Contemporary Ethical Theory - Second Exam (Questions)

[Be sure you are familiar with the format and ground rules for this exam.]

Questions will be referred to by their "names," listed to their left.

Tentative

"Name" Question

A-SIGN Explain Ayer's view of what claims are "significant" and what claims are not. How does ethics pose a challenge to that view? What is Ayer's response? Critically discuss.

A-CLAS Into what four main classes does A.J. Ayer divide the pronouncements of ordinary systems of ethics? Explain each and give examples. With which of these classes should ethical philosophers be concerned, according to Ayer? Is he right? What does Ayer say about the other classes?

A-MEAN Explain A.J. Ayer's account of the meaning of ethical statements. On Ayer's account what would it mean to say (i) "It was morally wrong of Geoffrey to tell the company that the computer was broken from the start when it really broke a week after it arrived," (ii) "Lying is morally wrong." Critically discuss the plausibility of Ayer's account.

A-SUBJ A.J. Ayer considers an argument G.E. Moore offered against subjectivism. What is this argument? Does it, with suitable modification, apply to Ayer's own theory? What is Ayer's response to the modified argument?
A-DISP In what way and to what extent do we dispute about matters of value according to A.J. Ayer? Critically discuss.
M-ORD Explain the different first order and second order theses that J.L. Mackie claims go under the names of "skepticism" or "subjectivism." What are the differences between the theories? Which does Mackie espouse? Critically discuss.
M-ALTS Mackie writes "If we reject the view that it is the function of such terms to introduce objective values into discourse about conduct and choices of action, then there seem to be two main alternative types of account." Explain these two alternatives and why Mackie rejects them. Is he right to reject them? Critically discuss.

M-OBJ Mackie believes that moral judgments involve a "claim to objectivity." What does he mean by this? Why does he think it? Critically discuss.

M-ERR Explain J.L. Mackie's "error theory" of morality. Critically discuss.

M-REL Explicate and critically discuss J.L. Mackie's "argument from relativity."

M-QUE Explicate and critically discuss J.L. Mackie's "argument from queerness" and its various parts.

H-TEST In what way can moral principles be tested by thought experiments, according to Gilbert Harman? Can such testing lead to falsification of an ethical theory or principle? Why or why not? Critically discuss.
H-OBS Does Gilbert Harman think there are moral observations? Why or why not? Critically discuss.
H-DIS What disanalogy does Harman find between the role of observation in testing of moral theories and the role of observation in the testing of scientific theories? Explain. Is he right about this? What does this show about whether moral realism is correct? Critically discuss.
H-MATH In a section entitled "Ethics and Mathematics" Gilbert Harman considers a different role for observation. Explain whether and how, according to Harman, there is observational evidence for mathematics. What would need to be true of ethics for ethics to have the same relationship to observation as mathematics does, according to Harman? Critically discuss.

SL-DEF How does Shafer-Landau define "moral realism?" Explain his definition. What views about morality would not count as realism on his view? Explain. Critically discuss.

SL-PHI The title of the Shafer-Landau selection is "Ethics and Philosophy." Explain Shafer-Landau's view that ethics is philosophy. How does this impact on the question of whether moral realism is true? Critically discuss.

SL-DIS Shafer-Landau distinguishes (at least) two different arguments against moral realism from disagreement. Explain these arguments and his replies to them. Critically discuss.

SL-INE Shafer-Landau lays out an argument against moral realism from "the causal inefficacy of moral facts." Explain this argument carefully. Where does Shafer-Landau attack the argument? Explain and critically discuss.

SL-NOR What does Shafer-Landau mean by "normative facts?" Other than moral facts, what normative facts does Shafer-Landau think there are? Consider the view of either Ayer or Mackie and explain how that philosopher might account for (or deny the existence of) these other normative facts. Critically discuss.

SL-SRI At various times in his article Shafer-Landau appeals to a kind of self-referential incoherence in principles. Explain this appeal. Show how Shafer-Landau uses this appeal to self-referential incoherence to refute some position. Critically discuss.

S-2FEA Michael Smith claims that there are "two distinctive features of moral practice" which "pull against each other, threatening to make the very idea of morality look altogether incoherent." What are these features? How do they pull against each other? Explain and critically discuss.

S-STAN Michael Smith lays out a "standard picture of human psychology." What is this standard picture? How does it contribute, if at all, to there being a problem with morality? Where in here does Smith fine "the real devil of the piece?" Explain. Critically discuss.

