Ethical Analysis of Issues

Question 1

The belief that all moral obligations originate from ___ is known as the divine command theory.

Answer 1

God

Question 2

The ______________ Theory can be described as a member of a group of moral theories called moral objectivism.

Answer 2

Divine Command

Explanation:

Moral objectivism contends that moral judgments are objectively true or objectively false. Therefore, Thou shall not kill under the divine command theory is objectively true since Gods law prohibits killing. This would be objectively false if Gods law did not prohibit it.

Question 3

There are 2 versions of the divine command theory; the first is that moral rights and wrongs are independent of Gods will and the other is that morality is logically linked to Gods will and so Gods ________ make things right or wrong.

Answer 3

commands

Explanation:

According to the independent version, actions are right or wrong in spite of Gods commands, so for example, murder is wrong because it is wrong rather than because God stated it is wrong.

Question 4

The aim of _______ law was to ensure the well being of the community in a situation where both the ruler and his subjects were believed to be motivated to obey the law and avoid punishment in Hell.

Answer 4

Islamic

Explanation:

Islamic thought tends not to emphasize the rights of human beings but rather their duties to obey God’s perfect law. For example, Ayatollah Khomeini insisted that man had no natural rights and that believers were to submit to God’s commands.

Question 5

The ________________ can be described as the Judeo-Christian religious moral code that governs the actions between individuals and between individuals and God.

Answer 5

Ten Commandments

Explanation:

The first four commandments relate to the actions of individuals and God, whereas the other six govern the relations between individuals.

Question 6

The Commandments that concern the relations between people and God include the requirements to believe in the one true God, not to have a graven image of God, not take the name of God in vain, and to keep the _______ day as holy to perform good deeds.

Answer 6

Sabbath

Explanation:

The reason for this is that God created the Earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th. God intended that the people spend this day in prayer and contemplation of religion, and the performance of good deeds.

Question 7

The commandments that one shall honor their mother and father, not kill, commit ________, steal, bear false witness against your neighbor, or covet the property of others govern the behavior of people towards one another.

Answer 7

adultery

Explanation:

The adultery commandment is intended to protect the bond and fidelity of the family. It is a challenge to individuals to resist carnal temptations.

Question 8

The Book of ______ lays down the moral laws and punishments relating to personal injury, property damage, trusts and loans, and social laws.

Answer 8

Exodus

Question 9

In the New Testament, Jesus advises us to follow the ______ Rule, which states that you should do unto others as you would have them do to you.

Answer 9

Golden

Explanation:

The Golden Rule and is a central tenet of morality.

Question 10

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized that ______ purity matters far more than strict observance of the outward signs and rituals which people perform to obtain social favor.

Answer 10

inward

Explanation:

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ appears not so much to have changed the Law as to have extended it to matters internal and spiritual.

Question 11

Jesus states that we should love God above all others and then we should love our _________ as much as we love ourselves.

Answer 11

neighbors

Explanation:

Humans are created in the image of God and hence we all deserve love. So, we should treat our neighbors in a way appropriate to those we love, as opposed to hatred or indifference.

Question 12

There are 2 main problems with the divine command theory: 1) not everyone believes in Gods existence and 2) the determination of precisely what Gods ___ consists of.

Answer 12

law

Explanation:

Not everyone believes that God exists and hence this theory can be undermined by atheists and agnostics.

Question 13

One of the roles the prophets undertook in the Bible was to _______ the oppressors of the people and to comfort the victims.

Answer 13

condemn

Explanation:

For example, the prophet Nathan condemned King David for an act of injustice.

Question 14

In the Bible, the prophets Amos and Micah both warned Israel of God’s ________.

Answer 14

judgment

Explanation:

Gods message to Israel was that He was great in mercy to those who feared Him and terrible in vengeance to those who would not.

Question 15

The type of justice meted out in the Bible is mainly ___________.

Answer 15

retributive

Explanation:

Most of the laws impose a retributive penalty on the wrongdoer. For example, in Exodus, it is said life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Question 16

Throughout the Bible, we find that God occasionally killed or caused to be killed merciful kings or soldiers who ______ people whom God wanted punished.

Answer 16

spared

Explanation:

Retributive justice is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.

Question 17

The Bible contains a well known reference to ___________ justice: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

Answer 17

retributive

Explanation:

This phrase reflects the fundamental assumption that perpetrators should suffer injury that is equal to that suffered by their victims.

Question 18

When considering the rule, “Thou shalt not kill”, only a relatively small number of pacifists interpret this to prohibit _______ punishment, killing in war, and killing in self defense.

