PHI 240 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS| ALL CORRECT
The fundamental "error" that the error theory seeks to debunk is the idea that
a. our culture is superior to other cultures.
b. one's own moral views are better than other people's.
c. moral claims seek to describe the world.
d. morality is objective and requires things of us independently of our desires. - Answer-
d. morality is objective and requires things of us independently of our desires.
Which of the following claims would an error theorist not accept?
a. There are no moral features in this world.
b. The main aim of moral judgments is to express emotions.
c. No moral judgments are true.
d. There is no moral knowledge. - Answer- b. The main aim of moral judgments is to
express emotions.
Which of the following claims would cultural relativists and error theorists both accept?
a. Moral judgments aim to describe the moral features of things.
b. Whether a moral judgment is correct depends on the standards of one's culture.
c. There is no moral knowledge.
d. There are no moral features in the world. - Answer- a. Moral judgments aim to
describe the moral features of things.
A categorical reason is a reason that applies to us
a. only because acting on it will make us better off.
b. only because acting on it will get us what we want.
c. regardless of whether acting on it gets us what we want.
d. only if we accept its authority. - Answer- c. regardless of whether acting on it gets us
what we want.
How do hedonists regard most rules about how to live a good life?
a. Such rules are not very useful but not necessarily harmful.
, b. Many such rules are correct and have no exceptions.
c. Such rules are merely tools of those in power, used to subordinate others.
d. Many such rules are useful, but they have exceptions. - Answer- d. Many such rules
are useful, but they have exceptions.
What would a hedonist say about a person who sometimes enjoyed his or her own
pain?
a. Pain would sometimes be good for such a person.
b. Pain would never be good for such a person.
c. Hedonism would not apply to such a person.
d. The existence of such a person would disprove hedonism. - Answer- a. Pain would
sometimes be good for such a person.
What is the point of Philippa Foot's example about the lobotomized patients?
a. Lobotomies make people unhappy and therefore are to be avoided.
b. Lobotomies make people happy and therefore are to be encouraged.
c. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is evidence for hedonism.
d. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is a problem for hedonism. -
Answer- d. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is a problem for
hedonism.
Chapter 2 - Answer- Is Happiness All that Matters
What is the paradox of hedonism?
a. Those who try very hard to make themselves happy almost never succeed.
b. The less you care about material things like wealth and status, the happier you will
be.
c. The more you make other people happy, the happier you will be.
d. all of the above - Answer- a. Those who try very hard to make themselves happy
almost never succeed.
Hedonists overcome the "Evil Pleasures" objection by
a. admitting that the pleasure that comes from doing evil deeds is not valuable.
b. making a distinction between moral goodness and well-being.
c. making a distinction between physical and attitudinal pleasure.
d. none of the above (The "Evil Pleasures" objection refutes hedonism.) - Answer- b.
making a distinction between moral goodness and well-being.
What are the "Two Worlds" that Ross imagines in his objection to hedonism?
a. one world without people and another with people
b. one world where everyone is unhappy and another in which everyone is happy
AND ANSWERS| ALL CORRECT
The fundamental "error" that the error theory seeks to debunk is the idea that
a. our culture is superior to other cultures.
b. one's own moral views are better than other people's.
c. moral claims seek to describe the world.
d. morality is objective and requires things of us independently of our desires. - Answer-
d. morality is objective and requires things of us independently of our desires.
Which of the following claims would an error theorist not accept?
a. There are no moral features in this world.
b. The main aim of moral judgments is to express emotions.
c. No moral judgments are true.
d. There is no moral knowledge. - Answer- b. The main aim of moral judgments is to
express emotions.
Which of the following claims would cultural relativists and error theorists both accept?
a. Moral judgments aim to describe the moral features of things.
b. Whether a moral judgment is correct depends on the standards of one's culture.
c. There is no moral knowledge.
d. There are no moral features in the world. - Answer- a. Moral judgments aim to
describe the moral features of things.
A categorical reason is a reason that applies to us
a. only because acting on it will make us better off.
b. only because acting on it will get us what we want.
c. regardless of whether acting on it gets us what we want.
d. only if we accept its authority. - Answer- c. regardless of whether acting on it gets us
what we want.
How do hedonists regard most rules about how to live a good life?
a. Such rules are not very useful but not necessarily harmful.
, b. Many such rules are correct and have no exceptions.
c. Such rules are merely tools of those in power, used to subordinate others.
d. Many such rules are useful, but they have exceptions. - Answer- d. Many such rules
are useful, but they have exceptions.
What would a hedonist say about a person who sometimes enjoyed his or her own
pain?
a. Pain would sometimes be good for such a person.
b. Pain would never be good for such a person.
c. Hedonism would not apply to such a person.
d. The existence of such a person would disprove hedonism. - Answer- a. Pain would
sometimes be good for such a person.
What is the point of Philippa Foot's example about the lobotomized patients?
a. Lobotomies make people unhappy and therefore are to be avoided.
b. Lobotomies make people happy and therefore are to be encouraged.
c. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is evidence for hedonism.
d. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is a problem for hedonism. -
Answer- d. People with lobotomies are sometimes happy, and this is a problem for
hedonism.
Chapter 2 - Answer- Is Happiness All that Matters
What is the paradox of hedonism?
a. Those who try very hard to make themselves happy almost never succeed.
b. The less you care about material things like wealth and status, the happier you will
be.
c. The more you make other people happy, the happier you will be.
d. all of the above - Answer- a. Those who try very hard to make themselves happy
almost never succeed.
Hedonists overcome the "Evil Pleasures" objection by
a. admitting that the pleasure that comes from doing evil deeds is not valuable.
b. making a distinction between moral goodness and well-being.
c. making a distinction between physical and attitudinal pleasure.
d. none of the above (The "Evil Pleasures" objection refutes hedonism.) - Answer- b.
making a distinction between moral goodness and well-being.
What are the "Two Worlds" that Ross imagines in his objection to hedonism?
a. one world without people and another with people
b. one world where everyone is unhappy and another in which everyone is happy
