the attempt to achieve a systematic understanding of how we ought to live and why
to explain what makes morally right actions right (and wrong actions wrong). - Answers -
What is the fundamental project of moral philosophy?
~x ➔ ~y
-if x does not occur / obtain, then y will not, either; or
- in order for y to occur / obtain, x must also occur / obtain.
- y only if x - Answers - What does it mean to say that x is necessary for y? Be prepared
to identify examples of necessary conditions
necessary condition example - Answers - "You can't get a driver's license unless you're
at least 16 years old."
x➔y
if x occurs or obtains, then y must also occur or obtain. - Answers - What does it mean
to say that x is sufficient for y? Be prepared to identify examples of sufficient conditions.
example of a sufficient condition - Answers - "If you sink the eight‑ball early, you lose
the game of pool."
a series of statements, called the premises or premisses intended to determine the
degree of truth of another statement, the conclusion. - Answers - What is an argument
(in philosophy)?
Validity definition - Answers - iff the truth of its premises would
guarantee the truth of its conclusion: if all the
premises were true, then the conclusion would have to be true, too.
"if sentence 1 and sentence 2 are correct, then the whole thing is correct"
yes. some arguments are valid based on the format, but have factually incorrect
premises - Answers - Can a valid argument have false premises?
If a valid argument has a false conclusion, then at least one premise must be false. -
Answers - Can a valid argument have a false conclusion?
, A valid argument cannot have all true premises and a false conclusion. - Answers - Can
a valid argument have true premises and a false conclusion?
An argument is valid If all the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
An argument is valid = It is impossible for all the premises to be true but the conclusion
false - Answers - Precisely what sort of form must a valid argument
have?
!!!! Practice WKS - Answers - Look at wks for modus ponens, etc
Soundness Definition - Answers - An argument is sound iff it is both valid and factually
correct.
an argument must be valid first in order to determine whether or not it is sound or not -
Answers - How does soundness differ from validity?
if and only if it is both valid, and all of its premises are actually true. - Answers - What
does an argument need in order to be sound?
an action is morally right iff it does not violate one of God's commands - Answers - State
DC
Theological voluntarism and DC is a true criterion, but not an explanation - Answers -
explain why there are two possible interpretations of DC meaning.
theological voluntarism - Answers - an action that is right in virtue of the fact that it
doesn't violate God's commands. Right acts are right because God commanded them;
before he did so, they were neither right nor wrong
DC is a true criterion, but not an explanation - Answers - if an act is right, it has to be
commanded by God; if an act is commanded by God, it is right
God's commands are arbitrary, and this
threatens the idea that God is good (omnibenevolent). - Answers - Explain how
theological voluntarism differs from the idea that God determines what he will command
us to do by consulting some independent standard.
It implies that if moral authority must come from the gods it does not have to be good,
and if moral authority must be good it does not have to come from the gods - a highly
controversial idea at the time Socrates first presented it. - Answers - What is the point of
Socrates' Euthyphro Argument, i.e., what is it supposed to show?
if DC is true, then either theological voluntarism is true, or else the acts God commands
are right by some independent standard
(p then (q or r)) - Answers - Socrates' Euthyphro Argument line 1
ethics definition - Answers - the normative study of human conduct; more specifically
the attempt to achieve a systematic understanding of how we ought to live and why
to explain what makes morally right actions right (and wrong actions wrong). - Answers -
What is the fundamental project of moral philosophy?
~x ➔ ~y
-if x does not occur / obtain, then y will not, either; or
- in order for y to occur / obtain, x must also occur / obtain.
- y only if x - Answers - What does it mean to say that x is necessary for y? Be prepared
to identify examples of necessary conditions
necessary condition example - Answers - "You can't get a driver's license unless you're
at least 16 years old."
x➔y
if x occurs or obtains, then y must also occur or obtain. - Answers - What does it mean
to say that x is sufficient for y? Be prepared to identify examples of sufficient conditions.
example of a sufficient condition - Answers - "If you sink the eight‑ball early, you lose
the game of pool."
a series of statements, called the premises or premisses intended to determine the
degree of truth of another statement, the conclusion. - Answers - What is an argument
(in philosophy)?
Validity definition - Answers - iff the truth of its premises would
guarantee the truth of its conclusion: if all the
premises were true, then the conclusion would have to be true, too.
"if sentence 1 and sentence 2 are correct, then the whole thing is correct"
yes. some arguments are valid based on the format, but have factually incorrect
premises - Answers - Can a valid argument have false premises?
If a valid argument has a false conclusion, then at least one premise must be false. -
Answers - Can a valid argument have a false conclusion?
, A valid argument cannot have all true premises and a false conclusion. - Answers - Can
a valid argument have true premises and a false conclusion?
An argument is valid If all the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
An argument is valid = It is impossible for all the premises to be true but the conclusion
false - Answers - Precisely what sort of form must a valid argument
have?
!!!! Practice WKS - Answers - Look at wks for modus ponens, etc
Soundness Definition - Answers - An argument is sound iff it is both valid and factually
correct.
an argument must be valid first in order to determine whether or not it is sound or not -
Answers - How does soundness differ from validity?
if and only if it is both valid, and all of its premises are actually true. - Answers - What
does an argument need in order to be sound?
an action is morally right iff it does not violate one of God's commands - Answers - State
DC
Theological voluntarism and DC is a true criterion, but not an explanation - Answers -
explain why there are two possible interpretations of DC meaning.
theological voluntarism - Answers - an action that is right in virtue of the fact that it
doesn't violate God's commands. Right acts are right because God commanded them;
before he did so, they were neither right nor wrong
DC is a true criterion, but not an explanation - Answers - if an act is right, it has to be
commanded by God; if an act is commanded by God, it is right
God's commands are arbitrary, and this
threatens the idea that God is good (omnibenevolent). - Answers - Explain how
theological voluntarism differs from the idea that God determines what he will command
us to do by consulting some independent standard.
It implies that if moral authority must come from the gods it does not have to be good,
and if moral authority must be good it does not have to come from the gods - a highly
controversial idea at the time Socrates first presented it. - Answers - What is the point of
Socrates' Euthyphro Argument, i.e., what is it supposed to show?
if DC is true, then either theological voluntarism is true, or else the acts God commands
are right by some independent standard
(p then (q or r)) - Answers - Socrates' Euthyphro Argument line 1