S-COOL Smith talks about "what we would want if we were 'cool, calm, and collected.'" Explain what he means by this. How does this help him solve the problem facing the moral realist? Explain and critically discuss.

S-&SL Smith claims to defend a kind of non-queer moral realism. Explain what he takes moral facts to be. (How does the "convergence" fit in here?) Shafer-Landau has defined moral realism. Is Smith's view a realist view according to that definition or not? Critically discuss.

RL-EUT What is the Euthyphro dilemma? What does this purport to show about the nature of morality? Critically discuss.

RL-WLC William Lane Craig offers and argument, appealing to moral values, for the existence of God. Explain and critically discuss this argument.

RL-OTH According to Lee even if the Euthyphro dilemma is correct there are ways in which the existence (and nature) of God would be relevant to morality. Explain and critically discuss these ways.

R-PFD What does W. D. Ross mean by "prima facie duty?" Are all duties prima facie? Explain.
R-DUTY List and explain the kinds of prima facie duties Ross thinks we have. Is his list complete? Is there anything on his list that shouldn't be there? Is there any way to compress the list to include fewer divisions. Explain.
R-OBJN Ross imagines as an objection to his theory that "that there are these various and often conflicting types of prima facie duties leaves us with no principle upon which to discern what is our actual duty in particular circumstances." What is his response to this objection? Is it satisfactory?
R-INTU What views of Ross's make it appropriate to classify him as an intuitionist? Explain.
F-TWO Explain the "two different uses of words such as `should' and `ought'" that Philippa Foot finds in "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives?" What, if anything, does this difference have to do with the nature of morality? Critically discuss.
F-ETI What similarities and differences does Philippa Foot find, in "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives," between moral judgments and judgments in matters of etiquette? Critically discuss.
F-DES Near the end of "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives" Philippa Foot considers an objection to her view that morality consists of hypothetical imperatives. She writes, "It will be said that this way of viewing moral considerations must be totally destructive of morality, because no one could ever act morally unless he accepted such considerations as in themselves sufficient reason for action." Explain this objection. Explain Foot's reply. Critically discuss.
F-VOL At the end of "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives" Philippa Foot speaks of "volunteers banded together to fight for liberty and justice ..." Explain her remark in light of the views expressed in that paper concerning the nature of morality. Critically discuss.

