Download PHI 246: Theory Exam #1

PHI 246: Theory Exam #1
Due: by 4:30 pm October 21, 2005
N.B. you may e-mail your exams, but be sure to check back to make sure that I’ve been able
to open the file!
Chose one question from each section.
Your essays should be double-spaced with 11 or 12-point font, in Times New Roman or
Garamond. Please proofread for grammar and spelling in addition to using the spell-check
function in your word-processing program. And adhere to generally accepted grammar and
stylistic standards. Please cite any outside references following an accepted stylistic
convention (your choice, I use Chicago style). However, if you use no other texts in
preparing your answers, there is no need to cite the Brannigan textbook. In that case, when
you quote passages from our textbook, you may simply put the page number in parentheses.
A. Answer one of the following questions is a 2 page essay (page length is strictly enforced:
don’t go over, don’t go under).
1. What is the relationship between happiness (eudaimonia) and virtue in Aristotle? Why is
happiness (eudaimonia) the highest good?
2. According to Kant, what does morality have to do with rationality? Be sure you discuss in
detail the good will.
3. Explain and respond to the following claim: The flexibility of the Hindu tradition
generally and the notion of dharma specifically seems to be both a strength and a weakness of
Hindu ethical thought.
B. Answer one of the following questions in a 4-5 page essay.
1. Compare and contrast the notion of “duty” in Kant and in the Hindu tradition. Is there a
shared moral principle (see Brannigan, ch.1) there? Justify your answer.
2. Is it better to be of good character or to always “do the right thing” (i.e., live according to
duty)? In defending your answer discuss the virtues and drawbacks of both Aristotle’s and
Kant’s moral theories.
3. In the movie Quiz Show we see a college professor offered the possibility of fame and
fortune in a rigged quiz show. Ultimately he succumbs to temptation, thereby becoming
enmeshed in a fabric of lies from which he cannot extricate himself. What would Aristotle
say about this? What would Kant say? What would a Hindu philosopher say? What would
you say and why?