Aristotle's Ethics:
1. What is the doctrine of the mean?
Give an example of how it "works".
2. What is the function of a human
being?
What is the goal of a human being?
3. How is the concept and existence of
community relevant to Aristotle's ethical theory?
4. What is the ultimate good, and how does
Aristotle define it?
5. What is 'virtue'?
6. How are virtue and vice defined?
7. What are the four major requirements
of 'right' action in Aristotle's ethics?
8. Be able to explain the distinction
between
voluntary, involunary and mixed actions.
Kantian Ethics:
1. What is the ultimate principle or rule
of morality in Kant's ethical theory?
2. Why is that rule or principle an
ultimate
rule?
3. What are the two (there are actually
three, but we are dealing only with the first two) formulations of the
Categorical Imperative? What do they mean? How do they apply
to Kant's own examples of the lying promise, suicide, developing talents,
and the duty we have to be beneficent? What about other examples
that you might derive for yourself?
4. What does it mean to say that Kant's
ethical theory is deontological? What does it mean to say that
Mill's
ethical theory is teleological?
5. What is duty, according to Kant?
6. What is the only thing good without
qualification? Why is this the case?
7. What is the difference between a
categorical
imperative and a hypothetical imperative, and why is it that Kant claims
that the hypothetical imperative cannot serve as the foundation of a true
moral system?
8. How does Kant justify the claim that
nature intended reason to be the ruler of the will?
Utilitarian Ethics:
1. What is the ultimate principle of
morality
for Utilitarian ethical theory? How is it expressed?
2. What is happiness? How and why
does Mill distinguish between higher and lower pleasures?
3. What is it, from Kantian moral theory,
that makes Mill's principle of morality a "hypothetical
imperative"?
4. What are the major objections to
Utilitarianism
and how does Mill respond to them?
5. How does Mill attempt to prove or
justify
the principle of utility?
Nietzsche:
1. What is the distinction between "good"
and "bad" and "good" and "evil"? How does this relate to the
concepts
of 'master morality' and 'slave morality'?
2. What, for Nietzsche, is the problem
with a principle of morality that reduces everyone to equality, and
concentrates
on avoiding injury, violence, and exploitation?
3. What does it mean to say that life is
a "will to power"?