University of Southern California Ethics Aristotle Approach Theory Test Test #3 for ‘Ethics’ Name: ______________________________ Multiple Choice Quest

University of Southern California Ethics Aristotle Approach Theory Test Test #3 for ‘Ethics’ Name: ______________________________

Multiple Choice Questions(1pt. each) – 10 Q’s

Pleasure is a(n):

a. Activity b. Preference c. Capacity d. Feeling

According to Aristotle, we can give money to others:

a. Deficiently b. Virtuously c. Excessively d. All of the above

“Being excessively courageous is foolhardy and thus is wrong for all people though it varies with the situation.” This claim is an example of:

a. Individual Subjectivism b. Cultural Relativism c. Objectivism d. Universalism

According to Aristotle, we are guided toward being virtuous by:

a. Pleasures & Pains b. The political structure c. Friendships d. All of the above

Aristotle thinks we should strive to be happy because happiness is our (*Pick the BEST answer):

a. Highest good b. Only hope c. Duty d. Inclination

All of the following are types of friendship according to Aristotle, EXCEPT:

a. Utility b. Pleasure c. Character d. Contemplation

According to Care Ethics, morality is based primarilyon:

a. Individual character b. Relationships c. Both a & b d. Neither a nor b

Care Ethics and Virtue Ethics are:

a. Person-based Theories b. Act-based Theories c. Both a & b d. Neither a nor b

“My brother sent me a gift for my birthday, and I’m going to send him one for his birthday as well.” This is an example of all of the following, EXCEPT:

a. Discord b. Decision c. Reciprocated Goodwill d. Generosity

According to Aristotle, pleasures from our basic appetites (like food and sex) should be enjoyed:

a. Always b. Never c. As much as possible d. In the right amount

Short Answer Questions(3-5 lines; 4pts. each) – 4 Q’s

Describe Aristotle’s view of eudaimonia (e.g. what it consists of, to whom it applies, how it is obtained, etc.).

OR

Describe one of the following virtues (e.g. what it is, how it can become vicious, etc.): truthfulness, generosity, or prudence.

Your Choice

What is Aristotle’s view of virtue (e.g. what it consists of, to whom it applies, how it is achieved, etc.)?

Compare/Contrast (which means highlight the similaritiesas well as the differences) Kant’s Humanity Formula and Aristotle’s view on the requirements of friendship, while using one or more examples (you can use one example and apply it to both theories or use two separate examples – one for each theory).

Describe Aristotle’s empiricism and its role in discovering and grounding our moral principles. Then present one specificway that you think empiricism can help us (as LMU students, humans, etc.) discover moral principles and/or derive judgments, using an example of your own.

Short Essay Questions(2 short paragraphs; 8pts. each) – 3 Q’s

First describe (don’t just define) one of the following vices (incontinence, intemperance, or imprudence). Then offer a specificpiece of advice (of your own) about how to overcome this vice (e.g. don’t just say “listen to reason,” describe how to actually do that).

Starting with the vice you used in the first part of this question, show how it isconnectedto another vice (one of the other listed vices above, or a different vice of your choosing) by highlighting a few of the shared features of the two vices. You can but are not required to show this connection using premises and a conclusion.

Kant claims we must do some action only insofar as it is our duty, not insofar as it aligns with our inclinations. Somewhat in contrast, Aristotle claims we must build our characters such that we derive pleasure from doing the virtuous thing. DescribeAristotle’sview on this subject in more detail (don’t focus on Kant), using an example of your own. Then critically respond to his view: do you think he is generally correct or incorrect? Why?

