Question 1

Kant examines different formulations of the categorical imperative to determine which one is correct.

Accepted Answer

Kant does not examine different formulations of the categorical imperative to determine which one is correct; rather, he presents different formulations as various ways of expressing the same fundamental moral principle, believing them to be equivalent at their core.

Question 2

What is the only thing that is "good without qualification," according to Kant? Why? What does it mean for something to be "good without qualification"?

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Question 3

In your own words, explain the difference between hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives. How are these different kinds of imperatives related to the moral law?

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Question 4

In your own words, explain the Formula of Universal Law version of the categorical imperative.

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Briefly describe the four examples that Kant uses to illustrate the different versions of the categorical imperative. Pick one formulation of the categorical imperative and explain how it applies in each of those four examples.

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Question 6

What is the difference between Kant's Formula of the Universal Law and the idea that you shouldn't do something if you wouldn't like it if everyone did that?

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Question 7

Why, according to Kant, are rational beings ends in themselves?

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Question 8

In your own words, explain the Formula of Humanity version of the categorical imperative.

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

In your own words, explain the idea of the kingdom of ends. What does it have to do with the categorical imperative?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

What is the difference between something's having a price and something's having a dignity, according to Kant? What has dignity?

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Question 11

Kant says that there is only one categorical imperative, but then seems to present several different categorical imperatives. What is the relationship between these seemingly different categorical imperatives?

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Question 12

Which of the following best captures the basic question that Thomson is trying to answer in "A Defense of Abortion"?
A) Is a human fetus a person?
B) At which stage in development does a fetus become a person?
C) If a fetus is a person, does it follow that abortion is morally wrong?
D) What are the right criteria for personhood?

Accepted Answer

Thomson's central question in "A Defense of Abortion" is whether the personhood of a fetus necessarily entails that abortion is immoral. She explores various scenarios to argue that even if a fetus is granted personhood, abortion could still be morally permissible under certain circumstances.

Question 13

Thomson's main conclusion in "A Defense of Abortion" is:
A) Abortion ought to be legal because banning it would produce more harms.
B) Even if we grant that a fetus is a person with the right to life, some abortions are still morally permissible.
C) A fetus is not a person and therefore lacks the right to life.
D) An adult human being's right to life is of greater value than a fetus's right to life.

Accepted Answer

Thomson's argument in "A Defense of Abortion" is notable for granting the premise that a fetus has a right to life but still arguing that this does not automatically make all abortions impermissible. She uses various thought experiments, including the famous "Violinist" scenario, to illustrate situations where abortion could be morally permissible even if the fetus is considered a person with a right to life.

Question 14

What role does the claim that a fetus is a person with the right to life play in Thomson's paper?
A) Thomson argues for the claim.
B) Thomson argues against the claim.
C) Thomson uses the claim as a premise to argue that abortion is morally wrong.
D) Thomson argues that the claim does not entail that abortion is morally wrong.

Accepted Answer

Thomson assumes the claim that a fetus is a person with the right to life for the sake of argument but then argues that even if this claim is accepted, it does not necessarily entail that abortion is morally wrong. She uses thought experiments, such as the famous violinist scenario, to illustrate situations where one might have the right to life but not the right to use another person's body to sustain that life.

Question 15

Why does Thomson discuss opponents of abortion, who argue that since the fetus is a person with the right to life, and since abortion is a violation of that right, abortion is impermissible?
A) Thomson argues that a fetus is not a person.
B) Thomson argues that a fetus is a person.
C) Thomson argues that the fetus lacks the right to life.
D) Thomson argues that abortion does not necessarily violate the right to life.

Accepted Answer

Thomson discusses this argument to challenge the assumption that abortion necessarily violates the fetus's right to life, using thought experiments to show that even if the fetus has a right to life, it does not automatically entail that abortion is impermissible.

Question 16

Which of the following best captures Thomson's argument that abortion is sometimes morally permissible?
A) A fetus is not a person; so, it doesn't have the right to life.
B) Justly killing a fetus does not violate its right to life, and some abortions are cases of just killing.
C) A fetus is only a potential person; so, its right to life is of lesser worth than an adult human's rights.
D) A Good Samaritan would not actually sacrifice his or her freedom for the famous violinist; so, someone can meet the standard set by the Good Samaritan while having an abortion.

