Philosophy Pursues Truths that Cannot Be Determined Via Empirical Observation MCQs
Which of the following statements reflects conventionalism?
- a.)Torture is acceptable because we’ve been doing it here for many years.
- b.)Stealing is always permissible.
- c.)Jaywalking is never morally acceptable.
- d.)Getting intoxicated is okay for some people but not for others.
Which of the following statements reflects objectivism?
- a.)Lorraine believes that murder is wrong, regardless of a person’s culture.
- b.)Lorraine believes that jaywalking can be permissible if a person is in a hurry.
- c.)Lorraine believes that it’s permissible for her to cheat on tests, but she holds her classmates to a higher standard.
- d.)Lorraine believes that right and wrong are determined by law and societal custom.
Which of the following statements reflects relativism?
- a.)Jesse thinks that right is whatever a person feels comfortable doing.
- b.)Jesse thinks arson is never morally permissible.
- c.)Jesse thinks there is an objective moral truth.
- d.)Jesse thinks children have a moral obligation to care for their aging parents.
Dave and Margaret have hosted Thanksgiving dinner every year for two decades. Despite their family’s protests, they’ve decided not to host this year.
Their decision is likely an example of a(n) __________ action.
- a.)impermissible
- b.)neutral
- c.)obligatory
- d.)supererogatory
Most academic institutions have severe penalties for students who attempt to pass off another’s work as their own.
Such academic dishonesty is thus generally considered to be a(n) __________ action.
- a.)impermissible
- b.)neutral
- c.)obligatory
- d.)supererogatory
Jason sees a neighbor collapse from a heart attack on her front lawn.
Which of the following decisions would likely constitute an obligatory action in that moment?
- a.)Jason minds his own business.
- b.)Jason calls his realtor to discuss buying his neighbor’s home.
- c.)Jason has his son call 911 while he begins CPR.
- d.)Jason captures video of the incident, adds a laugh track, and sends it to his friends.
Which of the following statements is an example of descriptive ethics?
- a.)Punching is acceptable behavior in a boxing match.
- b.)It is morally wrong to wear ugly Christmas sweaters in April.
- c.)One ethical theory cannot be objectively better than another.
- d.)Most people agree that bringing their pet bulls into china shops is morally wrong.
Which of the following questions is an example of normative ethics?
- a.)How can philosophy make the world a better place?
- b.)What percentage of Americans support a war with Canada?
- c.)What obligation do children have to their aging parents?
- d.)How can one thing be right and another wrong?
Hank creates a concept map to compare how Kantian deontology and virtue-based ethics evaluate eating meat.
This is an example of which branch of ethics?
- a.)Descriptive ethics
- b.)Metaethics
- c.)Applied ethics
- d.)Normative ethics
Which of the following considerations is ethically relevant to a person buying coffee?
- a.)Am I out of coffee?
- b.)How long have the coffee beans been on the shelf?
- c.)Is the coffee on sale?
- d.)Were the farmers fairly compensated?
Which of the following is an ethical consideration for an employee who uses the work printer for personal projects?
- a.)What do other employees think about this behavior?
- b.)Does management know about this behavior?
- c.)Do other employees use the work printer for personal projects?
- d.)Does management approve of this behavior?
Which of the following considerations is ethically relevant to a person who won the lottery?
- a.)Should I buy my dream home or my dream car first?
- b.)Should I donate part of my winnings to charity?
- c.)Should I buy another ticket?
- d.)Should I hire a lawyer to collect the winnings?
Ethical topics are often closely related to issues of law, etiquette, or religion.
Which of the following is an issue of etiquette?
- a.)My mother taught me to never take the Lord’s name in vain.
- b.)It’s considered bad manners to burp at the dinner table.
- c.)Irving stops his car at the crosswalk to allow pedestrians to cross.
- d.)I don’t eat meat because I am against animal cruelty.
