Civics Polity

Ethical Theories and Philosophy

2,306 Questions

Ethical theories and philosophy explore concepts such as Kantianism, virtue ethics, and altruism. This area examines how moral compasses are developed and how individual conscience guides decision making. It forms a vital part of general studies and civil services aptitude tests.

Kantian ethicsVirtue ethicsMoral developmentAltruism theoriesJustice and fairness

Ethical Theories and Philosophy Questions

Multiple choice

Since in a morally goodwill the law itself must be the motive, the moral interest is a pure interest of practical reason alone, independent of sense. On the notion of an interest is based that of a maxim. This, therefore, is morally good only in case it rests simply on ____________.

What is the most critical completion of the passage?

  1. the independence of sense

  2. the interest taken in obedience to the law

  3. the independence of motive

  4. the shoulders of morality for the sake of itself
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

It neatly ties up the two main points of law and interest. '…..the moral interest is a pure interest of practical reason alone…..'

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question an incomplete statement is provided. You have to select the option which most logically completes the idea in the question statement. Objective individualism is not selfishness but it reflects

  1. a ruthless determination and will power

  2. enlightened self-interest

  3. sheer altruism and benevolence

  4. a sense of gratuity

  5. a mild form of self-centered behaviour
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The keyword 'but', leads us to predict a contrast. (1) and (5) are in the same flow as the term selfishness, and thereby cannot be considered. (3), though opposite to selfishness, cannot be matched with individualistic character of a person. (4) is irrelevant in the given context. Only (2) 'enlightened self-interest' correctly matches the term objective individualism.

Multiple choice

What are ‘practices’ as mentioned in the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

It might seem at first sight that the concepts of justice and fairness are the same, and that there is no reason to distinguish them, or to say that one is more fundamental than the other. I think this impression is mistaken. In this paper I wish to show that the fundamental idea in the concept of justice is fairness; and I wish to offer an analysis of the concept of justice from this point of view. To bring out the force of this claim, and the analysis based upon it, I shall then argue that it is this aspect of justice for which utilitarianism, in its classical form, is unable to account, but which is expressed, even if misleadingly, by the idea of the social contract.
To start with I shall develop a particular conception of justice by stating and commenting upon two principles which specify it, and by considering the circumstances and conditions under which they may be thought to arise. The principles defining this conception, and the conception itself, are, of course, familiar. It may be possible, however, by using the notion of fairness as a framework, to assemble and to look at them in a new way. Before stating this conception, however, the following preliminary matters should be kept in mind. Throughout I consider justice only as a virtue of social institutions, or what I shall call practices. The principles of justice are regarded as formulating restrictions as to how practices may define positions and offices, and assign thereto powers and liabilities, rights and duties. Justice as a virtue of particular actions or of persons I do not take up at all. It is important to distinguish these various subjects of justice, since the meaning of the concept varies according to whether it is applied to practices, particular actions, or persons. These meanings are, indeed, connected, but they are not identical. I shall confine my discussion to the sense of justice as applied to practices, since this sense is the basic one. Once it is understood, the other senses should go quite easily.
Justice is to be understood in its customary sense as representing but one of the many virtues of social institutions, for these may be antiquated, inefficient, degrading, or any number of other things, without being unjust. Justice is not to be confused with an all inclusive vision of a good society; it is only one part of any such conception. It is important, for example, to distinguish that sense of equality which is an aspect of the concept of justice from that sense of equality which belongs to a more comprehensive social ideal. There may well be inequalities which one concedes are just, or at least not unjust, but which, nevertheless, one wishes, on other grounds, to do away with. I shall focus attention, then, on the usual sense of justice in which it is essentially the elimination of arbitrary distinctions and the establishment, within the structure of a practice, of a proper balance between competing claims. Finally, there is no need to consider the principles discussed below as the principles of justice. For the moment it is sufficient that they are typical of a family of principles normally associated with the concept of justice. The way in which the principles of this family resemble one another, as shown by the background against which they may be thought to arise, will be made clear by the whole of the subsequent argument.

