Directions: This exam covers the following material: books I and II in Aristotle’s Ethics, Kant and the first three chapters of Mill, plus the Ken Miller talk. Read all directions carefully. Please...

Midterm Exam
I. True or False
Midterm Exam
I. True or False
1. T
2. T
3. T
4. F
5. F
6. i) F
ii) T
7. T
8. T'
9. F
10. T
11. F
12. T
13. T
14. T
15. F
1. T For Aristotle, anger is a virtue.
2. T At the beginning of book I, Aristotle thinks that most of our activities aim at some
good.
3. T Aristotle likens virtue to a kind of excellence.
4. F For Aristotle, the main purpose of politics is to create the best policies.
5. F In book II, Aristotle asserts that human beings are evil by nature.
6. F Aristotle thinks virtue is the sufficient condition for happiness.
6. T Kant believes there are two sets of laws—moral and natural.
7. T Mill believes that what sanctions or justifies his greatest happiness principle, as the
central principle of ethics, is reason.
8. T Virtue is only conditionally good according to Kant.
9. F Kant thinks the empirical component to morality is an important, though the least
important, component to morality.
10. T Kant thinks one can be virtuous and evil.
11. F For Kant, being subject to the moral law is like being subject to a monarch.
12. T Kant believes that, in all instances, one should not lie, with no exceptions.
13. T Kant believes one should fully desire the good in order to be genuinely motivated
to do the good.
14. T Kant gives us essentially three different moral laws.
15. F Kant classifies duties into moral and political duties.
II. Multiple Choice Questions
1. 1. Which of the following is not an initial limitation on the study of ethics
(according to Aristotle)? a. people tend to be too ignorant about it b. people are given to
merely conventional views about ethics c. finding a standard of knowledge appropriate to
ethics d. youth and moral weakness
c
2. What is the highest good for Aristotle? a. virtue b. pleasure c. happiness d.
love
a
3. Why is the answer to the previous question the highest good? a. because it is
never a means for any other end b. because it is a life suitable for a politician c. because it is
unattainable d. because it is the opposite of pain
c
4. Which is pleasant by nature according to Aristotle? a. sex b. actions which
conform to virtue c. emotion d. the basic pleasures of life
b
5. States of moral character tend to be ruined by: a. pure anger b. ignorance c.
unjust politics d. excess and deficiency
b
6. What are the three types of goods for Aristotle? a. goods of the soul, goods of the
body, material goods b. those things that are good in themselves, good for other benefits, and
good in themselves and for other benefits both c. pleasurable goods, useful goods, and noble
goods d. pleasure, honor, and contemplation
b
7. Which of the following is true about Mill? A. he believes there is only one
central guiding principle of ethics b. he thinks the proper motive for ethical action is to do
one’s duty for its own sake c. he thinks human nature is generally not capable of ethical actions
d. he thinks the highest good is maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain e. he thinks
consequences define the value of an action
f. a and b g. a, b, and c h. a, d, and e i. all of the above j. none of the above
i
8. Which is true of Kant’s view of happiness? a . it is a purely natural state of
affairs b. it is just as important for him as it is for Aristotle c. it is the sum total of our
desires d. it is an activity of the soul performed in accordance with virtue e. a and c f.
b and d
e
9. For Kant, desire belongs to what sphere of human being? a. the laws of freedom
(the ought)
b. the laws of nature (the is) c. the sphere of duty d. the sphere of religion
a
10. To Kant’s thinking, more important than happiness is: a. truth b. rationality
c. the worthiness to be happy d. universality
a
11. For Kant, questions of the moral worth of an action really only come into play
when: a. duty and desire coincide b. duty and virtue conflict c. two duties conflict d. duty
and desire conflict
b
12. When Kant discusses duty, the clearest difference between a perfect and an
imperfect duty is:
a. perfect duties are more important b. perfect duties are more rational c. perfect
duties are more oriented towards helping others d. perfect duties are such that their violation is
inconceivable
c
13. If happiness were a human being’s highest goal, Kant says: a. happiness would
be more efficiently achieved than it is now b. happiness would be nearly impossible to achieve
c. happiness and virtue would be the same thing d. nature would have equipped human beings
with mere instinct, rather than reason e. a and d f. c and d
c
14. When Kant characterizes moral actions as those that are performed for duty’s sake
alone, he is placing moral value on: a. Christian love b. virtue c. motive d. the
consequences b
15. Given the answer to the previous question, Kant defines an action’s rightness or
wrongness according to: a. the intrinsic nature of the act itself b. whether the act makes one
happy or not
c. the nature of the act’s duty (is it a perfect duty or not) d. the nature of the act’s
results
d
III. Short answers
1. . For whom or what is the life of pursuing pleasure suitable, according to
Aristotle? (2)
According to Aristotle, the life of pursuing pleasure is suitable for those with an virtue.
