Schools of ethics: questionnaire responses and concepts

Schools of Ethics: Questionnaire

The idea that the assisted suicide of terminally ill patients should be allowed simply at the patient's direction reflects what type of ethics?

The concept of conscience, which was established by Thomas Aquinas, states that conscience should be used in judging actions. He states that when one is choosing between good and evil, God's idea of human nature and what is needed according to this idea have to be first considered.

What is the moral ideal of temperance?

This is the ability of an individual to restrain themselves from impulses. It encourages people to manage their desires, temptations, and preferences and to exercise self-control when making decisions.

One of the common errors in Ethics is that of the hasty conclusions. Hasty conclusions consist of what?

Hasty conclusions are arrived at when one does not assess the evidence presented before them thoroughly, which may make them jump into false conclusions about a particular issue.

4. Prescriptive language is commonly used in ethics for what reason?

Prescriptive language describes the way words should be and it is used in ethics to show language or words that are not allowed, or that violate the code of conduct. For example, some words are considered racist and should not be uttered in a particular setting.

5. Ethical Egoism proposes that all decisions should be made to?

Ethical egoism proposes that human beings should make decisions that are aimed at fulfilling their needs and interests.

6. Free people are motivated toward forming social structures according to a social contract in order to overcome what problem identified by Thomas Hobbes?

Thomas Hobbes believed that a never ending state of warfare was responsible for people forming social structures as they decided to put an end to the fighting and confusion by forming social contrasts (Hobbes, 2009).

7. Agricultural bio-fuels are not properly a renewable source of energy in the environmental ethics debate. Which of the following also is not a renewable?

Biomass waste systems are not considered as being 100% renewable as sometimes, forests are cleared for fuel and the trees that are replanted cannot offer the full benefits of natural forests.

8. The notion that the only thing good without qualification is a good will is attributed to whom?

This notion was suggested by Immanuel Kant, and it means that the intentions of an individual determine whether their actions can be termed as good or bad.

9. Which ethical concept is organized and directed toward following the greatest happiness principle?

This is the principle of utility, which states that so long as an act makes the doer happy or brings them pleasure, then it is right; and if it causes or brings about suffering or unhappiness, then it should be regarded wrong.

10. Syllogisms in formal deductive logic are called "valid" when?

Syllogisms are considered to be valid when the conclusion is deduced from the major and minor premises used.

11. When choosing one course of action while working with a dilemma, the other courses of action are lost and become unavailable. This makes ethical choices in dilemma situations particularly what?

It makes the ethical choices complicated as all the interests of the parties have to be considered before the final course of action can be chosen. A lot of the alternatives are often genuine, making it hard to choose the best among all.

12. What is the role of conscience as Thomas Aquinas sees it?

According to Thomas Aquinas, conscience serves as a moral compass that gives a good view of what should be considered right and wrong (Torrell, 2005).

13. The rule or principle to be applied in making decisions is an example of which kind of ethical discovery process?

It is an example of empirical decision making because it involves an evaluation of the problem, the assumptions, and the collection of sufficient information.

14. The Social Contract theorist whose troubled childhood was most clearly reflected in his theories was who?

Thomas Hobbes, who was popular for his political philosophy.

15. Kant's concern that people choose to observe universal laws as their duty is expressed through what actions?

This is expressed through their habits which represent their idea of what is good and evil.