Ethical topics are often closely related to issues of law, etiquette, or religion.
Which of the following is an issue of law?
- a.)Landlord Hank installs working smoke detectors in all of his properties.
- b.)Gene wears a yarmulke or skullcap in public.
- c.)Marcus breaks up with his girlfriend via text message.
- d.)The Rivera family goes to church every Sunday.
Ethical topics are often closely related to issues of law, etiquette, or religion.
Which of the following is an issue of law?
- a.)Some states forbid the sale of alcohol on Sundays.
- b.)Ellen wears a black dress to her friend’s funeral.
- c.)Ruth always capitalizes “He” when referring to God.
- d.)Timothy knows it’s wrong to lie to his father.
Which of the following statements is true of ethics?
- a.)Professional and personal interactions depend on ethical behavior.
- b.)Ethical truths necessarily differ from person to person and culture to culture.
- c.)Objectivity cannot be achieved in ethical thought.
- d.)The pursuit of ethics often leads to self-interested results.
Which of the following statements is true of ethics?
- a.)Ethics seeks truths that must be determined by science.
- b.)Ethics is about determining what is moral and what is immoral.
- c.)The study of ethics combines psychology and philosophy.
- d.)Ethics uses argument and logic to make judgments of people’s beliefs.
Which of the following statements is true of ethics?
- a.)Ethics determines how we best learn.
- b.)Ethics sets rules for rational thought.
- c.)Ethics supplies evidence for philosophical inquiry.
- d.)Ethics seeks to define the good and the bad.
An argument is weak, but the premises and conclusion are all true.
Which of the following terms best describes the argument?
- a.)Sound
- b.)Uncogent
- c.)Unsound
- d.)Cogent
An argument is valid, but one of its premises is false.
Which of the following terms best describes the argument?
- a.)Unsound
- b.)Uncogent
- c.)Sound
- d.)Cogent
An argument is strong and the premises are all true.
Which of the following terms best describes the argument?
- a.)Cogent
- b.)Unsound
- c.)Uncogent
- d.)Sound
Everyone named Bethany has exquisite taste in furniture. My sister’s name is Bethany. My sister therefore has exquisite taste in furniture.
Which type of argument is this?
- a.)Valid deductive
- b.)Invalid deductive
- c.)Weak inductive
- d.)Strong inductive
Which of the following is a strong inductive argument?
- a.)Mike is a Minnesota Vikings fan. Vikings fans are used to disappointment. Therefore Mike is used to disappointment.
- b.)Every manager at my company is named either Carla or Frank. My sister Carla works at my company and is therefore a manager.
- c.)Chloe is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Some Eagles fans made the news for behaving poorly after the 2017 Super Bowl. Chloe must have also behaved poorly after the 2017 Super Bowl.
- d.)Matt is into 1980s hip-hop. Run DMC is one of the most popular hip-hop groups from the 1980s. Therefore Matt is into Run DMC’s music.
Amy works for a company called Dewey, Cheatum, and Livingston. Some of that company’s employees are accountants. Amy is probably an accountant.
Which type of argument is this?
- a.)Weak inductive
- b.)Strong inductive
- c.)Valid deductive
- d.)Invalid deductive
Which of the following is a deductive argument?
- a.)As far back as anyone can remember, my town’s bird population has always flown south on September 3rd. This year, we can expect the birds to fly south on September 3rd.
- b.)There is no circumstance under which my town will ever cancel fireworks on the Fourth of July. So even if it’s pouring rain, the fireworks will happen.
- c.)It usually takes two hours to drive from the nearest airport to my town. If I pick up my grandmother at the airport at 2 PM, we’ll get back to my house right around 4 PM.
- d.)My town’s little league team has gone to the state tournament every year since I was born. It’s therefore safe to say they’ll go again this year.
Which of the following is an inductive argument?
- a.)Lisa is an artist. Most artists are extremely talented. Therefore, Lisa is probably extremely talented.
