Question 1

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"People tend to do what's in their best interest."
A) Moral claim
B) Descriptive claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

The claim is a descriptive claim because it describes a general observation about human behavior without making a moral judgment or prescribing how people should act.

Question 2

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"Abortion in the first and second trimesters is legal."
A) Descriptive claim
B) Moral claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

The claim is stating a fact about the legality of abortion, which makes it a descriptive claim.

Question 3

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"Physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong."
A) Descriptive claim
B) Moral claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

"Physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong" is a moral claim because it expresses a moral judgment about the morality of physician-assisted suicide.

Question 4

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer. "A nurse has a moral obligation to treat patients with respect."
A) Moral claim
B) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.
C) Descriptive claim

Accepted Answer

The claim is about a moral obligation, which is a type of moral claim.

Question 5

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer. "Genetically modified wheat is an artificial crop."
A) Descriptive claim
B) Moral claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

The statement "Genetically modified wheat is an artificial crop" is a descriptive claim because it describes a characteristic of genetically modified wheat without making a moral judgment or prescribing any action.

Question 6

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"Legalizing recreational drugs creates more total pleasure in society than making those drugs illegal."
A) Descriptive claim
B) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.
C) Moral claim

Accepted Answer

The answer of What kind of claim is the claim...

Question 7

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"People often make sacrifices for their friends and family."
A) Descriptive claim
B) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.
C) Moral claim

Accepted Answer

The claim is a descriptive claim because it describes a general pattern of behavior.

Question 8

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"Policies that systematically make it harder for racial minorities to vote are unjust."
A) Moral claim
B) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.
C) Descriptive claim

Accepted Answer

This is a moral claim because it involves a judgment about what is right or wrong, specifically regarding the fairness and justice of voting policies affecting racial minorities.

Question 9

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"You're morally required to save another person's life if you can do so without risking your own."
A) Moral claim
B) Descriptive claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

This is a moral claim because it involves a judgment about what is morally required, indicating a prescriptive or normative stance on behavior.

Question 10

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer. "Students should never cheat on an exam."
A) Moral claim
B) Descriptive claim
C) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.

Accepted Answer

This is a moral claim because it involves a judgment about what is right or wrong behavior, specifically regarding cheating on exams.

Question 11

What kind of claim is the claim below?
Pick the best answer.
"Physicians who withhold potential risks from patients undermine their community's trust in medical institutions."
A) A moral claim but not prescriptive or evaluative.
B) Moral claim
C) Descriptive claim

Accepted Answer

The answer of What kind of claim is the claim...

Question 12

What kind of argument is this?
Pick the best answer.
-Voter intimidation (intimidating someone to get them to vote for a particular candidate or to prevent them from voting) is illegal
-Impersonating an election official to falsely convince someone they don't have the right kind of ID to vote is voter intimidation
So, impersonating an election official to falsely convince someone they don't have the right kind of ID to vote is illegal.
A) An argument, but not a moral argument
B) Not an argument at all
C) A moral argument
D) A moral argument but with a descriptive conclusion

Accepted Answer

The argument is based on legal definitions and implications, not moral considerations. It concludes that a specific action is illegal based on the definition of voter intimidation.

Question 13

What kind of argument is this?
Pick the best answer.
-It is wrong to put your pets at unnecessary risk.
-Keeping lilies in a place where they are accessible to your cat is an unnecessary risk to your pet.
Thus, it is wrong to keep lilies in a place where they are accessible to your cat.
A) Not an argument at all
B) An argument, but not a moral argument
C) A moral argument
D) A moral argument but with a descriptive conclusion

Accepted Answer

This is a moral argument because it involves a normative claim about what is right or wrong regarding the treatment of pets.

Question 14

What kind of argument is this?
Pick the best answer.
-Any practice that exploits vulnerable people ought to be illegal.
-Commercial surrogacy exploits vulnerable people. So, commercial surrogacy ought to be illegal.
A) Not an argument at all
B) An argument, but not a moral argument
C) A moral argument
D) A moral argument but with a descriptive conclusion

Accepted Answer

The argument is a moral argument because it involves a normative claim about what ought to be illegal based on the premise that exploiting vulnerable people is wrong.

Question 15

What kind of argument is this?
Pick the best answer.
-Gene editing technology (like CRISPR) could one day allow us to eliminate genes for serious diseases (such as Huntington's disease, etc.).
-Eliminating genes for serious diseases would promote longer, healthier lives. Therefore, gene editing technology could one day promote longer, healthier lives.
A) An argument, but not a moral argument
B) A moral argument but with a descriptive conclusion
C) Not an argument at all
D) A moral argument

Accepted Answer

This is an argument because it presents premises leading to a conclusion. However, it is not a moral argument because it does not involve ethical judgments or values; it is a factual or descriptive argument about the potential outcomes of gene editing technology.

Question 16

What kind of argument is this?
Pick the best answer.
-People have a moral right to be able to obtain effective means of self-defense.
-Owning handguns is an effective means of self-defense. Thus, people have a moral right to own handguns.
A) A moral argument
B) A moral argument but with a descriptive conclusion
C) Not an argument at all
D) An argument, but not a moral argument

Accepted Answer

This is a moral argument because it is based on the premise of a moral right to self-defense, leading to the conclusion that people have a moral right to own handguns.

Quiz 1: Recognizing Moral Arguments

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "People tend to do what's in their best interest."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Abortion in the first and second trimesters is legal."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Physician-assisted suicide is morally wrong."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "A nurse has a moral obligation to treat patients with respect."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Genetically modified wheat is an artificial crop."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Legalizing recreational drugs creates more total pleasure in society than making those drugs illegal."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "People often make sacrifices for their friends and family."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Policies that systematically make it harder for racial minorities to vote are unjust."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "You're morally required to save another person's life if you can do so without risking your own."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Students should never cheat on an exam."

What kind of claim is the claim below? Pick the best answer. "Physicians who withhold potential risks from patients undermine their community's trust in medical institutions."

What kind of argument is this? Pick the best answer. -It is wrong to put your pets at unnecessary risk. -Keeping lilies in a place where they are accessible to your cat is an unnecessary risk to your pet. Thus, it is wrong to keep lilies in a place where they are accessible to your cat.

What kind of argument is this? Pick the best answer. -Any practice that exploits vulnerable people ought to be illegal. -Commercial surrogacy exploits vulnerable people. So, commercial surrogacy ought to be illegal.

What kind of argument is this? Pick the best answer. -People have a moral right to be able to obtain effective means of self-defense. -Owning handguns is an effective means of self-defense. Thus, people have a moral right to own handguns.