Answer 18

capital

Explanation:

Most people, who consider themselves as honoring that rule completely, interpret it as “Thou shalt not kill the innocent.” In essence “Thou shalt not kill unless the person to be killed is guilty of a capital crime, is an enemy combatant, or is trying to kill you.

Question 19

According to the Bible, the first murder was committed by ____, who killed his brother Abel.

Answer 19

Cain

Explanation:

After Cain’s sacrifice to God was rejected and Abel’s sacrifice was accepted, Cain murdered Abel in a fit of jealous rage.

Question 20

The concept of restorative and __________ justice is based on the premise that a crime represents a debt owed not only to the state, but to the victim, the victims family and to the community as a whole.

Answer 20

reparative

Explanation:

Restorative justice programs target the ultimate goals of improving public safety and reducing the likelihood that additional criminal activity will occur.

Question 21

The three ________ of the Good Samaritan, the rich fool, and the rich man and Lazarus show that wealth and property should be shared.

Answer 21

parables

Explanation:

In the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan uses his possessions and money to aid the injured man. In the rich fool, the rich man accumulated wealth for himself and was not rich towards God. This indicates a criticism that he did not share it with others. In the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is described as having an opulent life which he does not share with the poor.

Question 22

In the matter of love, the Bible states that the greatest is love of God and that we should love our _________ and enemies as well.

Answer 22

neighbors

Explanation:

This is what is stated in the Bible: To you who hear me, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… It articulates the position that love is a very important aspect of morality.

Question 23

The concept of the ________ in relation to the Bible indicates an agreement between an individual and God, with blessings in exchange for obedience.

Answer 23

covenant

Explanation:

The basis for obeying God is set out by Moses in Deuteronomy 27:9-10. Being the people of God carries with it the responsibility of obeying God. Individuals obey God. We are not equal with God and therefore, individuals should submit to him.

Question 24

Among other things, the writings of Paul promote ________ for singles, marriage, fidelity, and above all else love.

Answer 24

celibacy

Explanation:

Love is the key moral principle espoused by Paul in his writings.

Question 25

Before his conversion to Christianity, the Apostle ____ was known as Saul of Tarsus.

Answer 25

Paul Explanation: Prior to his conversion, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee who violently persecuted the followers of Jesus. At the time of his conversion Paul was on his way to arrest Christians and bring them to Jerusalem.

Question 26

St. Augustine was a theologian and philosopher who taught that the desire for _________ was the basis of philosophy.

Answer 26

happiness Explanation: He was a great defender of the Christian Church against heretics. Augustine believed that in order to be happy, one had to grow in the knowledge of God.

Question 27

Existentialists believe that each person must choose their own way without the guidance of universal, objective _________.

Answer 27

standards Explanation: There are two types of Existentialism, Theistic and Atheistic Existentialism. The first believes that God created us but then left us on our own, and the second believes that there is no God. Existentialists believe that there are no universal rules for right and wrong; there is full freedom in making your own choices, though you must take all responsibility and risk for your actions.

Question 28

The most important philosopher of __________ was French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre.

Answer 28

Existentialism Explanation: Sartre made the term Existentialism popular by using it for his own philosophy, but generally Kierkegaard is considered the founder of modern existentialism.

Question 29

The Principle of __________ allows for killing people in cases of self-defense or when that person has threatened the life of someone else.

Answer 29

Forfeiture Explanation: According to the Principle of Forfeiture, anyone who threatens the life of an innocent person forfeits his or her own right to live. The Principle of Forfeiture can be extended to cover a defensive war or capital punishment of a murderer. It does not allow for the suicide or the invasion of innocent countries which have not threatened anyone.

Question 30

_________ is an ancient Hellenic philosopher who believed that happiness in life could be attained by living a virtuous life according to Nature.

Answer 30

Epictetus Explanation: Epictetus was a Stoic Philosopher who believed that only virtues and virtuous activities are good, and that the only evil is vice and actions motivated by vice. The pursuit of wealth and pleasure, for example, cannot be considered virtues because they may not necessarily be good for everyone and hence would be against Nature.

Question 31

The moral teachings of Epictetus stress the fundamental rule that we must understand that some things are within our _______ and some things are not.

Answer 31

control Explanation: Epictetus believed that through this understanding, we could attain inner peace and external effectiveness.

Question 32

The three key areas of study according to Epictetus are the discipline of assent, the discipline of ______, and the discipline of action.

