Study Questions for Ethics Summer 2007
From Alfino
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- 1 May 21
- 1.1 What is the difference between 1st person and 3rd person ethical issues? Give an example. Can an issue be both?
- 1.2 Identify some standard ethical theories.
- 1.3 What is descriptive relativism? What are cultural universals? Does it follow from the fact that moral values difference among individuals and cultures that there can be no universals?
- 1.4 Assuming that descriptive relativism is true, does it follow that there are no grounds for discussion and persuasion about moral values? If so, why? If not, why not?
- 2 May 22
- 2.1 What is female genital mutilation and why is it practiced?
- 2.2 What are some of the ways (4) that we can be wrong about values?
- 2.3 If we disagree with someoneàs basic account of the human good or of their account of reality (upon which they base their ethics), how can moral conversation proceed?
- 3 May 23
- 4 May 23
May 21
What is the difference between 1st person and 3rd person ethical issues? Give an example. Can an issue be both?
<your answer here> -Alfino
3rd Person issue: A general ethics topic that involves others rather than your yourself. It can either be a group (they) or another person (he or she).
Example: Where does the United States governemnt stand on the issue of genetic engineering?
1st Person issue: An ethics topic that specifically involves yourself.
Example: Can I cheat on my math exam?
Example of where an issue can be both: A third person issue like "Is under-age drinking okay?" could turn into a first person issue by asking myself where do I stand on under-age drinking. I could ask myself, "Can I drink alcohol eventhough I am not 21?"
