Unit 1 (Fall 2025): What is Ethics & Where Does it Come From?

What is the best description of the critical reasoning that is involved in doing Ethics?

• Following one's true feelings

• Consulting the law of the land

• Constantly re-examining right and wrong as we face new situations

• Observing the norms of those around us

What is correct about the definition of subjective truth?

• Subjective truth is true for all people at all times.

• Subjective truth is based on personal experience

• You can prove subjective truth wrong

• Relativism is NOT based on subjective truth.

1. What stance does the “What is Ethics?” article from Santa Clara University take on law?

• 1. Consulting the law of the land is a consistently reliably way to know what is ethical.

• 1. Because laws are made by people and ethics is not, laws never reflect what is truly ethical.

• 1. While laws often uphold ethical ideals, they can also be harmful or misguided; therefore, you cannot only consult laws to discover what is ethical.

• 1. Without laws, society would descend into chaos; therefore, you should always follow the law even if you have to slightly sacrifice what is ethical.

1. Does Ethics have an end point according to the article "What is Ethics?" from Santa Clara University?

• 1. Yes: with a clear enough vision of how the world should be, we are able to create an ethical world that does not require further reflection.

• 1. Yes: like any subject, one can become an expert in ethics. When a person reaches that point, they have reached the end of ethics.

• 1. No: because ethics has no communal dimension and is, instead, based on personal feelings it is not an academic discipline that you can study and master.

• 1. No: even if you have well-defined ethical standards, the world is always changing (as are you), so ethics involves constant reflection.

1. What is the role of feelings according to the Santa Clara University article entitled “What is Ethics?”: 

• 1. Feelings are the voice of our conscience and we must, therefore, listen to our feelings when making an ethical choice.

• 1. While our feelings might align with what is ethical, at times, we must struggle with our feelings in order to do what is right.

• 1. Our feelings give us no information about what is ethical.

• 1. Each individual keeps the same feelings throughout life; however, ethics changes and, therefore, ethics does not relate to feelings.

1. The belief that there are no moral rules that apply to all cultures or all people is called _.

Which statement correctly represents the perspective of our textbook?

• 1. Relativism is necessary for the study of Ethics because it is the only approach that respects different perspectives.

• 1. Relativism allows us to make universal moral claims about what is right or wrong, which is the foundation of all Ethical discussion.

• 1. Relativism is dangerous to Ethics because it refuses to recognize that circumstances matter.

• 1. Relativism is a threat to the study of Ethics because it does not allow us to create any objective definition of right and wrong that we can discuss, debate, and reflect on.

1. What is true of relativism?

• 1. Under relativism, moral truth is objective.  In other words, what is right or wrong is not a matter of personal opinion.

• 1. Relativism believes that moral truth is subjective; therefore, what is right or wrong is up to each individual to define.  No one is wrong in their definition.

1. Relativism claims that (1) there are no moral principles that apply to everyone and (2) it is wrong for anyone to judge another person. The author calls these claims _______.

• impracticable

• spiritual

• objective

• self-contradictory

The author states that relativism asks us to hold attitudes that no one could carry out, such as condoning genocide or stating that the same action is both right and wrong at the same time (since there are no moral rules). He calls this __________.

• impracticable

• a growth mindset

• a liberal perspective

• objectivity