Beginning Ethics: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy by Lewis Vaughn

Author:Lewis Vaughn [Vaughn, Lewis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 2014-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

Review Questions

1. What is the difference between act-egoism and rule-egoism?

2. If psychological egoism were true, would this fact show that ethical

egoism must be true?

3. What is the psychological egoist argument for ethical egoism?

4. Is psychological egoism true? Why or why not?

5. In what way is ethical egoism not consistent with our considered

moral judgments?

6. Why do critics regard ethical egoism as an inadequate moral theory?

7. How does ethical egoism seem to conflict with the principle of

impartiality?

8. Does ethical egoism imply an unrestrained pursuit of pleasure?

9. What is the difference between self-interest and selfishness?

10. How does self-interest operate in capitalist economies?

ETHICAL DILEM M AS

Explain how ethical egoism (act-egoism or rule-egoism) could be applied

in the following scenarios to determine the proper course of action.

1. Your best friend is on trial for murder, and only your testimony can

show that she is innocent. But if you testify, you will incriminate yourself, and incriminating yourself will likely lead to a lifetime prison

sentence for you. If you say nothing, you will avoid prison and any

other legal punishment. Your friend, however, will almost certainly

get the death penalty. Should you testify?

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2. You are a person of modest means who has been asked to contribute

$1,000 to help feed the poor and hungry in Africa. Giving less than

that will accomplish nothing. If you contribute that much money,

thirty hungry people will survive for a full year, but you will not be

able to afford dental work to alleviate the severe pain in your teeth.

Giving or not giving the money are the only options. What should

you do?

3. Your grandfather is dying. While he is in this diminished state, you

can easily persuade him to sign some legal documents that would

give you sole rights to his large fortune upon his death. If he were

fully coherent, he would never sign over his fortune to you. No one

would ever learn of your deathbed swindle. Should you take the old

man’s money?

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