FSHD PHIL 347 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Suppose a person's behavior suggest that they are morally responsible for some act, but a
brain scan suggests that they aren't. How does Morse think the law should handle such as
case? - -Rely on behavior: assign responsibility
-According to Greene and Cohen, the current legal system officially assumes which kind of
account of free will: - -Compatibilist
-What is the fundamental psycho-legal error? - -The error made when people take
neurological causes to be excuses
-Which of the following changes to the current legal system do Greene and Cohen think
will take place? - -The legal system will become fully consequentialist
-Neuroscientific evidence concerning the differences between adolescent and adult brains
was cited in the Supreme Court's written opinion in Roper v. Simmons. - -False
-Suppose that Paul has an underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex. Which of the following
claims would Morse most likely reject? - -Paul is probably less responsible for his actions
-According to Greene and Cohen, the current legal system endorses a retributivist
justification for punishment. In doing so, it assumes which kind of account of free will: - -
Libertarian
-Which type of critique focuses on the questions of whether a defendant is conscious,
intentional, or rational when committing a crime? - -Internal critique
-According to Greene and Cohen, what is the origin of the problem of free will and
determinism? - -The conflict between "folk psychology" and "folk physics"
-Which of the following is most clearly a consequentialist justification for punishment? - -
Punishing criminals deters future crime from being committed
-Carl leaves work early to pick up his son from school. Through no fault of his own, Carl's
car breaks down on the highway, and he misses the pick-up. Which of the following best
describes Carl's responsibility in this case? - -Carl is role responsible for picking up his son
from school
-Lila has trouble sleeping and was prescribed Ambien. After taking the drug, she began
sleepwalking, and one time she got into the car and ran over her neighbor's dog. Lila's
"sleep driving" seems to violate which condition on morally responsible behavior? - -
Control condition
, -Which of the following is NOT an excuse from legal responsibility mentioned by the
President's Council for Bioethics? - -An inability to do anything other than the wrong act
commited
-Which of the following best captures the doctrine of mens rea? - -To be found guilty,
defendants must have a culpable mental state, which includes understanding that the act
they committed is wrong
-Which of the following best summarizes the connection between free will and moral
responsibility? - -Freely performing an action is a necessary condition for being morally
responsible for it
-In order to be found legally responsible for breaking any law, the prosecution must prove
mens rea - -False
-Suppose that a 3-year-old child is running around the house and knocks over an
expensive vase. The child is responsible for breaking the vase in which sense of the word? -
-The child is casually responsible for breaking the vase
-During sentencing, defense attorneys regularly argue for leniency on the basis of harsh
conditions of a client's upbringing - -True
-Which of the following is the best example of legal responsibility without moral
responsibility? - -Selling alcohol to a minor, even though you thought they were over 21
and checked their ID
-Kevan was arrested after swindling an elderly couple out of their life savings. When
caught, Kevan understood that he had broken one of society's rules, but he thought it was
an arbitrary rule, like that you must drive on the right-hand side of the road, or that you
can't wear white after labor day. Kevan seems to violate which condition on morally
responsibility behavior? - -Epistemic condition
-Which of the following premises of the Extended Argument Schema link claims about free
will to claims about moral responsibility? - -Quiz 8: science is showing that X is the case OR
if someone is morally responsible for performing an action, then they must have freely
performed it
-The main problem with the Argument from Determinism and the Argument from
Naturalism is that each is invalid - -False
-Which of the following best summarizes Nahmias' stance on free will: - -We have free
will, albeit with some limitations
-Which lesson should we take away from the Argument from Rationalization? - -Science is
showing that humans have less free will than we might have thought
Suppose a person's behavior suggest that they are morally responsible for some act, but a
brain scan suggests that they aren't. How does Morse think the law should handle such as
case? - -Rely on behavior: assign responsibility
-According to Greene and Cohen, the current legal system officially assumes which kind of
account of free will: - -Compatibilist
-What is the fundamental psycho-legal error? - -The error made when people take
neurological causes to be excuses
-Which of the following changes to the current legal system do Greene and Cohen think
will take place? - -The legal system will become fully consequentialist
-Neuroscientific evidence concerning the differences between adolescent and adult brains
was cited in the Supreme Court's written opinion in Roper v. Simmons. - -False
-Suppose that Paul has an underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex. Which of the following
claims would Morse most likely reject? - -Paul is probably less responsible for his actions
-According to Greene and Cohen, the current legal system endorses a retributivist
justification for punishment. In doing so, it assumes which kind of account of free will: - -
Libertarian
-Which type of critique focuses on the questions of whether a defendant is conscious,
intentional, or rational when committing a crime? - -Internal critique
-According to Greene and Cohen, what is the origin of the problem of free will and
determinism? - -The conflict between "folk psychology" and "folk physics"
-Which of the following is most clearly a consequentialist justification for punishment? - -
Punishing criminals deters future crime from being committed
-Carl leaves work early to pick up his son from school. Through no fault of his own, Carl's
car breaks down on the highway, and he misses the pick-up. Which of the following best
describes Carl's responsibility in this case? - -Carl is role responsible for picking up his son
from school
-Lila has trouble sleeping and was prescribed Ambien. After taking the drug, she began
sleepwalking, and one time she got into the car and ran over her neighbor's dog. Lila's
"sleep driving" seems to violate which condition on morally responsible behavior? - -
Control condition
, -Which of the following is NOT an excuse from legal responsibility mentioned by the
President's Council for Bioethics? - -An inability to do anything other than the wrong act
commited
-Which of the following best captures the doctrine of mens rea? - -To be found guilty,
defendants must have a culpable mental state, which includes understanding that the act
they committed is wrong
-Which of the following best summarizes the connection between free will and moral
responsibility? - -Freely performing an action is a necessary condition for being morally
responsible for it
-In order to be found legally responsible for breaking any law, the prosecution must prove
mens rea - -False
-Suppose that a 3-year-old child is running around the house and knocks over an
expensive vase. The child is responsible for breaking the vase in which sense of the word? -
-The child is casually responsible for breaking the vase
-During sentencing, defense attorneys regularly argue for leniency on the basis of harsh
conditions of a client's upbringing - -True
-Which of the following is the best example of legal responsibility without moral
responsibility? - -Selling alcohol to a minor, even though you thought they were over 21
and checked their ID
-Kevan was arrested after swindling an elderly couple out of their life savings. When
caught, Kevan understood that he had broken one of society's rules, but he thought it was
an arbitrary rule, like that you must drive on the right-hand side of the road, or that you
can't wear white after labor day. Kevan seems to violate which condition on morally
responsibility behavior? - -Epistemic condition
-Which of the following premises of the Extended Argument Schema link claims about free
will to claims about moral responsibility? - -Quiz 8: science is showing that X is the case OR
if someone is morally responsible for performing an action, then they must have freely
performed it
-The main problem with the Argument from Determinism and the Argument from
Naturalism is that each is invalid - -False
-Which of the following best summarizes Nahmias' stance on free will: - -We have free
will, albeit with some limitations
-Which lesson should we take away from the Argument from Rationalization? - -Science is
showing that humans have less free will than we might have thought
