Cuestionario: Foundations of Moral Character and Responsibility — 10 preguntas

1. What does the term 'ethics' etymologically relate to, and what does it emphasize in its meaning?

A. It originates from Greek *ethos*, meaning character or custom, emphasizing moral qualities.

B. It is based on Greek *logos*, meaning reason, emphasizing rational thought in morality.

C. It comes from Latin *mos*, meaning custom, emphasizing societal norms.

D. It derives from Latin *moralitas*, meaning morality, emphasizing universal principles.

Answer: (A)

Explicación

The correct answer is that 'ethics' originates from Greek *ethos*, meaning character or custom, which emphasizes the moral qualities or character traits that define human conduct. This etymology highlights the focus of ethics on character and moral habits, making it the most accurate choice.

2. What is the etymology of the term 'ethics' and what does it emphasize?

A. Derived from Latin 'ethica', emphasizing universal moral principles.

B. Derived from Greek 'ethos', emphasizing character and societal customs.

C. Derived from Sanskrit 'ethika', emphasizing spiritual virtues.

D. Derived from Hebrew 'ethos', emphasizing divine commandments.

Answer: (B)

Explicación

Ethics comes from the Greek 'ethos', meaning character or custom, highlighting the importance of character and societal habits in moral principles.

3. What is the primary role of morality in relation to human acts?

A. To establish societal customs and traditions

B. To replace personal judgment in moral decision-making

C. To describe the origins of human actions

D. To evaluate and guide human acts towards goodness

Answer: (D)

Explicación

Morality's main function is to evaluate human acts and guide them toward what is morally good, establishing standards and norms that influence behavior.

4. Which of the following best differentiates traditional ethics from modern ethics?

A. Traditional ethics focuses on individual responsibility, while modern ethics is based on natural law.

B. Traditional ethics emphasizes natural law and duty; modern ethics centers on creative responsibility, love, and individual freedom.

C. Traditional ethics only considers cultural customs, while modern ethics rejects all societal influences.

D. Both approaches are identical in their focus and methods.

Answer: (B)

Explicación

Traditional ethics emphasizes natural law and duty, whereas modern ethics discusses creative responsibility, individual freedom, and love as central moral considerations.

5. How do traditional ethics and moral science differ or are similar?

A. Both traditional ethics and moral science are identical, with no differences in focus or approach.

B. Traditional ethics is unrelated to moral science, which is purely philosophical without practical application.

C. Traditional ethics is a practical science focusing on human acts and duty, while moral science is the systematic study of moral norms and standards.

D. Moral science is a subset of traditional ethics, focusing only on natural law and duty.

Answer: (C)

Explicación

Traditional ethics is a practical science that emphasizes the morality of human acts, natural law, and duty, forming a part of the broader discipline of moral science, which studies norms and standards guiding human conduct. The other options are incorrect because they either deny this relationship or incorrectly suggest they are identical or unrelated.

6. What is unqualified absolutism in moral philosophy?

A. The belief that moral laws are relative and context-dependent.

B. The belief that multiple absolute laws exist without conflict, providing a fixed moral framework.

C. The view that absolute laws can conflict and require choosing the lesser evil.

D. The rejection of all moral laws in favor of personal judgment.

Answer: (B)

Explicación

Unqualified absolutism holds that strictly binding moral laws do not conflict, offering a consistent and fixed moral framework.

7. According to the course outline, what is the primary focus of ethics as a normative science?

A. To analyze the historical development of moral systems.

B. To study moral norms and standards that prescribe how humans should act.

C. To critique cultural customs and social practices.

D. To permit moral relativism and subjective decision-making.

Answer: (B)

Explicación

Ethics as a normative science studies the norms and standards that guide how humans ought to act, aiming for moral good.

8. Which perspective considers love as the only absolute law, with other moral rules dependent on circumstances?

A. Antinomianism

B. Traditional ethics

C. Graded absolutism

D. Situationism

Answer: (A)

Explicación

Situationism posits that love is the only absolute law, and other moral rules are adaptable depending on the context.

9. What does antinomianism assert about moral laws?

A. Moral laws are fixed and universally binding.

B. Moral laws are relative and culturally determined.

C. Moral laws are subjective and personal, leading to moral relativism.

D. Moral laws are necessary for societal order and should never be rejected.

Answer: (C)

Explicación

Antinomianism denies the existence of universal moral laws, promoting the idea that moral decisions are subjective and personal.

10. What is the key difference between conflicting absolutism and graded absolutism?

A. Conflicting absolutism assumes laws never conflict, graded acknowledges conflicts and prioritizes higher laws.

B. Conflicting absolutism involves choosing the lesser evil when laws conflict; graded sees laws as never conflicting.

C. Conflicting absolutism states laws always conflict, requiring choosing the lesser evil; graded allows for hierarchy among laws.

D. Both theories promote ignoring conflicts between moral laws for simplicity.

Answer: (B), (C)

Explicación

Conflicting absolutism accepts that laws can conflict and requires choosing the lesser evil, while graded absolutism holds that higher laws override lower ones when conflicts occur.