PHI 1010 MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS ALL CORRECT
What is hedonism? - Answer- The view that pleasure or happiness (in the sense of the
satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
What is the main attack on utilitarianism? - Answer- The main attack is to attack
hedonism. This is because utilitarianism normally starts with hedonism. Thus the right
actions are the ones that result in the most pleasure or happiness. The way to attack
hedonism is to argue that pleasure or happiness is not all that is important (i.e., the
experience machine).
What is the experience machine thought experiment? - Answer- Imagine a machine that
we can plug into, which has been programmed to allow us to experience as much
pleasure/happiness (or just more than we could in our unplugged lives). If utilitarianism
suggest that we should plug in. However, the point of the experiment is that we wouldn't
want to plug in because pleasure/happiness is not the only important thing in life. Thus
hedonism and utilitarianism are wrong.
For Kant, what is a maxim? - Answer- a principle one gives to oneself when acting, that
states what one is going to do and why.
What is ethics? - Answer- The study of moral value includes inquiries into the nature of
moral judgments, virtues, values, obligations, and theories.
What is an argument? - Answer- "one or more statements called 'premises,' offered as
support for the truth of a further statement, called the 'conclusion'.
How many conclusions can an argument have? - Answer- An argument can only have
one conclusion.
How many premises can an argument have? - Answer- There is no limit to the number
of premises an argument can have, however, every argument must have at least one
premise.
What is a premise? - Answer- A statement in an argument that gives support for the
truth of the conclusion.
AND ANSWERS ALL CORRECT
What is hedonism? - Answer- The view that pleasure or happiness (in the sense of the
satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
What is the main attack on utilitarianism? - Answer- The main attack is to attack
hedonism. This is because utilitarianism normally starts with hedonism. Thus the right
actions are the ones that result in the most pleasure or happiness. The way to attack
hedonism is to argue that pleasure or happiness is not all that is important (i.e., the
experience machine).
What is the experience machine thought experiment? - Answer- Imagine a machine that
we can plug into, which has been programmed to allow us to experience as much
pleasure/happiness (or just more than we could in our unplugged lives). If utilitarianism
suggest that we should plug in. However, the point of the experiment is that we wouldn't
want to plug in because pleasure/happiness is not the only important thing in life. Thus
hedonism and utilitarianism are wrong.
For Kant, what is a maxim? - Answer- a principle one gives to oneself when acting, that
states what one is going to do and why.
What is ethics? - Answer- The study of moral value includes inquiries into the nature of
moral judgments, virtues, values, obligations, and theories.
What is an argument? - Answer- "one or more statements called 'premises,' offered as
support for the truth of a further statement, called the 'conclusion'.
How many conclusions can an argument have? - Answer- An argument can only have
one conclusion.
How many premises can an argument have? - Answer- There is no limit to the number
of premises an argument can have, however, every argument must have at least one
premise.
What is a premise? - Answer- A statement in an argument that gives support for the
truth of the conclusion.
