Practice Exercises: Chapter 13

Group 1: Morality, Law, and Relativism

Evaluate the following statements based on the definitions of Morality, Legality, and Relativism.

1. “If a country has a law that says it is legal to discriminate against a minority group, then discriminating against them is morally right.” (True or False? Explain based on Chapter 13).

2. Identify the following stance: “I think stealing is wrong, but my neighbor thinks it’s fine, and we are both ‘right’ because morality is just a personal opinion.”

3. Why does Moral Objectivism claim that the statement “It is wrong to torture an innocent child for fun” is true even if a specific culture disagrees?

4. Distinguish between Etiquette and Morality using the example of “talking with your mouth full” versus “stealing someone’s lunch.”

Group 2: Consequentialism (Utilitarianism & Egoism)

Identify the correct theory or apply the “Calculation” to the following scenarios.

5. A city planner decides to demolish an old, beloved park to build a high-speed rail line that will save 50,000 commuters two hours of travel time every day. Which ethical framework is the planner most likely using?

6. According to Ethical Egoism, if helping a friend move will cost you a day of work and $200 in wages, and the friend will never be able to help you in return, should you help them?

7. True or False: A Utilitarian would say that the “intent” behind an action is more important than the “result” of the action.

8. What is the Greatest Happiness Principle?

Group 3: Deontology (Kantian Ethics)

Apply Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the concept of Duty.

9. You are considering making a “false promise” to pay back a loan you know you can’t afford. According to Kant’s Universal Law Formula, why is this action immoral?

10. Does Divine Command Theory base morality on human reason, or on the will of a deity?

11. If you save a drowning person only because you want to be famous and get on the news, would a Kantian consider your action “Morally Worthy”?

12. Why did Kant argue that we should treat people as “ends in themselves” and never “merely as a means”?

Group 4: Agent-Based Theories (Virtue & Care Ethics)

Analyze these scenarios based on the Character and Relationships of the actor.

13. A person sees a stranger being bullied. They are terrified but step in anyway because they have practiced being brave in small ways for years. Which theory emphasizes this “habitual” nature of goodness?

14. Use the Golden Mean to find the virtue for the trait of “Truthfulness.” (What is the Deficiency and what is the Excess?)

15. A nurse spends extra time comforting a patient not because the hospital handbook says so, but because they feel a personal responsibility to the patient’s well-being. This is an example of which ethical framework?

16. How does Care Ethics differ from Deontology in its approach to “universal rules”?

Group 5: Applied Ethics

Apply the theories to complex social issues.

17. Predictive Policing: If an algorithm is accurate at predicting crime but targets specific neighborhoods based on biased historical data, would a Deontologist find it just?

18. Reproductive Rights: An argument that focuses on the “Right to Life” of a fetus as a universal, absolute rule is using which type of ethical framework?

19. The Cold-Hearted Benefactor: If a billionaire builds a hospital just for the tax break, does a Virtue Ethicist consider them a “good person”?

Answer Key

Group 1: Morality & Relativism

1. False. Morality and Legality are separate. A law can be legal but immoral (e.g., Jim Crow laws).

2. Subjective Relativism.

3. Because it holds that certain moral principles are universally valid regardless of individual or cultural beliefs.

4. Talking with your mouth full is a breach of Etiquette (rude but not evil); stealing someone’s lunch is a breach of Morality (harms others and violates justice).

Group 2: Consequentialism

5. Utilitarianism. (The “Greatest Good” for the 50,000 commuters outweighs the loss of the park).

6. No. (Unless helping them provides some other long-term benefit to your own self-interest).

7. False. In Consequentialism, the Result is everything.

8. The rule that we should choose the action that produces the greatest happiness/well-being for the greatest number of people.

Group 3: Deontology

9. Because if everyone made false promises, the very concept of a “promise” would become meaningless and the system of lending would collapse. (It cannot be Universalized).

10. The Will of a Deity.

11. No. For Kant, an action only has moral worth if it is done out of Duty, not “inclination” or selfish gain.

12. Because humans are rational, autonomous beings who have intrinsic value; using them as a “tool” (means) for your own goals violates their dignity.

Group 4: Agent-Based Theories

13. Virtue Ethics (specifically Aristotelian).

14. Deficiency: Irony/Self-deprecation (understating the truth). Excess: Boastfulness (exaggerating the truth). Virtue: Truthfulness (the Golden Mean).

15. Care Ethics.

16. Deontology relies on abstract, universal rules; Care Ethics focuses on the specific context of a relationship and the empathy required in that moment.

Group 5: Applied Ethics

17. No. A Deontologist would argue it violates the duty to treat individuals as autonomous persons rather than just “data points” in a category.

18. Deontology (specifically a duty-based or Divine Command-based framework).

19. No. While the action had a good result, the benefactor lacks the virtue of generosity and the right motive.