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Test: The Ethics of Duty and the Good

1. The Ethics of Duty
   
   
   Directions: Clearly explain the following concepts or principles and give an example of each concept.
   
   
   1. The categorical imperative
      
      
   2. The practical imperative
      
      
   3. Action in accordance with duty and action performed for the sake of duty
      
      
2. The Good
   
   
   Directions: Answer any ten of the following question as clearly as possible on a separate sheet of paper. Give an example for each question. Brevity is the soul of misstatement.
   
   
   1. Why isn't morality a sufficient condition for happiness?
      
      
   2. What is the difference between justification and rationalization?
      
      
   3. What is the hedonistic paradox?
      
      
   4. What is the difference between contentment and satisfaction?
      
      
   5. What is the hedonistic calculus and what is Mill's objection?
      
      
   6. What is the difference between self-realization and happiness?
      
      
   7. Clarify the concept of "higher" versus "lower" pleasures. In which class do you think the following would be included and why: studying for an ethics exam, charting ideals for your life, getting a good night's sleep before the exam.
      
      
   8. What criterion other than pleasure itself could distinguish between higher and lower pleasures?
      
      
   9. State and explain three objections to simple hedonism.
      
      
   10. Is knowledge of ethics intrinsically good or instrumentally good? Explain.
       
       
   11. What is the difference between the concepts of ends and means and the concepts of instrumental and intrinsic?
       
       
   12. What is the hedonistic paradox? Explain.
       
       
   13. Is the happiness of a drugged state as intrinsically good as the state of a happy and productive person? Explain.
       
       
   14. What is value pluralism? What kinds of intrinsic good might there be? Which ones ought to be sought for their own sake?
       
       
   15. Did Kent Bach miss something when he wrote the following?
       
       
       "Right at this moment I see outside my window an old man tending his garden. Now his wife has joined him. They spend much time caring for their ephemeral flowers. Ignoring the beauty they sense, I am struck by the utter futility of their efforts. Their flowers bloom briefly, soon to wither away."