Answer 32

desire Explanation: Desire must be managed and kept in check. It is pointless to pursue goals which are outside of your control as it will only lead to disappointment.

Question 33

___________ theorists believe that all species, including humans, have an inherent nature demonstrated by typical characteristics of behavior that are normal for that species.

Answer 33

Natural law Explanation: This is what these theorists believe and critics of this theory doubt that our nature can provide moral guidance, as that which is natural may not necessarily be good and right.

Question 34

According to Hinduism, virtuous acts will benefit us by ensuring a favorable _______.

Answer 34

rebirth Explanation: Hinduism believes in transmigration of souls, and that how a person lives determines how that person will be reborn in their next life.

Question 35

Religions of the Far East and Southeast Asia are often ____________, or emphasize many gods.

Answer 35

polytheistic Explanation: Major religions in the Far East include Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, and Confucianism, and tend to be oriented toward nature, the path to happiness, and the meaning of life.

Question 36

_________ studied six of the worlds largest religions and wrote the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.

Answer 36

Max Weber Explanation: Weber wanted to discover religions impact on social change. He believed that Protestantisms "Work Ethic" played a big part in the development of capitalism in the West, whereas Eastern religions such as Hinduism were barriers to capitalism.'

Question 37

The most authentic material about _________ is contained in a collection of his teachings called the Analects.

Answer 37

Confucius Explanation: The Analects is a collection of Confucius discourses with his disciples, collected approximately seventy years after his death.

Question 38

A collection of books known as the Five Classics was considered the primary special texts of early ____________.

Answer 38

Confucianism Explanation: The Five Classics cover widely divergent genres and address a range of concerns in Confuciuss day.

Question 39

Confuciuss central teaching is the virtue of Jen. Translated as ________ or humaneness, it is the inward expression of Confucian ideals.

Answer 39

goodness Explanation: Confucius thought that only the great sages of ancient China truly possessed jen. All, however, should seek to develop it in striving towards becoming a superior human being.

Question 40

In most Native American religions, the primary purpose of ______ is to communicate and maintain good relationships with the inhabitants of the spirit world.

Answer 40

ritual Explanation: A common Native American belief is that there is an unseen spirit world that shares the world with humans.

Question 41

Among Native American cultures, a number of taboos exist relating to women who are ____________. It is believed that these women have been set apart by the spirit world as ones who can participate in child birth.

Answer 41

menstruating Explanation: A menstruating woman is thought to have special powers. Some believed her gaze could destroy the magic of hunting weapons and that her mere presence in a forest could drive game away permanently.

Question 42

________ is a practice among certain basic religions around the world. It recognizes a relationship between a certain kind of animal and a group of people. The animal becomes sacred to that group and can only be killed under specific ritual conditions.

Answer 42

Totemism Explanation: The best known examples of totemism can be found among the Native American cultures of the Pacific Northwest.

Question 43

__________________ was a 13th Century philosopher who believed that Gods will is affected by reason and therefore natural law can be considered a guide for human social conduct that is not based on revelations.

Answer 43

St. Thomas Aquinas Explanation: Aquinas believed that God did not just will anything without reason but based his decisions on it.

Question 44

According to Aquinas, in order to determine whether an act is good or evil, one must look to the ______ of the act, and actions are good if they promote the purpose of God and His honor.

Answer 44

result

Question 45

Aquinas believed that Natural Law, from which ethical norms are derived, originates from a ________understanding of the nature of humans in the context of the universe, and because humans have a rational nature, their morality is driven by reason.

Answer 45

holistic Explanation:

Question 46

According to Aquinas, a war is just if it is declared by a competent authority, is for a just cause, is fought with the right intentions, has a reasonable chance of success, is fought as a last resort, and is ____________ to the provocation.

Answer 46

proportional Explanation: Saint Thomas Aquinas believed that not all war was wrong and that if a war met certain criteria (just war tradition), it was justified.

Question 47

_____________ was a 17th Century philosopher whose social contract theory is based upon self-interest.

Answer 47

Thomas Hobbes Explanation: Hobbes believed that in their natural state, without government or social order, humans would be in a state of constant war. The social contract theory states that humans entered into a social contract, surrendering their natural liberties in exchange for the order and safety provided by their government.

Question 48

Hobbes, Rousseau, and Locke were similar in their ideas of a _______________ which was the basis of all civilization.

Answer 48

Social Contract

Question 49

Although Hobbes, ________, and Locke were similar in their ideas of a social contract, they were very different in their ideas on the original State of Nature.