Briefly describe a specific case of your ownwhere it is difficult to determine what the virtuous response would be (e.g. when facing the threat of an oncoming enemy in battle, the soldier must decide how to act courageously – rather than cowardly or in a foolhardy way). Then describe how a person who might be in that situation (at some future time) should figure out (before-hand) how to respond on a virtue ethics framework. Test #3 Study Guide – ‘Ethics’ (Spring 2020) Professor Kulmac Butler
Multiple Choice Questions
Material to Know:
-Eudaimonia (its features, its role in our lives) translated from greek as
happiness or flourishing, is a state of being; NOT just basic pleasure (it doesn’t come
from food or sex, it comes from things like exercising reason); Eudaimonia is not the
subjective feeling of “happiness” that we think of now. There are objective requirements
for eudaimonia: virtue, reason, friendship, a certain amount of wealth, etc. But Aristotle
recognizes that people are pleased by different things: some like music while others
prefer oratory. So there is some subjectivity as well.
-Pleasure (its features, what sort of thing it is / how it’s classified) Pleasure is an
unimpeded activity (no activity is complete if it is impeded, and happiness is something
complete). If we are impeded in acting virtuously, we will not be pleased. If we are
unimpeded in acting virtuously, we will be pleased. So pleasure = being unimpeded in
acting virtuously; happiness does not equal pleasure, but happiness includes pleasure;
some pleasures are harmful (e.g., getting pleasure from being mean to people)
-Virtue (its features, the things that contribute to achieving it) the excellence of a
thing which typically pertains to moral excellences but not exclusively. There are two
types: intellectual and moral and the theory of mean applies to both (don’t be in either of
the extremes of virtues). Virtues are states and are not passive, capacities, or feelings.
Virtue is acquired via habit and by practice
-Continence (what is it) basically self-control or self-restraint mainly pertaining to
bodily pleasures; Continence and endurance are good/praiseworthy; Continent men
know they have bad desires, but don’t act on them; not self-indulgent
-Temperance (what is it) Temperance is enjoying the bodily lower pleasures
(sex, drugs) in the right sorts of ways; Aristotle knows it’s a natural thing to enjoy lower
pleasures and that’s fine – just don’t do it to excess (i.e., it’s okay to enjoy nice wine and
a good meal with your friends, but it’s not okay to just lounge around getting wasted and
eating junk food)
-Generosity (what is it) Generosity is a virtue of the mean. Generosity is about
giving the right amount to the right people at the right time; it is possible to be too
generous (e.g., giving all your money away to the point that you can’t take care of
yourself, or giving other people all of your time to the point where you don’t take time for
yourself)
-Decision (what is it) when you will to act in line with reason, you make a
decision. So Willing is a feature of desire that can be based on wishing, appetite, or
spirit (like a child who just eats Fruit Loops because they want to); or can be based on
reason. When it is based on reason, it is deciding.
-Concord (what is it) a form of friendly feeling that exists between friends or
within a state when people have the same ends in view. Concord can be a feature of
friendships if both parties share similar goals
-Friendship (its necessary features, the types) Utility: based on how the friends
help each other (we love what we get from the other person, not the person
themselves), pleasure: based on how the friends please one another (similar to loving
what we get from the other person), virtue/character: based on virtuous characteristics
of one another (we love the person themself and love the virtue they possess). Features
of friendships: love and reciprocal good will
-Care Ethics (what it is, what sort of theory it is) prioritizes the relationship, as
opposed Virtue Ethics prioritizes the individual, Deontology focus on motives;
consequentialism on consequence); Good relationships primary and good individual
character secondary; came out of studies showing that girls have a different set of
perspectives than boys (boys emphasize rules, girls emphasize interpersonal
relationships); care ethics is one of the primary normative theories
-Act vs. Person-based Theories Act examples are utilitarianism and
deontology. Person-based example is Virtue Ethics. Virtue Ethics prioritizes the
individual, Deontology focus on motives, Utilitarianism focus on consequences. For
Aristotle, the virtuous (or “right”) act is just whatever the virtuous person does / would do
insofar as they’re virtuous.
Aristotle seems to include both the motives and the consequences into his
theory: some things are bad for the harm they do (i.e. consequences) whereas others
are bad if done out of bad motive (e.g. friendship requires reciprocated goodwill)
-The meta-ethical views (Individual Subjectivism, etc.)