Accepted Answer

Thomson's argument, as presented in her famous violinist analogy, suggests that there are circumstances under which abortion is morally permissible, not because the fetus lacks a right to life, but because its right to life does not always obligate the mother to carry the pregnancy to term. This is akin to the idea that one can justly end a life in certain situations without violating the right to life, such as in self-defense or in the case of the violinist, where you are not obligated to use your body to keep another person alive.

Question 17

Of the following definitions, which most accurately defines Thomson's notion of the right to life?
A) The right to not be killed wrongfully.
B) The right to not be killed.
C) The right to defend oneself from lethal threats.
D) The right to live one's life according to one's own values.

Accepted Answer

Thomson's notion of the right to life is most accurately defined as the right not to be killed wrongfully. This emphasizes the moral and ethical considerations in determining whether an act of killing is justified or not, rather than an absolute prohibition against killing or a broader interpretation of living freely or self-defense.

Question 18

Which of the following is the best example of a kind of case most similar to Thomson's famous violinist case?
A) A dangerous pregnancy in which the mother's life is at risk.
B) A pregnancy that results from failed contraception in consensual sex.
C) A dangerous pregnancy in which the mother's health is at risk.
D) A pregnancy resulting from rape.

Accepted Answer

Thomson's famous violinist case is a thought experiment used to explore the ethics of abortion, particularly in cases where the pregnancy results from an act of rape. The scenario involves you being kidnapped and forcibly connected to a famous unconscious violinist to keep him alive, drawing a parallel to a pregnancy resulting from rape, where the woman did not consent to the conditions leading to her pregnancy.

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of an indecent abortion, according to Thomson?
A) Aborting a fetus that results from rape.
B) Aborting a fetus that poses a threat to the mother's life.
C) Aborting a fetus that poses a threat to the mother's health and well-being.
D) Aborting a fetus that would prevent the mother's planned trip abroad.

Accepted Answer

According to Thomson, an example of an indecent abortion would be one carried out for relatively trivial reasons, such as aborting a fetus to prevent the mother's planned trip abroad, which does not involve significant threats to the mother's life, health, or well-being.

Question 20

Which of the following does NOT, according to Thompson, follow from the fetus being a person?
A) The fetus has the right to life.
B) The fetus has the same rights as other persons.
C) It would be wrong to kill the fetus.
D) A Good Samaritan would make sacrifices for the fetus's welfare.

Accepted Answer

Thompson argues that even if the fetus is considered a person with a right to life, it does not automatically follow that it is wrong to kill the fetus, as there may be other moral considerations or rights involved, such as the mother's right to bodily autonomy.

Quiz 13: Aristotle's Ethics: Exploring Virtue and Justice

Kant examines different formulations of the categorical imperative to determine which one is correct.

What is the only thing that is "good without qualification," according to Kant? Why? What does it mean for something to be "good without qualification"?

In your own words, explain the difference between hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives. How are these different kinds of imperatives related to the moral law?

In your own words, explain the Formula of Universal Law version of the categorical imperative.

Briefly describe the four examples that Kant uses to illustrate the different versions of the categorical imperative. Pick one formulation of the categorical imperative and explain how it applies in each of those four examples.

What is the difference between Kant's Formula of the Universal Law and the idea that you shouldn't do something if you wouldn't like it if everyone did that?

Why, according to Kant, are rational beings ends in themselves?

In your own words, explain the Formula of Humanity version of the categorical imperative.

In your own words, explain the idea of the kingdom of ends. What does it have to do with the categorical imperative?

What is the difference between something's having a price and something's having a dignity, according to Kant? What has dignity?

Kant says that there is only one categorical imperative, but then seems to present several different categorical imperatives. What is the relationship between these seemingly different categorical imperatives?

Which of the following best captures the basic question that Thomson is trying to answer in "A Defense of Abortion"?

Thomson's main conclusion in "A Defense of Abortion" is:

What role does the claim that a fetus is a person with the right to life play in Thomson's paper?

Why does Thomson discuss opponents of abortion, who argue that since the fetus is a person with the right to life, and since abortion is a violation of that right, abortion is impermissible?

Which of the following best captures Thomson's argument that abortion is sometimes morally permissible?

Of the following definitions, which most accurately defines Thomson's notion of the right to life?

Which of the following is the best example of a kind of case most similar to Thomson's famous violinist case?

Which of the following is an example of an indecent abortion, according to Thomson?

Which of the following does NOT, according to Thompson, follow from the fetus being a person?