Intro to Ethics – PHIL 200
Unit 2
Unit 2 Challenge 1
Which of the following statements about divine command theory is true?
Answer: Divine command theory states that what is right is wholly determined from God's
command.
Divine command theory states that God freely chooses what is right and what is wrong.
Divine command theory is an objectivist moral theory.
Norman learns from his pastor that God commands people to love one another.
Thus according to divine command theory, loving one another is .
Answer: obligatory
Patricia abstains from eating pork because she believes God has commanded her to.
Thus according to divine command theory, eating pork is .
Answer: impermissible
Oliver asks his rabbi if it's acceptable for him to swim in the ocean while visiting family in South
Carolina. The rabbi tells him God has not said anything about swimming in the ocean.
Thus according to divine command theory, swimming in the ocean is .
Answer: neutral
Which of the following examples contains a disagreement between popular thought and divine
command theory?
Answer: God says to forgive all people, but many crimes are thought to be unforgivable.
God forbids eating meat from pigs, but many people say eating pork is a good thing.
God forbids lying, but most people think lying is acceptable if it does
good.
Which of the following is an advantage of divine command theory?
Answer: Divine command theory offers standards that originate outside of humanity.
Divine command theory provides a source for ethical standards.
, Divine command theory offers a firm basis for ethics.
Which of the following represents a challenge to the voluntarist option of divine command
theory?
Answer: If God changes, what is good and what is evil could also change.
Which of the following represents a challenge to the intellectualist option of divine command
theory?
Answer: It goes against divine command theory's principle that God's command is free.
Which of the following represents a challenge to divine command theory?
Answer: Divine command theory does not offer directives for every situation.
In a well-known Biblical story, Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden. They were allowed to
eat anything they wished, except God forbade them from eating the fruit from one particular tree.
Since Eve and Adam sampled the fruit from the forbidden tree, according to divine command
theory, was this a right action or a wrong action?
Answer: A wrong action because they disobeyed God’s command
In a well-known Biblical story, God sent Jonah on an errand to deliver a message. Instead, Jonah
went to sea on a ship. There was a terrible storm and Jonah was thrown overboard to save the
others. Then God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah and save him.
According to divine command theory, was Jonah’s decision to go to sea a right or a wrong
action?
Answer: A wrong action because God had commanded Jonah to do something else
In a popular Bible story, God intends to flood the earth and commands Noah to build an ark to
preserve his family and all the animals.
According to divine command theory, if Noah had refused to build the ark, would that have been
a right action or a wrong action?
Answer: A wrong action because that would have been denying God’s command
Unit 2 Challenge 2
Which of the following ideas does conventionalism profess?
Answer: What is good in one culture could be evil in
another.
Which of the following is true of conventionalism?
Answer: Conventionalism is not a single ethical theory, but a family of theories.
Unit 2
Unit 2 Challenge 1
Which of the following statements about divine command theory is true?
Answer: Divine command theory states that what is right is wholly determined from God's
command.
Divine command theory states that God freely chooses what is right and what is wrong.
Divine command theory is an objectivist moral theory.
Norman learns from his pastor that God commands people to love one another.
Thus according to divine command theory, loving one another is .
Answer: obligatory
Patricia abstains from eating pork because she believes God has commanded her to.
Thus according to divine command theory, eating pork is .
Answer: impermissible
Oliver asks his rabbi if it's acceptable for him to swim in the ocean while visiting family in South
Carolina. The rabbi tells him God has not said anything about swimming in the ocean.
Thus according to divine command theory, swimming in the ocean is .
Answer: neutral
Which of the following examples contains a disagreement between popular thought and divine
command theory?
Answer: God says to forgive all people, but many crimes are thought to be unforgivable.
God forbids eating meat from pigs, but many people say eating pork is a good thing.
God forbids lying, but most people think lying is acceptable if it does
good.
Which of the following is an advantage of divine command theory?
Answer: Divine command theory offers standards that originate outside of humanity.
Divine command theory provides a source for ethical standards.
, Divine command theory offers a firm basis for ethics.
Which of the following represents a challenge to the voluntarist option of divine command
theory?
Answer: If God changes, what is good and what is evil could also change.
Which of the following represents a challenge to the intellectualist option of divine command
theory?
Answer: It goes against divine command theory's principle that God's command is free.
Which of the following represents a challenge to divine command theory?
Answer: Divine command theory does not offer directives for every situation.
In a well-known Biblical story, Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden. They were allowed to
eat anything they wished, except God forbade them from eating the fruit from one particular tree.
Since Eve and Adam sampled the fruit from the forbidden tree, according to divine command
theory, was this a right action or a wrong action?
Answer: A wrong action because they disobeyed God’s command
In a well-known Biblical story, God sent Jonah on an errand to deliver a message. Instead, Jonah
went to sea on a ship. There was a terrible storm and Jonah was thrown overboard to save the
others. Then God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah and save him.
According to divine command theory, was Jonah’s decision to go to sea a right or a wrong
action?
Answer: A wrong action because God had commanded Jonah to do something else
In a popular Bible story, God intends to flood the earth and commands Noah to build an ark to
preserve his family and all the animals.
According to divine command theory, if Noah had refused to build the ark, would that have been
a right action or a wrong action?
Answer: A wrong action because that would have been denying God’s command
Unit 2 Challenge 2
Which of the following ideas does conventionalism profess?
Answer: What is good in one culture could be evil in
another.
Which of the following is true of conventionalism?
Answer: Conventionalism is not a single ethical theory, but a family of theories.