"Name"	Question
A-SIGN	Explain Ayer's view of what claims are "significant" and what claims are not. How does ethics pose a challenge to that view? What is Ayer's response? Critically discuss.
A-CLAS	Into what four main classes does A.J. Ayer divide the pronouncements of ordinary systems of ethics? Explain each and give examples. With which of these classes should ethical philosophers be concerned, according to Ayer? Is he right? What does Ayer say about the other classes?
A-MEAN	Explain A.J. Ayer's account of the meaning of ethical statements. On Ayer's account what would it mean to say (i) "It was morally wrong of Geoffrey to tell the company that the computer was broken from the start when it really broke a week after it arrived," (ii) "Lying is morally wrong." Critically discuss the plausibility of Ayer's account.
A-SUBJ	A.J. Ayer considers an argument G.E. Moore offered against subjectivism. What is this argument? Does it, with suitable modification, apply to Ayer's own theory? What is Ayer's response to the modified argument?
A-DISP	In what way and to what extent do we dispute about matters of value according to A.J. Ayer? Critically discuss.
M-ORD	Explain the different first order and second order theses that J.L. Mackie claims go under the names of "skepticism" or "subjectivism." What are the differences between the theories? Which does Mackie espouse? Critically discuss.
M-ALTS	Mackie writes "If we reject the view that it is the function of such terms to introduce objective values into discourse about conduct and choices of action, then there seem to be two main alternative types of account." Explain these two alternatives and why Mackie rejects them. Is he right to reject them? Critically discuss.
M-OBJ	Mackie believes that moral judgments involve a "claim to objectivity." What does he mean by this? Why does he think it? Critically discuss.
M-ERR	Explain J.L. Mackie's "error theory" of morality. Critically discuss.
M-REL	Explicate and critically discuss J.L. Mackie's "argument from relativity."
M-QUE	Explicate and critically discuss J.L. Mackie's "argument from queerness" and its various parts.
H-TEST	In what way can moral principles be tested by thought experiments, according to Gilbert Harman? Can such testing lead to falsification of an ethical theory or principle? Why or why not? Critically discuss.
H-OBS	Does Gilbert Harman think there are moral observations? Why or why not? Critically discuss.
H-DIS	What disanalogy does Harman find between the role of observation in testing of moral theories and the role of observation in the testing of scientific theories? Explain. Is he right about this? What does this show about whether moral realism is correct? Critically discuss.
H-MATH	In a section entitled "Ethics and Mathematics" Gilbert Harman considers a different role for observation. Explain whether and how, according to Harman, there is observational evidence for mathematics. What would need to be true of ethics for ethics to have the same relationship to observation as mathematics does, according to Harman? Critically discuss.
SL-DEF	How does Shafer-Landau define "moral realism?" Explain his definition. What views about morality would not count as realism on his view? Explain. Critically discuss.
SL-PHI	The title of the Shafer-Landau selection is "Ethics and Philosophy." Explain Shafer-Landau's view that ethics is philosophy. How does this impact on the question of whether moral realism is true? Critically discuss.
SL-DIS	Shafer-Landau distinguishes (at least) two different arguments against moral realism from disagreement. Explain these arguments and his replies to them. Critically discuss.
SL-INE	Shafer-Landau lays out an argument against moral realism from "the causal inefficacy of moral facts." Explain this argument carefully. Where does Shafer-Landau attack the argument? Explain and critically discuss.
SL-NOR	What does Shafer-Landau mean by "normative facts?" Other than moral facts, what normative facts does Shafer-Landau think there are? Consider the view of either Ayer or Mackie and explain how that philosopher might account for (or deny the existence of) these other normative facts. Critically discuss.
SL-SRI	At various times in his article Shafer-Landau appeals to a kind of self-referential incoherence in principles. Explain this appeal. Show how Shafer-Landau uses this appeal to self-referential incoherence to refute some position. Critically discuss.
S-2FEA	Michael Smith claims that there are "two distinctive features of moral practice" which "pull against each other, threatening to make the very idea of morality look altogether incoherent." What are these features? How do they pull against each other? Explain and critically discuss.
S-STAN	Michael Smith lays out a "standard picture of human psychology." What is this standard picture? How does it contribute, if at all, to there being a problem with morality? Where in here does Smith fine "the real devil of the piece?" Explain. Critically discuss.
S-COOL	Smith talks about "what we would want if we were 'cool, calm, and collected.'" Explain what he means by this. How does this help him solve the problem facing the moral realist? Explain and critically discuss.
S-&SL	Smith claims to defend a kind of non-queer moral realism. Explain what he takes moral facts to be. (How does the "convergence" fit in here?) Shafer-Landau has defined moral realism. Is Smith's view a realist view according to that definition or not? Critically discuss.
RL-EUT	What is the Euthyphro dilemma? What does this purport to show about the nature of morality? Critically discuss.
RL-WLC	William Lane Craig offers and argument, appealing to moral values, for the existence of God. Explain and critically discuss this argument.
RL-OTH	According to Lee even if the Euthyphro dilemma is correct there are ways in which the existence (and nature) of God would be relevant to morality. Explain and critically discuss these ways.
R-PFD	What does W. D. Ross mean by "prima facie duty?" Are all duties prima facie? Explain.
R-DUTY	List and explain the kinds of prima facie duties Ross thinks we have. Is his list complete? Is there anything on his list that shouldn't be there? Is there any way to compress the list to include fewer divisions. Explain.
R-OBJN	Ross imagines as an objection to his theory that "that there are these various and often conflicting types of prima facie duties leaves us with no principle upon which to discern what is our actual duty in particular circumstances." What is his response to this objection? Is it satisfactory?
R-INTU	What views of Ross's make it appropriate to classify him as an intuitionist? Explain.
F-TWO	Explain the "two different uses of words such as `should' and `ought'" that Philippa Foot finds in "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives?" What, if anything, does this difference have to do with the nature of morality? Critically discuss.
F-ETI	What similarities and differences does Philippa Foot find, in "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives," between moral judgments and judgments in matters of etiquette? Critically discuss.
F-DES	Near the end of "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives" Philippa Foot considers an objection to her view that morality consists of hypothetical imperatives. She writes, "It will be said that this way of viewing moral considerations must be totally destructive of morality, because no one could ever act morally unless he accepted such considerations as in themselves sufficient reason for action." Explain this objection. Explain Foot's reply. Critically discuss.
F-VOL	At the end of "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives" Philippa Foot speaks of "volunteers banded together to fight for liberty and justice ..." Explain her remark in light of the views expressed in that paper concerning the nature of morality. Critically discuss.

Richard Lee, rlee@uark.edu, last modified: 20 October 2011