PHIL 440A

End of Class Questions

 

July 23, 2009:  The act utilitarian proposes necessary and sufficient conditions for rightness/wrongness.  What are the necessary and sufficient conditions?

       Explain why 95% of the class rejects the utilitarian proposal.  

 

July 24, 2009:  Moore and Mackie have agreements and disagreements on the metaphysics and epistemology of ethical judgment.  Give an example of something important that they agree on and of something important that they disagree on.

 

July 27, 2009:  Which of the three (Moore, Mackie, and Nagel) has a position closest to yours?  What is the strongest objection to that position?  How would you respond (briefly)?

 

July 28, 2009: Why is Hume an anti-realist about objective TBP/TBD?

 

July 29, 2009:  Explain how internalK reasons can include both internalW  and externalW reasons.  In your answer, show that you understand those three terms.

 

July 30, 2009:  Use an example to explain the Weak Norm of Transitivity. 

 

July 31, 2009:  Give an example involving normative beliefs of the difference between an Independence Claim and a Sensitivity Claim.

 

August 3, 2009:  Explain Harman’s burning cat example. Explain the obervation1 and the observation2 in that example.   Apply the sensitivity test and explain why Harman thinks that the moral observation fails the test.  Then explain why Sturgeon thinks the moral observation passes the test. 

 

August 5, 2009:  Why does Hospers believe that the ideal system of rules would not include:  Don't kill except where killing will do the most good?

 

August 10, 2009:  Explain why the “utilitarianism of rights” is based on agent-neutral reasons and why Nozick’s side constraint view is based on agent-relative reasons. 

August 11, 2009:  In the sequential two-person PD, explain why two “moral” agents will both agree to cooperate and then they will abide by their agreement.

 

August 12, 2009:  How should we reconcile the internal and external view of agents?  Use an  example in your answer.

 

August 13, 2009:  Was it wrong for the two women to remove the dead parrot from Minnie Wright’s house?  Explain.

 

August 14, 2009:  What are the two moral orientations identified by Friedman?  Explain them.

 

August 17, 2009:  Use examples to explain the difference between internal and external goods.

 

August 18, 2009: Frankena gives priority to principles over virtues.  What is the most compelling objection to Frankena’s view?  Explain.

 

August 19, 2009:  Explain Williams’s distinction between objective and non-objective ethical knowledge?

 

August 20, 2009:  Explain where you placed yourself on the normativity scale in class.