The main reason for this is that virtue leads to happiness. This is mainly because Aristotle
believes that virtue is the most important thing. It can lead to happiness and create betterment.
All of this is extremely important in a person’s day to day life and can be of great use in both
personal as well as professional scenarios. It leads to formation of self-image and so teenagers or
youngsters focus on material comforts. This helps create goodness out of an virtue and thus lead
to happiness.
2. What three classes of goods does Aristotle discuss? What are the main examples
for each class of good? (6)
The three categories of goods described by Aristotle include the Virtue, practical wisdom
and eudemonia. According to our sources, the ancient Spartans went to great lengths to suppress
the desire for wealth. They also pursued happiness through the concept of virtue. The main
examples for each of the goods include the following:
- Virtue: Virtue refers to the intent of doing good
- Practical wisdom: Wisdom comes from experience and knowledge
- Eudemonia: It refers to honesty and ethics.
Aristotle had a secular approach towards ethics. Classical virtues refer to the set of basis
of ethical behavior given by Aristotle consisting of courage, justice, temperance and prudence
forms a basis of governance, ethical practices and decision making. It states that a decision or
judgment should be based on courage to support and stand by the truth. There should be
forethought, good sense and carefulness in a decision along with temperance.
3. What is Aristotle’s definition of happiness? (3)
Aristotle defines "happiness" as a virtue and a state of realizing the virtue. Aristotle
believes that human begins are capable of creating wonders. Their ability to create and
understand science as well as touch upon philosophy and other bodies of knowledge makes them
supreme. They are able to discover and innovate which helps them in the process of learning and
developing. They have grown and evolved through technology to a great extent.
4. What is the first component in this definition of happiness, and what is its
significance? (3)
The first component in this definition of happiness is virtue. It is highly significant. The
main reason for this significance is that virtue leads to creation of appropriate levels of ethics. It
leads to an intent of good. Religious virtues refer to the set of basis of ethical behavior consisting
of faith, hope and charity also forms a basis of judgment. It states that belief in the Supreme,
optimism and welfare of others characterize goodness. In this way it is possible for creation of
high levels of goodness in the society through virtue which then translates into happiness.
5. What is the second component of this definition, and its significance? (3)
The second component of this definition is practical wisdom. Wisdom comes through the
component of experience and leads to appropriate development of several strengths and right
decision making capabilities among the individuals. It helps ensure appropriate understanding
and capabilities in a person. It creates appropriate skills and helps them form perspectives that
can judge people and decisions better. In this way it creates a strong element that supports virtue
and helps form appropriate intent which is practical. It gives an appreciation for life and the
society. It helps add more meaning to life as we can explore topics like human nature and
aesthetics. Ethics and justice helps discriminate between the good and bad and be able to judge
rightly. So, it is very important to gain wisdom.
6. What does Aristotle say we must “beware of” most of all when we attempt to
reach the mean of virtue, and why? (3)
Aristotle says we must “beware of” most of all when we attempt to reach the mean of
virtue, as this can help or lead to the most important concept of ethics and lead to right and
wrong decisions. Epistemology studies knowledge in depth. It helps understand as to what is
knowledge, how it can be acquired, what people know and how do they know. It helps in
understanding and differentiating truth, belief and justification. It is here that not just virtue but
wisdom and ethics also play an essential and important role. In this circumstances the means
have been explained as good and evil, though the intent may be good.
7. What are the three logical criteria that make happiness the highest good?
Describe each one. (3)
The three logical criteria that make happiness the highest good include the Virtue,
practical wisdom and eudemonia. According to our sources, the ancient Spartans went to great
lengths to suppress the desire for wealth. They also pursued happiness through the concept of
virtue. The main examples for each of the goods include the following:
- Virtue: Virtue refers to the intent of doing good
- Practical wisdom: Wisdom comes from experience and knowledge
- Eudemonia: It refers to honesty and ethics.
Aristotle had a secular approach towards ethics. Classical virtues refer to the set of basis
of ethical behavior...