(Kant)
Short Answer Questions (4pts. each; 1⁄2 page) – 4 Q’s Types of Questions you’ll See:
Material to Know:
-Virtue Ethics in relation to Act-based Theories in general Person-based
example is Virtue Ethics. Virtue Ethics prioritizes the individual, Deontology focus on
motives, Utilitarianism focus on consequences. For Aristotle, the virtuous (or “right”) act
is just whatever the virtuous person does / would do insofar as they’re virtuous. Aristotle
seems to include both the motives and the consequences into his theory: some things
are bad for the harm they do (i.e. consequences) whereas others are bad if done out of
bad motive (e.g. friendship requires reciprocated goodwill)
-Aristotle’s view on friendship in relation to Kant’s Humanity Formula Kant
says to treat people as ends in themselves and not means to an ends, which is similar
to Aristotle’s perfect friendship. But Aristotle’s pleasure and utility friendships have
people treating people as means to an end. No reciprocal goodwill= exploitative and is
using a person as a means
-Aristotle’s view on and use of empiricism Not 100% sure, but I assume he
likes empiricism because he says you become virtuous through habit and practice, so
without empiricism how would you practice being virtuous? Aristotle says you have to
use your experience
-Aristotle’s view of virtue
Virtue requires that we:
1.Deliberate about what we ought to do (which is the practical/deliberative form of
reason)
2.Decide to do the rational thing (which is the function of reason [in both its forms])
3.Will (i.e. choose) to do the rational thing (which is the function of desire)
4.Act properly upon our will/choice
Virtue is the excellence of a thing, which typically pertains to moral excellences but not
exclusively. There are two types: intellectual and moral and the theory of mean applies
to both (don’t be in either of the extremes of virtues: excess or deficiency). Virtues are
states and are not passive, capacities, or feelings. Virtue is acquired via habit and by
practice
-Aristotle’s view of eudaimonia
translated from greek as happiness or flourishing, is a state of being; NOT just basic
pleasure (it doesn’t come from food or sex, it comes from things like exercising reason)
It is the goal of each person to live a happy life and happiness can only derived from
performing virtuous acts
-Generosity, Prudence, or Truthfulness (pick one)
Prudence = reasoning the right sort of way; good deliberation about what makes people
good; prudent person knows what we need to do as human beings to live well;
prudence is about both the general principles of human flourishing and about the
specific judgments; prudence is about principles and judgments (we need to know in
general that to flourish we need to be virtuous, we are virtuous by seeking the middle
between excess and deficiency, but that doesn’t tell us how to be courageous in a
specific situation. So the broad principle is: seek the middle ground between excess and
deficiency; the particular judgment is: here’s what that means in this specific situation.
The prudent person knows both the general and the specific. Prudence is required for
virtues, and intellectual virtues are needed for moral virtue, so all virtues require
prudence. Temperance preserves prudence (because intemperate desires will steer you
in the wrong direction and prevent you from prudently pursuing the right things)
Short Essay Questions (8pts. each; full page) – 3 Q’s Types of Questions you’ll See:
Material to Know:
-Moral reasoning
Willing is choosing to do something. People can choose to act based on their reason
OR based on their wishing, appetite, or spirit. Small children do not have reason yet, so
they choose to act on their appetite and spirit (e.g. they want Fruit Loops so they
choose to eat Fruit Loops). When someone wills to act in line with reason, they are
deciding. So willing is a feature of desire that can be based on wishing, appetite, or
spirit; or can be based on reason. When it is based on reason, it is deciding.
-Describing virtue/vice
Virtue is the mean between excess and deficiency, which can be relative to the person
and situation (e.g. the soldier is expected to do more to be considered courageous than
the person with no training). Thus virtue is subjective, in some sense. But there are
objective requirements of virtue as well. For one, virtue is a mean: whenever someone
demonstrates an excessive of courage (for themself) they are being foolhardy. So virtue
is objective, in some sense.
Virtue is the excellence of a thing, which typically pertains to moral excellences but not
exclusively. There are two types: intellectual and moral and the theory of mean applies
to both (don’t be in either of the extremes of virtues: excess or deficiency). Virtues are
states and are not passive, capacities, or feelings. Virtue is acquired via habit and by
practice
-Advice for being virtuous / not vicious
To be virtuous:
1.Deliberate about what you ought to do (which is the practical/deliberative form
of reason)