  1. Practice is a concept of fairness as opposed to hypothetical action.

  2. Practice is the real concept in the whole formulation of fairness.

  3. Practice cannot be generalised or marginalised at the altar of justice.

  4. Practice could be a term meaning any form of activity specified by a system of rules which defines offices, roles, moves etc and so on, and which gives the activity its structure.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Throughout I consider justice only as a virtue of social institutions, or what I shall call practices. The principles of justice are regarded as formulating restrictions as to how practices may define positions and offices, and assign thereto powers and liabilities, rights and duties.

Multiple choice

According to the author, are justice and fairness the same thing?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question.

It might seem at first sight that the concepts of justice and fairness are the same, and that there is no reason to distinguish them, or to say that one is more fundamental than the other. I think this impression is mistaken. In this paper I wish to show that the fundamental idea in the concept of justice is fairness; and I wish to offer an analysis of the concept of justice from this point of view. To bring out the force of this claim, and the analysis based upon it, I shall then argue that it is this aspect of justice for which utilitarianism, in its classical form, is unable to account, but which is expressed, even if misleadingly, by the idea of the social contract.
To start with I shall develop a particular conception of justice by stating and commenting upon two principles which specify it, and by considering the circumstances and conditions under which they may be thought to arise. The principles defining this conception, and the conception itself, are, of course, familiar. It may be possible, however, by using the notion of fairness as a framework, to assemble and to look at them in a new way. Before stating this conception, however, the following preliminary matters should be kept in mind. Throughout I consider justice only as a virtue of social institutions, or what I shall call practices. The principles of justice are regarded as formulating restrictions as to how practices may define positions and offices, and assign thereto powers and liabilities, rights and duties. Justice as a virtue of particular actions or of persons I do not take up at all. It is important to distinguish these various subjects of justice, since the meaning of the concept varies according to whether it is applied to practices, particular actions, or persons. These meanings are, indeed, connected, but they are not identical. I shall confine my discussion to the sense of justice as applied to practices, since this sense is the basic one. Once it is understood, the other senses should go quite easily.
Justice is to be understood in its customary sense as representing but one of the many virtues of social institutions, for these may be antiquated, inefficient, degrading, or any number of other things, without being unjust. Justice is not to be confused with an all inclusive vision of a good society; it is only one part of any such conception. It is important, for example, to distinguish that sense of equality which is an aspect of the concept of justice from that sense of equality which belongs to a more comprehensive social ideal. There may well be inequalities which one concedes are just, or at least not unjust, but which, nevertheless, one wishes, on other grounds, to do away with. I shall focus attention, then, on the usual sense of justice in which it is essentially the elimination of arbitrary distinctions and the establishment, within the structure of a practice, of a proper balance between competing claims. Finally, there is no need to consider the principles discussed below as the principles of justice. For the moment it is sufficient that they are typical of a family of principles normally associated with the concept of justice. The way in which the principles of this family resemble one another, as shown by the background against which they may be thought to arise, will be made clear by the whole of the subsequent argument.

  1. Justice and fairness are seemingly identical.

  2. It is important to see fairness as a concept of justice and also to find how they can have similarities.

  3. The concept of justice has to be analysed from the point of view of the idea of fairness.

  4. Justice and fairness can only be identical in some senses but are quite different from each other in the broader or more analytical sense.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In this paper I wish to show that the fundamental idea in the concept of justice is fairness; and I wish to offer an analysis of the concept of justice from this point of view. 

Multiple choice botany sustainable development with equity sustainable management conservation sustainable development

Moral philosophy, involved in learning principal, identify with right and wrong conduct, such philosophical approach is known as _________________.

  1. Sustainable Ethics

  2. Environmental Ethics

  3. Frontier Ethics

  4. All of above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The question describes the study of right and wrong conduct, which is the definition of ethics. While environmental ethics is a specific branch, the phrasing suggests a broader application often termed sustainable ethics in the context of development studies.

Multiple choice history jainism, buddhism and ajivika philosophy in tamil nadu growth of unorthodox religious movements religion in the sixth century bce rise of territorial kingdoms and heterodox religions

Which one of the below listed principles is not a part of the Five Cardinal Principles of Confucius' Ethics?