- b.)Grant is a grandfather. All grandfathers have cool stories to tell their grandchildren. Therefore, Grant has cool stories.
- c.)Gary is a professor of classical languages. Professors of classical languages are colorful characters. Therefore, Gary is a colorful character.
- d.)Kelly works for the local newspaper. The management of the local newspaper treat all their employees well. Therefore, Kelly is treated well.
Which of the following is a deductive argument?
- a.)Natalie treats all of her employees well. Every nice boss I’ve met had at least one really bad boss early in their career. It seems safe to say that Natalie had a really bad boss at some point, too.
- b.)Chelsea owns a classic car. Most people who like classic cars have tattoos. So Chelsea has a tattoo.
- c.)Aaron has been dating his girlfriend for several years. Aaron would like to get married. Aaron will propose soon.
- d.)Richard works out three days a week. Everyone who works out multiple times a week is strong. Therefore, Richard is strong
The following statements are all part of one argument.
Which one is the conclusion?
- a.)Jeremy is a jazz musician.
- b.)Jazz musicians are all financially irresponsible.
- c.)Jeremy is financially irresponsible.
- d.)Most musicians are financially irresponsible.
The following statements are all part of one argument.
Which one is the conclusion?
- a.)Anthony only misses work when he is sick.
- b.)Anthony is not at work today.
- c.)Anthony is sick.
- d.)Anthony was coughing and sneezing yesterday.
Consider the following argument: (1) Since eating trans fat increases “bad” cholesterol, (2) and “bad” cholesterol is related to a number of heart problems, (3) eating trans fats is unhealthy. (4) Trans fats have no known health benefits.
Which of the four numbered statements is the conclusion?
- a.)4
- b.)2
- c.)1
- d.)3
Which of the following is an argument?
- a.)After the movie last night, we found a taco truck with the best tacos I’ve ever had.
- b.)If the candidate I don’t support wins the election, then I’m moving to a different country.
- c.)Given my brother’s passion for the outdoors, he would make a good forest ranger.
- d.)I am planning a trip to Budapest next summer. My daughter might come with me.
Which of the following is an argument?
- a.)You should eat fruits and vegetables every day, but you should not eat too much fruit.
- b.)The Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band of all time. I own every single album they made.
- c.)The football team brought in a new kicker in the last minute of the game. He made a 61-yard field goal to win the game for his team.
- d.)Shakespeare wrote The Tempest. The Tempest was written by an Englishman in the 1600s. Therefore, Shakespeare was an Englishman in the 1600s.
Which of the following is an argument?
- a.)The Chicago Cubs finally won a World Series in 2016. Previously they hadn’t won a World Series in over 100 years.
- b.)Simon’s restaurant receives the best reviews from local food critics. Therefore, Simon’s restaurant is the best restaurant in the city.
- c.)If you want to live longer, then you should exercise.
- d.)The West Wing is my favorite show. Martin Sheen’s performance as the President of the United States is top-notch.
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between philosophy and science?
- a.)Philosophy and science are two unrelated approaches to understanding truth.
- b.)Philosophy speculates about things that science hasn’t advanced far enough to discover yet.
- c.)Philosophical truth is purely subjective whereas scientific truth is objective.
- d.)Philosophy is concerned with how to understand and interpret scientific facts.
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between philosophy and science?
- a.)Science tells us how to interpret and understand philosophical truths.
- b.)Philosophy helps define concepts that are at the center of scientific study.
- c.)Philosophy and science are two separate approaches to observing the world.
- d.)Empirical observation can answer most philosophical questions.
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between philosophy and science?
- a.)Philosophy relies on empirical investigation while science relies on conceptual investigation.
- b.)Ideas that are tested and confirmed using the scientific method are more true than philosophical arguments.
- c.)Philosophy asks questions that are less important than those asked by science.
- d.)Philosophy pursues truths that cannot be determined through empirical observation.
