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Ethical Prescriptivism

Description: Ethical Prescriptivism Quiz
Number of Questions: 15
Created by:
Tags: ethics moral philosophy prescriptivism
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Which philosopher is considered the father of ethical prescriptivism?

  1. David Hume

  2. Immanuel Kant

  3. John Stuart Mill

  4. G.E. Moore


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

G.E. Moore is widely regarded as the father of ethical prescriptivism due to his influential work, Principia Ethica, published in 1903.

What is the central idea behind ethical prescriptivism?

  1. Moral judgments are subjective and based on personal preferences.

  2. Moral judgments are objective and based on universal principles.

  3. Moral judgments are meaningless and cannot be evaluated as true or false.

  4. Moral judgments are derived from cultural norms and social conventions.


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Ethical prescriptivism holds that moral judgments are objective statements that can be true or false and are not merely expressions of personal preferences or subjective feelings.

According to ethical prescriptivism, what is the primary function of moral language?

  1. To describe moral facts and properties.

  2. To express emotions and attitudes.

  3. To persuade others to adopt certain moral beliefs.

  4. To provide guidance for action.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Ethical prescriptivists argue that the primary purpose of moral language is to guide human action and behavior by prescribing what is morally right or wrong.

Which ethical theory is closely associated with ethical prescriptivism?

  1. Utilitarianism

  2. Deontology

  3. Virtue ethics

  4. Existentialism


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Deontology, particularly Kantian ethics, is often associated with ethical prescriptivism due to its emphasis on objective moral principles and duties.

What is the naturalistic fallacy in the context of ethical prescriptivism?

  1. Confusing moral judgments with statements of fact.

  2. Deriving moral principles from non-moral facts.

  3. Using subjective preferences to justify moral claims.

  4. Ignoring cultural and historical influences on morality.


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The naturalistic fallacy refers to the attempt to derive moral principles from non-moral facts, which ethical prescriptivists argue is a logical error.

Which philosopher famously argued against the naturalistic fallacy in his work, Principia Ethica?

  1. David Hume

  2. Immanuel Kant

  3. John Stuart Mill

  4. G.E. Moore


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

G.E. Moore, in his influential work Principia Ethica, argued against the naturalistic fallacy and defended the idea that moral properties are non-natural and cannot be reduced to non-moral facts.

What is the open-question argument against ethical prescriptivism?

  1. Moral judgments are subjective and cannot be objectively evaluated.

  2. Moral judgments are based on cultural norms and vary across societies.

  3. Moral judgments are meaningless and cannot be true or false.

  4. Moral judgments can be true or false, but there is no way to determine their truth value.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The open-question argument challenges the idea that moral judgments can be objectively true or false by arguing that there is no way to determine their truth value independently of personal preferences or subjective feelings.

Which philosopher is known for his defense of ethical prescriptivism against the open-question argument?

  1. David Hume

  2. Immanuel Kant

  3. John Stuart Mill

  4. R.M. Hare


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

R.M. Hare, in his work The Language of Morals, defended ethical prescriptivism against the open-question argument by arguing that moral judgments can be objectively evaluated based on their logical consistency and coherence.

What is the difference between ethical prescriptivism and moral relativism?

  1. Ethical prescriptivism holds that moral judgments are objective, while moral relativism holds that they are subjective.

  2. Ethical prescriptivism focuses on providing guidance for action, while moral relativism emphasizes cultural diversity in moral beliefs.

  3. Ethical prescriptivism is based on universal moral principles, while moral relativism is based on cultural norms and values.

  4. Ethical prescriptivism is concerned with the truth or falsity of moral judgments, while moral relativism is concerned with their validity in different contexts.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Ethical prescriptivism and moral relativism are contrasting ethical theories. Ethical prescriptivism asserts that moral judgments are objective and based on universal principles, while moral relativism maintains that moral judgments are subjective and vary across cultures and individuals.

Which ethical theory emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and duties, regardless of the consequences?

  1. Utilitarianism

  2. Deontology

  3. Virtue ethics

  4. Existentialism


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Deontology, particularly Kantian ethics, emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and duties, regardless of the consequences. It holds that moral actions are those that are done out of respect for moral principles, rather than for the sake of achieving a desired outcome.

What is the main criticism of ethical prescriptivism?

  1. It is too abstract and divorced from real-world moral problems.

  2. It fails to provide a convincing explanation for the objectivity of moral values.

  3. It ignores the role of emotions and personal experiences in moral decision-making.

  4. It is too rigid and does not allow for flexibility in moral judgments.


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

One of the main criticisms of ethical prescriptivism is that it fails to provide a satisfactory explanation for how moral values can be objective and universally binding, given that they are not derived from empirical facts or logical reasoning.

Which philosopher argued that moral judgments are expressions of emotions rather than statements of fact?

  1. David Hume

  2. Immanuel Kant

  3. John Stuart Mill

  4. David emotivism


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

David emotivism, associated with philosophers such as A.J. Ayer and C.L. Stevenson, argues that moral judgments are expressions of emotions or attitudes rather than statements of fact. They hold that moral language is primarily used to express feelings of approval or disapproval, rather than to convey objective truths.

What is the difference between ethical prescriptivism and metaethics?

  1. Ethical prescriptivism focuses on providing guidance for action, while metaethics examines the nature and meaning of moral language.

  2. Ethical prescriptivism is concerned with the truth or falsity of moral judgments, while metaethics is concerned with their validity and justification.

  3. Ethical prescriptivism is based on universal moral principles, while metaethics is based on cultural norms and values.

  4. Ethical prescriptivism emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and duties, while metaethics focuses on the role of emotions and personal experiences in moral decision-making.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Ethical prescriptivism is concerned with providing guidance for action by prescribing what is morally right or wrong, while metaethics examines the nature and meaning of moral language, including questions about the objectivity of moral values, the relationship between moral judgments and facts, and the role of emotions and reason in moral decision-making.

Which philosopher argued that moral judgments are based on intuition rather than reason?

  1. David Hume

  2. Immanuel Kant

  3. John Stuart Mill

  4. W.D. Ross


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

W.D. Ross, a prominent intuitionist philosopher, argued that moral judgments are based on self-evident moral intuitions rather than reason or logical argumentation. He held that certain moral principles, such as the duty to keep promises or to avoid harming others, are known through intuition and do not require further justification.

What is the difference between ethical prescriptivism and consequentialism?

  1. Ethical prescriptivism focuses on providing guidance for action, while consequentialism emphasizes the importance of consequences in moral decision-making.

  2. Ethical prescriptivism is concerned with the truth or falsity of moral judgments, while consequentialism is concerned with their validity and justification.

  3. Ethical prescriptivism is based on universal moral principles, while consequentialism is based on cultural norms and values.

  4. Ethical prescriptivism emphasizes the importance of following moral rules and duties, while consequentialism focuses on the role of emotions and personal experiences in moral decision-making.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Ethical prescriptivism is primarily concerned with providing guidance for action by prescribing what is morally right or wrong, while consequentialism emphasizes the importance of considering the consequences of actions in moral decision-making. Consequentialist theories, such as utilitarianism, judge the morality of actions based on their overall consequences, rather than on adherence to moral rules or principles.

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