  1. Wisdom

  2. Humaneness

  3. Propriety

  4. Covetiousness
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Confucianism is a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than as a religion started after the person Confucius who was an ancient Chinese philosopher. The five Cardinal Principles of Confucius Ethics are:
1. Humaneness 
2. Righteousness 
3. Propriety
4. Wisdom and 
5. Trustworthiness

Multiple choice zoology biotechnology and its applications transgenic animals transgenic organisms applications of biotechnology

"Ethical Sequence" refers to a philosophy:

  1. Limitation on freedom of speech

  2. Limitation on freedom of action

  3. Limitation on freedom of benefits

  4. Limitation on freedom of interest deduction
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The 'Ethical Sequence' as described by Aldo Leopold refers to the evolution of ethics from individual relations to relations with the community and eventually the land, which implies a limitation on freedom of action in the struggle for existence.

Multiple choice inferences from the text reading comprehension english

Socrates believed that virtue is the outcome of knowledge and that evil is fundamentally ignorance. This is an early instance of the belief that the intellectual or rational is dominant in man and morally superior.

Socrates' point of view as described in the passage implies which of the following conclusions about evil people?

  1. They often dominate those who are morally superior

  2. They are unable to achieve complete self knowledge

  3. They are ignorant

  4. They are inherently virtuous but incapable of showing it
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Option C is the correct answer because according to the first sentence, evil is fundamentally ignorance.

Option A is incorrect because according to the statement the intellectual or rational is more dominant. 
Option B is incorrect because Socrates says that they are ignorant and hence have no knowledge. 
Option D is incorrect because Socrates doesn’t make a statement like this in the given passage.

Multiple choice labour and its division social stratification labour sociology social inequality

The Sophists answered the question "Why should we be morally virtuous? "by claiming that ______.

  1. the weak value justice only because it restrains the strong.

  2. the strong value justice only because it restrains the weak.

  3. the weak value justice only because it restrains the weak.

  4. the strong value justice only because it restrains the strong.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A sophist was a specific kind of teacher in ancient Greece, in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Many sophists specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric, though other sophists taught subjects such as music, athletics, and mathematics. The Sophists answered the question Why should we be morally virtuous? by claiming that the weak value justice only because it restrains the strong.

Multiple choice labour and its division social stratification labour sociology social inequality

According to Plato _________.

  1. none of the elements of the soul is involved in moral behavior

  2. some of the elements of the soul are involved in moral behavior, some are not

  3. each of the elements of the soul is involved in moral behavior

  4. moral behavior is unrelated to the soul
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

According to Plato, there are three parts of the human soul namely Reason, Spirit, and Appetite. Reason resides in a person's head, Spirit resides in a persons heart and Appetite resides in a person's stomach. Each of the elements of the soul is involved in moral behavior.

Multiple choice history what is history? historiography in the west historiography: development in the west historiography: indian tradition

'Utilitarians believe that the right action is that which produces the most happiness.'
Which of the following claims is incompatible with the utilitarian view? 

  1. The right thing to do is to make the consequences of our actions as good as possible.

  2. The right thing to do is to do our duty, whatever the consequences.

  3. The right thing to do is to act on a rule which, if followed widely, produces the most happiness.

  4. The right thing to do is to act from motivations which produce the most happiness.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Option (b) states that one should do one's duty without giving any consideration to the consequences (happiness of misery ). Thus , option (b) is incompatible with the belief of Utilitarians.

Multiple choice

On what 3 principles were Asoka's moral laws based?

  1. ahisma, tolerance, and welfare of the people

  2. ahimsa, intolerance, and welfare of the people <span id="_wysihtml5-undo" class="_wysihtml5-temp">

  3. ahimsa, tolerance, and welfare of the animals

  4. There were only 2 principles
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Asoka's Dhamma was based on three core principles: ahimsa (non-violence), tolerance of all religions and sects, and welfare of the people. Option B incorrectly states intolerance, while option C changes welfare of people to animals. There were indeed 3 principles.

Multiple choice

theory focuses on the virtues of humans

  1. theory of justice

  2. ethics of care

  3. Aristotle’s theory

  4. theory of rights
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Aristotle's ethical theory, often known as virtue ethics, focuses on the character and virtues of human beings rather than rules or consequences. It emphasizes developing good character traits (virtues) to achieve eudaimonia (human flourishing). The other options focus on justice, relationships/care, or rights rather than character virtues.