2.Decide to do the rational thing (which is the function of reason [in both its
forms])
3.Will (i.e. choose) to do the rational thing (which is the function of desire)
4.Act properly upon your will/choice
-Connecting virtues to one another / vices to one another *NOTE: The first
half of this question will be a bit different than on Test #2, but the second
part will be similar
CONNECTING TWO VICES: Incontinence and intemperance – Both are concerned with
certain bodily pleasures. The intemperate person has made an error in deliberating
about how to properly enjoy these pleasures, whereas the incontinent person has made
an error either in willing to follow right reason or in acting in line with right reason (even
though they have deliberated rightly)
CONNECTING TWO VIRTUES: Generosity and Truthfulness – Both are virtues of the
mean. They must be exercised at the right time, in the right way, toward the right
person/people, in the right amount. Thus there are ways to go wrong in terms of
generosity and truthfulness: you could be excessive or deficient, could display them
toward the wrong person or in the wrong way, etc.
(not sure if this is helpful, but…)
• Must avoid: vice, incontinence, brutishness
• Opposite are: virtue, continence, superhuman virtue (godlike)
• Rarely find actual brutes or godlike men
• Continence and endurance are good/praiseworthy
• Incontinence and softness are bad/blame-worthy
• Continent men know they have bad desires, but don’t act on them
• Incontinent men know what they do is bad, but do it anyway out of passion
• Incontinent and self-indulgent are terms that some people use interchangeably
• Incontinent with qualification = a man who only acts incontinent when he has a
desire for things like victory, wealth, honor (they’d be called e.g. “incontinent in
respect of money”)
• Incontinent without qualification = a man who acts incontinent to get food and/or
sex
• Olympic athletes are icontinent with qualification
• Self-indulgent men are incontinent without qualification
• It is bad and self-indulgent to pursue pleasures when you have no or only a little
appetite for those things; but it’s not so bad to pursue pleasures when you have a
strong appetite
• It’s okay to want wealth, victory, and honor, it’s only a problem if you want them
in excess
• Being incontinent in respect of anger is not as bad as being incontinent in respect
of the appetites
• Anger causes people to hear the argument to some extent, but also mishear it a
bit (like dogs who bark when someone knocks at the door without taking the time
to first discover who it is, anger instinctively looks to get revenge without thinking
things through)
•
•
•
•
Appetite immediately springs to enjoy something merely if perception says that
object is pleasant
Anger still allows people to listen to arguments and be rational; Appetite does not
– so that’s way incontinent in respect of anger is better than incontinent in respect
of appetites
And also because plotting against someone is criminal, but anger is too hasty to
plot, whereas as appetites can lead people to plot
Brutishness is less evil than vice
-Aristotle’s view on friendship
Friendship implies virtue and is necessary for people to live. For the rich and powerful,
what’s the point without friends? For the poor and unfortunate, friends are the only
refuge. Being a person with many friends is viewed as noble. There is debate over what
makes for good friendships (do “birds of a feather flock together” or do “two of a trade
never agree”?). In order for it to be a friendship, both people must acknowledge the
bond and wish the other well. Three kinds of friendship: BASED ON UTILITY – Both
people get some use out of the other; common among old people; BASED ON
PLEASURE – Both enjoy being around the other’s wit; common among young people
(Utility and Pleasure friendships can easily end because people don’t really love the
other person, they just love something they get out of the other person, so as people
lose their usefulness or one’s pleasures change, the friendships can end); BASED ON
GOODNESS & VIRTUE – “Perfect friendship”; both people admire the other for being a
good person and having virtues; these friendships are permanent but take a long time to
truly develop. Friendships based on goodness also include pleasure and utility because
good people can enjoy being around other good people and can find other good people
useful. Love is a feeling, friendship is a state of character. Love can be felt for inanimate
objects, friendship must be reciprocated
-Aristotle’s view on the relationship between virtue and pleasure
The virtuous person will take pleasure in being virtuous. Pleasure completes the activity
of being virtuous, and pleasure itself is an activity. (In contrast, the framework of a
house that’s being built is in the process of becoming a house. There is no becoming
pleasure, according to Aristotle – we either have pleasure or we don’t.)
-Some pros & cons of Aristotle’s virtue ethics
PROS:
• encourages people to be generous, honest, compassionate, friendly,
