Deck 5: Absolutism Versus Relativism

Question 1

Who stated the "naturalistic fallacy" in ethics?

A)John Hospers
B)Aristotle
C)G.E.Moore
D)J.S.Mill

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A problem with absolutes is what to do when they conflict.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

There is only one type of moral proposition.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Exceptions to absolutes must

A)be carefully concealed.
B)not exist.
C)be fully justified.
D)not be contemplated.

Question 5

One problem with relativism, according to the author of the text, is that it does not enable us to be critical.

Question 6

An example of a moral proposition is

A)"I feel sick."
B)"You should not treat people badly."
C)"Nothing can be both A and not A."
D)"Her hair is brown."

Question 7

Relativism is the belief that morality is relative to time, place, situation, people, culture, etc.

Question 8

A "near absolute" means almost moral but not quite.

Question 9

Because a view in one culture is different from another does not mean that either view is right or wrong.

Question 10

The greatest problem in the absolutism/relativism debate is how to introduce

A)courage and honesty.
B)freedom and liberty.
C)stability and creativity.
D)reason and evidence.

Question 11

Emotivism is the view that moral statements have only noncognitive meaning.

Question 12

Relativists hold that morals are relative to

A)culture.
B)individuals.
C)situations.
D)all of the above.

Question 13

All anthropologists are cultural absolutists.

Question 14

The theory of emotivism states that

A)all emotions in morals are bad.
B)emotions in morality must be balanced with reason.
C)moral propositions only express feelings.
D)we should get back in touch with our emotions.

Question 15

Who claims that some empirical propositions are absolutely true or false?

A)Jacques Derrida
B)Norman Malcolm
C)Marquis de Sade
D)Adolf Hitler

Question 16

According to the author of the text, truth is relativistic.

Question 17

The problem of "getting an ought from an is" means

A)what you should do is determined by how you feel.
B)what you ought to do is often very difficult.
C)what people should do has no necessary connection to what they actually do.
D)what people like to do is actually what they in fact do.

Question 18

Similar moral principles exist in all societies is a view supported by

A)relativists.
B)absolutists.
C)colonialists.
D)deconstructionists.

Question 19

Who says that there are moral "near or almost absolutes" that form the basic principles of moral life?

A)Thiroux
B)Hospers
C)Kant
D)Sting

Question 20

According to the author of the text, moral propositions are analytic propositions.