Ethics concepts and applications

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with what areas of human interest?

life after death b-god c-morality

The answer is c. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with moral questions, or the question of what actions are considered to be right or wrong. Moral rightness and moral wrongness are philosophical areas of inquiry, requiring analysis and debate. The ethics of an action can be debated on the intentions of the actor, the consequences of the actions, or on other factors. There are many different approaches to the study of ethics, which is why there are so many different ethical and moral philosophers.

Ethics depends on the study of religion, or needs to be based on religious knowledge, true or false.

False. Although some philosophers, like Kant, refer to God in their philosophical treatises, there is no need for a philosophy of ethics to be grounded in religion at all. In fact, religion provides one type of ethical philosophy.

Peter Singer's ethical philosophy is based on which of the following?

a. character ethics

b. virtue ethics

c. utilitarianism

The answer is C, utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the branch of ethical philosophy that focuses on the concept of utility, or what is the most useful thing to do. The usefulness of an action is measured often in terms of the consequences that it has, and eschews the idea that there are moral absolutes. When it comes to Singer's take on the philosophy of utilitarianism, Singer emphasizes moral relativism based on an analysis of multiple cultures. There are no universal norms, except for a few universal norms such as one should not kill their own parents or children. However, even in some cultures there may be situations in which killing a parent or child is allowable. For instance, in some cultures, if a woman cheats on her husband, she may be killed and the family may be permitted to do so. This is not necessarily utilitarianism, but Singer does address the anthropology of ethics.

4. Kant is a philosopher of what type of ethics?

a. existentialist ethics

b. deontological ethics

c. utilitarian ethics

The answer is B. Kant is the quintessential deontological ethical thinker. According to Kant, there is a categorical imperative to act a certain way in certain situations. This moral righteousness transcends culture. This is why utilitarianism and deontological ethics are polar opposites most of the time. Deontological ethics suggest that there is a moral right and wrong, such as it is always wrong to kill one's parents no matter what. It also does not matter what the consequences of an action are, or the motives of the individual. What matters is the nature of the act itself. Things are categorically right or wrong.