assertiveness
• a virtuous person acts morally and will be able to treat others with respect,
compassion and love. These virtues prompt a person to do good things to others
because these are innate in him or he
• no particular criteria
• simply focused on person’s character, not concerned on consequence and duty
or obligation
•
builds community by motivating an individual to have high regard for personal
relationships and encourages or motivates a person to be sensitive of others and
take care of other people
CONS:
• Different cultures have different ideas of what is morally right or wrong for people
• It’s selfish in the way it how it is all about good individual character without
always considering how those virtuous acts could potentially have a negative
impact on other people
• Because it concentrate on only a limited number of virtues, it is not able to help
the population but only an individual
-Practicability
(Aristotle’s guidelines/tips for discovering how to be virtuous Your thought
on figuring out how to be virtuous)
*NOTE: The short-essay questions on the test somewhat overlap with each other
in asking you to think about practicability, but each question looks at that issue in
relation to a specific topic in Aristotle’s text. So make sure your answers are
specific to the topic in the question – don’t just describe things generally multiple
times.
•
I believe that the 5 key topics to takeaway from reading the syllabus are that you offer
help/tutoring through ZOOM, the late work policy, communications through CANVAS, COMPTIA
exam vouchers and your tips for success. I think its great that you encourage students and
even offer extra credit for connecting with you through zoom. Students will not only learn how to
use the platform, a valuable tool in the work force, but they are able to meet and talk with you
almost anywhere at anytime (within reason). This can be an invaluable resource for students
who are frequent commuters, busy at work brought the day, etc because all they need is their
work/school laptop and some internet connection to be able to connect with you and iron out
any questions they may have had.
The late work policy is extremely important especially if you intent to do well in this
course during the semester. Since any late work will not be given a grade in the grade book, it
is imperative to stay up to date if not get ahead of the course load to prevent any missed points
at the end of the semester. Time management as well as keeping an eye of due dates and on
top of reading will be the best options if you plan to succeed.
I am glad that you are on top of CANVAS messages because in semesters past I have
had teachers who it was a nightmare getting ahold of. Having an instructor that is easy to
contact makes it a lot easier getting answers questioned in a reasonable amount of time.
The COMPTIA is one of the two reasons I am taking this course, I think it will be a
beneficial certificate to have and may open up some job opportunities while I finish up my
degree. I appreciate you telling us how to get the discounted exam vouchers because I am not
on financial aid this semester and every penny I can save counts! I am going to do my best to
absorb as much information as I can this semester so I can hopefully do well on the exam, and
strengthen my IT background.
Lastly, I think your tips for success should be closer to the top of the syllabus in the
hopes that students will actually read them. Some of your tips such as considering yourself a
member of a learning community, keeping an open mind, etc. can really help student succeed.
Test #3 for ‘Ethics’
Multiple Choice Questions (1pt. each) – 10 Q’s
Pleasure is a(n):
a. Activity
b. Preference
c. Capacity
d. Feeling
According to Aristotle, we can give money to others:
a. Deficiently
b. Virtuously
c. Excessively
d. All of the above
Name: ______________________________
“Being excessively courageous is foolhardy and thus is wrong for all people though it varies with the situation.”
This claim is an example of:
a. Individual Subjectivism b. Cultural Relativism
c. Objectivism
d. Universalism
According to Aristotle, we are guided toward being virtuous by:
a. Pleasures & Pains
b. The political structure
c. Friendships
d. All of the above
Aristotle thinks we should strive to be happy because happiness is our (*Pick the BEST answer):
a. Highest good
b. Only hope
c. Duty
d. Inclination
All of the following are types of friendship according to Aristotle, EXCEPT:
a. Utility
b. Pleasure
c. Character
d. Contemplation
According to Care Ethics, morality is based primarily on:
a. Individual character
b. Relationships
c. Both a & b
d. Neither a nor b
Care Ethics and Virtue Ethics are:
a. Person-based Theories
b. Act-based Theories
d. Neither a nor b
c. Both a & b
“My brother sent me a gift for my birthday, and I’m going to send him one for his birthday as well.” This is an
example of all of the following, EXCEPT:
a. Discord
b. Decision
c. Reciprocated Goodwi…
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