Answer 49

Rousseau Explanation: Thomas Hobbes described the state of nature as a endless war of all against all because there is neither law nor morality to restrain the strong from preying on the weak.

Question 50

Hobbes believed that virtues such as modesty and equity promoted ______ harmony but he also argued that such virtues would also eventually serve the self-interest of individuals since they bring benefits to the possessor of such virtues as well as the recipients.

Answer 50

social Explanation: Virtuous acts promote social harmony because their characteristics benefit both the possessor of those virtues and the recipients of the virtuous acts.

Question 51

According to Thomas Hobbes, the passions that incline men to peace are fear of _____, desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living, and a hope by their industry to obtain them.

Answer 51

death

Question 52

Hobbes believed the most pervasive right is that of _________________.

Answer 52

self preservation. Explanation: Hobbes believed that a person may do whatever is necessary to save his life and to obtain the means to live.

Question 53

According to _____ egoism, it is always acceptable to do what we believe to be in our own self-interest.

Answer 53

moral Explanation: Also sometimes called "ethical egoism".

Question 54

_____ theorized that in the natural state, degeneration into Hobbesian anarchy would be avoided since individuals possess the capacity to reason and hence comprehend the self-evident Natural Laws by prosecuting those who refuse to obey it.

Answer 54

Locke Explanation: Locke believed that since humans can reason, they can deduce the Natural Laws and hence have an independent responsibility to enforce them.

Question 55

Locke believed that our ideas and knowledge are _______ in certainty and scope because they are all derived from experience.

Answer 55

limited Explanation: Locke believed that our ideas are sourced from our experiences which consist of primary and secondary elements. For example, a primary element of a flower is the size of the flower, whereas the secondary element is its fragrance.

Question 56

According to Locke, an individual property ________ can be obtained through an investment of labor.

Answer 56

interest Explanation: This answer is best explained through an example. An individual locates an unoccupied bare piece of land. He then tills the land, plants crops and builds a house. By investing his energy he has extended his personal bodily property to include that piece of land.

Question 57

Locke felt that individuals consent to their society being politically governed by majority rule, with unhappy citizens retaining a permanent right to ______.

Answer 57

revolt Explanation: Locke believed that any correctly formed society would possess this right.

Question 58

According to Locke, the primary objective of the _______________ is the protection of private property.

Answer 58

social contract Explanation: Locke believed that the primary reason men leave the state of nature and enter into civil society is to obtain protection of life, liberty and property.

Question 59

_____________ general theory on ethics was that humans are subject to hypothetical and categorical imperatives, of which the latter binds us morally into acting in a particular manner.

Answer 59

Immanuel Kants Explanation: The categorical imperative binds rational human beings to act in a moral way, simply because we are rational beings. For example, when we are deciding how to act in a particular situation, we must ask whether we would be prepared for every person to follow that rule all the time thereby making it a universal law. If yes, then the act is allowable. If no, then the act is morally wrong.

Question 60

Kants Hypothetical imperatives are conditional on ____________ and hence do not morally bind us.

Answer 60

human desire Explanation: This reason is best explained through an example. I will read books on chess because I want to learn to play chess. Remove the desire and there will be no imperative; it is conditional.

Question 61

Kant believed that the universal laws and moral rules within it were ________, regardless of the circumstances.

Answer 61

absolute Explanation: For example, Kant thought that lying was always wrong, regardless of the circumstances. He believed that as rational human beings, we would not want to ever lie, as this would be a breach of the universal law derived from the categorical imperative, which in turn would be self-defeating.

Question 62

Kants belief in absolute rules can be challenged on the grounds that for any action, there may be more than one ____ that could be followed.

Answer 62

rule Explanation: It can be argued that a person could be faced with various rules in determining what action to take in a particular scenario. Some of these rules can be universalized whereas others cannot.

Question 63

____ believed that when we act, the morality of our actions depends on our intentions, rather than the results of our actions.

Answer 63

Kant Explanation: Kant believed that the morality of an action should be judged by the motivation behind the act since we do not have control over the outcome of our actions. He said that the only thing that is unconditionally good is good will.

Question 64

The central concept in Kants theory is that ______ is the key in making moral judgments and these moral rules are consistently binding on everyone all the time.

Answer 64

reason Explanation: Kant believed that moral judgments must be supported by rational decisions, so there should be a reason why you should or should not act in a particular way.

Question 65

Kant created the second formulation for the Categorical Imperative and called it the ___________________, by declaring that humans had an intrinsic worth and so could not be manipulated or used merely as a means to an end.

