Question 1

Research shows that sex before marriage is almost universal among Americans.

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that the vast majority of Americans have sex before marriage, with studies suggesting that about 95% of Americans have premarital sex.

Question 2

In a recent public opinion poll, ________ percent of respondents said they believe that it is morally acceptable for a man and woman to have sex before marriage.

Accepted Answer

Without specific details from a recent poll, it's impossible to accurately determine the current public opinion on this matter. However, societal norms and attitudes towards premarital sex have generally become more liberal over time in many parts of the world. Thus, a figure like 66 percent could plausibly reflect a more contemporary and liberal viewpoint on the morality of premarital sex, compared to the lower percentages which might have been more reflective of public opinion in earlier, more conservative times.

Question 3

According to the Roman Catholic version of natural law theory, sexual activity inconsistent with procreation is prohibited. An example of such forbidden behavior is frequent sex between a man and a woman married to each other.

Accepted Answer

The Roman Catholic version of natural law theory does not prohibit frequent sex between a man and a woman married to each other, as long as it is open to the possibility of procreation and occurs within the bounds of marriage.

Question 4

The central question in the morality of sex is,

Accepted Answer

The central question in the morality of sex revolves around determining which sexual behaviors are considered morally acceptable and the specific conditions under which they are deemed so. This involves ethical considerations and judgments about sexual conduct.

Question 5

The terms "rape" and "sexual assault" are synonymous with one another and can be used interchangeably.

Accepted Answer

"Rape" specifically refers to a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. "Sexual assault" is a broader term that encompasses a wide range of non-consensual sexual acts, including but not limited to rape.

Question 6

Moral questions surface about sexual assaults on college campuses having primarily to do with (1) whether and how justice is served after a sexual assault occurs, and (2) whether the requirement of consent is met in any kind of sexual encounter.

Accepted Answer

Moral questions about sexual assaults on college campuses indeed revolve around issues of justice and the requirement of consent, focusing on how justice is served post-assault and ensuring that all sexual encounters are consensual.

Question 7

The notion that as long as basic moral standards are respected, any sexual activity engaged in by informed, consenting adults is permissible is known as the ________ view.

Accepted Answer

The liberal view on sexual ethics posits that sexual activities between informed, consenting adults are permissible as long as they do not violate basic moral standards, emphasizing autonomy and consent.

Question 8

An unmarried man and woman have frequent sex and engage in activities that most of society would label unconventional, unnatural, and deviant. Their sexual behavior results in the greatest net good for all concerned. A utilitarian would therefore say that their sexual activities are

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism judges the morality of an action based on its outcomes, specifically whether it maximizes happiness or the greatest good for the greatest number. Since the scenario states that their sexual behavior results in the greatest net good for all concerned, a utilitarian would consider their activities permissible, regardless of societal labels.

Question 9

Suppose a married couple openly engages in consensual extramarital sexual activity with other people. According to Thomas Mappes's Kantian view of sexuality, the sexual behavior of this couple would be

Accepted Answer

According to Thomas Mappes's Kantian view, sexual activity is permissible as long as it involves mutual consent and respect for each person's autonomy. Since the couple engages in consensual extramarital activity, it aligns with these principles.

Question 10

A 2008 study showed that teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence, and they are significantly less likely to use condoms and other forms of birth control when they do. If we assume that the goal of such pledges is to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, what would a utilitarian determine should be done?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism focuses on the outcomes of actions, aiming to maximize overall happiness and minimize suffering. If pledges lead to a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies due to less use of birth control, a utilitarian would likely argue against them because they do not achieve the intended goal of reducing unplanned pregnancies and may increase harm.

Question 11

The conventionalist and the liberal take opposing views on the moral permissibility of

Accepted Answer

The conventionalist and the liberal typically take opposing views on the moral permissibility of homosexuality, with conventionalists often adhering to traditional norms that may reject homosexuality, while liberals advocate for individual rights and freedoms, including the right to love and marry regardless of gender.

Question 12

The moderate view says that sex is morally acceptable only between one man and one woman who are married to each other by legal authority.

Accepted Answer

The moderate view typically allows for moral acceptability of sex under broader conditions than strictly between a married man and woman, often including considerations of consent, love, or commitment without necessarily requiring marriage or heterosexuality.

Question 13

Alan Goldman says that the conventional view of sexuality is that sexual behavior must have a morally significant goal, such as procreation. But he argues that

Accepted Answer

Alan Goldman argues that sex is not a means to some other goal, challenging the conventional view that sexual behavior must have a morally significant goal.

Question 14

Many human activities are statistically out of the norm (such as skydiving and eating snails), and for that reason they are sometimes deemed unnatural. From this fact it follows that unnatural activities are

Accepted Answer

Just because an activity is statistically out of the norm or deemed unnatural does not inherently make it immoral. Morality is a separate consideration from statistical normality or naturalness.

Question 15

Many who argue against homosexuality appeal to an idea that is central to natural law theory-mainly that

Accepted Answer

Natural law theory posits that moral standards and guidelines for human behavior can be derived from the natural world. It suggests that there is an inherent order or purpose to the universe, and part of understanding morality involves aligning human actions with this natural order. Therefore, when arguing against homosexuality, proponents of natural law theory often claim that it goes against the 'natural' order or purpose of human sexuality and reproduction, as observed in nature. This is encapsulated in choice D, which states that "the way nature is tells us how humans ought to be," reflecting the core principle of natural law theory that moral imperatives can be deduced from the natural state of the world.

Question 16

Kissing someone without first obtaining consent is an example of

Accepted Answer

Kissing someone without their consent falls under the category of sexual assault, as it involves non-consensual physical contact of a sexual nature. Rape, on the other hand, specifically refers to non-consensual sexual intercourse.

Question 17

One conventionalist argument asserts that homosexuality's misuse of bodily parts leads to

Accepted Answer

The conventionalist argument suggests that using bodily parts in ways not intended by nature leads to unhappiness, as it is believed to go against natural purposes and thus results in dissatisfaction.

Question 18

According to Alan Goldman, sexual desire is desire for contact with another person's body and for the pleasure that such contact produces.

Accepted Answer

Alan Goldman proposes that sexual desire is fundamentally about the desire for physical contact with another person's body and the pleasure that results from such contact, focusing on the physical and experiential aspects of sexuality.

Question 19

Alan Goldman and Igor Primoratz affirm that sexual behavior

Accepted Answer

Alan Goldman and Igor Primoratz argue that sexual behavior cannot be deemed immoral simply because it is sexual. They believe that the morality of sexual acts should be judged based on broader ethical principles rather than the sexual nature of the acts themselves.

Question 20

Biologists report that homosexual behavior among nonhuman animals is

Accepted Answer

Homosexual behavior has been observed in many nonhuman animal species, indicating that it is widespread rather than rare, nonexistent, or limited to primates.

Quiz 15: Sexual Morality