Review Questions

These review questions are designed to test your understanding of the topics discussed in each chapter. They are a useful way of assessing what you have learned about and from the issues raised.

Moral Absolutism and Moral Relativism

  1. In ten bullet points explain what is meant by cultural relativism, including the difference between the diversity thesis and the dependency thesis.
  2. List the main weaknesses of relativism.
  3. What is the historical background to Situation Ethics?
  4. List the principles on which Situation Ethics is based.
  5. List the strengths of absolutism.

Natural Moral Law

  1. Where did Natural Moral Law come from?
  2. What did Aquinas see as the purpose of human beings?
  3. How do we discover the primary and secondary precepts and what are they?
  4. Make a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of Natural Moral Law.

Kant

  1. What did Kant mean by ‘good will’?
  2. Why is duty important to Kant?
  3. Spider diagram or mind map the categorical imperative, with examples.
  4. Make a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of Kantian ethics.

Utilitarianism

  1. Explain the main principle of Utilitarianism.
  2. Explain the Utilitarianism of Bentham.
  3. Explain the Utilitarianism of Mill.
  4. Explain the differences between Act and Rule Utilitarianism.
  5. Add more detail to the diagram:

 

Religious Ethics – Christian Ethics

  1. Explain the Euthyphro dilemma and how it can be used to criticise Divine Command theory.
  2. Is Christian ethics absolute, relative or both? Give your reasons.
  3. Is Christian ethics communitarian or individualistic? Give clear explanations.
  4. Explain the different approaches of Natural Law and Situation ethics.
  5. Can Christian ethics be considered utilitarian?

Medical Ethics 1 – Abortion and the Right to a Child

  1. Explain the importance of the question ‘When does life begin?’.
  2. What is meant by the idea of the sanctity of life and what Bible teachings would you use to explain the sanctity of life?
  3. Is the sanctity of life a convincing argument against abortion or the right to a child? Explain your reasons.
  4. Make a chart applying ethical theories to abortion.
  5. Explain whether you think a child is a right or a gift. Give reasons.
  6. List the main ethical problems raised by IVF.
  7. Make a chart applying ethical theories to the right to a child.

Medical Ethics 2 – Euthanasia and the Right to Life

    1. Explain the link between euthanasia and the sanctity of life.
    2. Explain the link between euthanasia and the quality of life.
  2. What is the difference between killing and letting die? Does it matter?
  3. What are QUALYS?
  4. Make a chart applying the different ethical theories to euthanasia.

 

Medical Ethics 3 – Genetic Engineering and Embryo Research

  1. Explain the differences between therapeutic and reproductive cloning.
  2. How could genetic engineering be used to alleviate world hunger? What are the problems with this?
  3. Explain the difference between adult and foetal stem cells – why is this important ethically?
  4. Take a current newspaper article about any form of genetic engineering or foetal research. Stick it on a piece of A3 paper and write brief notes around it on how different ethical theories would approach the issue.
  5. List some of the ethical problems with genetic engineering and foetal research.

War and Peace

  1. Make brief bullet point notes on each of the following:
    • Jus ad bellum
    • Jus in bello
    • Jus post bellum
  2. Make a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of Just War theory.
  3. Explain Realism as an approach to war in one short paragraph.
  4. List the different types of pacifism and write one or two sentences explaining each.
  5. Make a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of pacifism.

 

Meta-ethics – The Language of Ethics

  1. What is meant by the word meta-ethics?
  2. Explain one cognitive theory of meta-ethics.
  3. Explain the views of G.E. Moore.
  4. Explain Ross’s intuitionism.
  5. Explain one non-cognitive theory of meta-ethics.
  6. Explain emotivism.
  7. What is prescriptivism?
  8. Complete the meta-ethics mind map from memory.

Virtue Ethics

  1. Where did Virtue Ethics originate?
  2. What is the difference between Virtue Ethics and other normative ethical theories?
  3. Explain Aristotle’s idea of the Golden Mean.
  4. How did Aristotle say we acquired virtues?
  5. How can Virtue Ethics help us in moral dilemmas?
  6. Make a chart of the strengths and weaknesses of Virtue Ethics.

 

Free Will and Determinism

  1. Explain the roles of science, society and psychology in determinism.
  2. Copy and complete the following revision chart on A3 paper:

Theory

Key scholars

Key ideas

Strengths

Weaknesses

Possible quotations

Hard determinism

 

 

 

 

 

Predestination

 

 

 

 

 

Soft determinism

 

 

 

 

 

Libertarianism

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conscience

  1. Here are the four questions posed at the beginning of the chapter:
    • What is conscience?
    • Where does conscience come from?
    • Is conscience innate or acquired?
    • What is its function in ethical decision-making?
    Make brief notes on each of these questions, including the approaches of different philosophers. Mind-mapping would be a good technique to use for this question.
  2. Make brief bullet point notes on Freud’s approach to conscience.
  3. Pick one opposing view to that of Freud and make bullet point notes.
  4. List the weaknesses in the statement ‘Conscience is the voice of God’.

Environmental and Business Ethics

  1. Explain religious approaches to the environment and Singer’s objections.
  2. Make bullet point notes on the Gaia hypothesis. List reasons for and against it.
  3. Make a chart comparing deep (dark green) and shallow (light green) ecology.
  4. List the strengths and weaknesses of a utilitarian approach to the environment.
  5. Explain how consumers can influence business ethics.
  6. Why is environmental responsibility a good business strategy?
  7. List the benefits and the problems of ethics for businesses.
  8. List the strengths and weaknesses of a Utilitarian approach to business ethics.
  9. How does Kant think business can help world peace?

 

Sexual Ethics

  1. What does the Old Testament say about sex and relationships?
  2. What does the New Testament say about sex and relationships?
  3. Why/how did sex become linked with procreation?
  4. List the strengths and weaknesses of a utilitarian approach to sex and relationships.