Answer 65

Respect for Persons Explanation: Kant felt that humans had dignity and had to be respected with the capability to reason, since they represented rational moral law itself.

Question 66

The kingdom of ____ formula is associated with the philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Answer 66

ends Explanation: Kant was strongly opposed to using people; he believed that all people were ends, not means to an end. Under the formula of the kingdom of ends, Kant urged people to think before they act and to always act in such a way that their actions could be used as models to form laws governing the actions of everyone else. In other words, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Question 67

__________ was a philosopher who used hypothetical social contracts to describe the Original Position where humans would be behind a veil of ignorance to ensure impartiality in the creation of moral principles.

Answer 67

John Rawls Explanation: Explanation In the Original Position, humans would not know information about themselves that could be advantageous or disadvantageous. For example, they would not know their social status or race and they would not have yet joined any societal groups.

Question 68

According to Rawls, self-interested individuals in the ________ Position behind the veil of ignorance would want economic equality unless some inequality would be beneficial to all.

Answer 68

Original Explanation: Due to the veil of ignorance, these individuals would want equality since they may lose out if they are at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Question 69

Rawls believed that economic __________ would lead to vice-like behavior.

Answer 69

inequality Explanation: Economic inequality would result in vices such as envy in those deprived individuals and arrogance in those who are successful.

Question 70

The beliefs of Martin Luther King had a profound impact on the psyche of the American people, particularly in the time of the ____________ Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, when he preached for non-violent protest against racial discrimination.

Answer 70

Civil Rights Explanation: Non-violence is the cornerstone of Kings philosophy. He believed that this would achieve equal rights for the black people of America.

Question 71

In 1963, Martin Luther King was arrested in __________ and spent 11 days in jail for demonstrating without a permit.

Answer 71

Birmingham Explanation: It was during this time that King wrote the famous Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Question 72

The purpose of Kings Letter from a Birmingham Jail was to respond to criticism by white religious leaders to King's ______ of stores in Birmingham.

Answer 72

boycott Explanation: In 1963, Martin Luther King organized a boycott of white stores in Birmingham, Alabama. Eight top religious leaders of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish churches issued a statement criticizing the boycott.

Question 73

Martin Luther King stated in his Birmingham Jail letter that his greatest stumbling block was not the KKK but the white moderate who is more devoted to _____ than to justice.

Answer 73

order

Question 74

According to Martin Luther King, the unjust law is no law at all and should not be ______.

Answer 74

obeyed Explanation: In Kings letter from the Birmingham Jail, he said that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

Question 75

Martin Luther King believed that the central, universal, and inalienable _____ right we all posses was the right to justice.

Answer 75

human Explanation: King believed that Gods law is higher than civil law and that the right to justice is a moral right entitled to all. In this particular situation, the US government had promised equality but had not delivered it to the blacks. King believed that justice would inevitably arrive.

Question 76

________ was an 18th Century philosopher who influenced the American revolution with his theory of the social contract whereby governments are given the right to rule society in exchange for protecting the rights and equality of all citizens, and if they fail to do so, then the contract is breached and the people have the right to replace the rulers.

Answer 76

Rousseau Explanation: His writings were powerful in convincing the people of their rights to good government and civil revolution where necessary to bring about this change. The outcome of the American revolution was essentially a constitutional contract stating the rights and freedoms of the people to be governed.

Question 77

Emotivism is not a philosophy that tells you how you should live your life; it merely states that our moral judgements express our ________.

Answer 77

feelings Explanation: Emotivism says that there are no moral truths and that statements like abortion is wrong or lying is always wrong merely state our feelings about lying or abortion and cant be true or false.

Question 78

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded ____________, a form of Hedonism.

Answer 78

Epicureanism Explanation: Hedonists believe that happiness can be attained by maximizing pleasures and minimizing pains. He did not believe in a life without restraint; instead, he believed that the greatest good is prudence, because self-restraint allows us to live a pleasant life.

Question 79

Epicurus taught that true happiness comes from a life of __________ and moderation devoted to health and peace of mind.

Answer 79

simplicity Explanation: Although Epicurus is one of the most famous hedonists, he believed that tranquility and serenity were the greatest pleasures available.

Question 80

Epicurus believed that there were two types of pleasure and pain; namely, the physical and the ______.

Answer 80

mental Explanation: Examples of mental pleasures were acquiring knowledge or listening to music these also appealed to the senses. Mental pain included various types of fear.