Chapter 53 Meaningful Lives? Verified Test Bank

Test Bank

to accompany

Exploring Ethics, Sixth Edition

Cahn

Chapter 53

Meaningful Lives?

Christine Vitrano

[NOTE: Questions marked with “*” also appear in the student self quizzes on Learning Link.]

Multiple Choice

1. Vitrano regards Taylor’s and Wolf’s views as*

a. capturing part of the truth.

b. suitable for appropriately disposed people.

c. totally misguided, though well-intended.

d. predicated on the same mistake.

2. Vitrano claims that Wolf’s view is defective because

a. it is inattentive to the importance of intuition.

b. it lacks a supporting theory of objective value.

c. it presupposes a false theory of objective value.

d. it has application only for those living in contemporary times.

3. Vitrano argues that Wolf is mistaken in thinking that people mostly agree about which*

a. lives are happy.

b. activities are enjoyable.

c. activities are objectively valuable.

d. people are admirable.

4. Vitrano would describe an enjoyable but morally deficient life as

a. a worthless life.

b. not a sufficiently meaningful life.

c. a meaningful but evil life.

d. a viable option for some, but not for all.

5. Vitrano suggests that Wolf might say an activity is worthwhile only if a person takes it seriously. What is Vitrano’s response?*

a. Then, the same activity could be meaningful or not, depending on one’s motive.

b. Some activities cannot be taken seriously.

c. Fun activities are never taken seriously.

d. Some activities are worthwhile even if not taken seriously.

6. Vitrano gives an example of reading an article about metaphysics to distract herself from the monotony of caring for her children. What is the point of that example?

a. She is not actively engaged in childcare, but that work is still meaningful.

b. She is not actively engaged in childcare, which means the metaphysics is more meaningful to her at that time.

c. Her motive is distraction, which means the metaphysics article is less worthwhile.

d. Her motive is distraction, but that doesn’t mean the metaphysics article is not worthwhile.

7. Vitrano argues that the notion of objective value _______ Wolf’s theory.*

a. is not important to

b. is irrelevant to

c. strengthens

d. weakens

8. Taylor’s view is that a meaningful life is a satisfying life. What is Vitrano’s objection to Taylor?

a. Why call that life meaningful rather than simply pleasant or enjoyable?

b. Taylor has not explained what it means for a life to be satisfying.

c. Taylor is also committed to the problematic notion of objective value.

d. A life that is merely satisfying must be too shallow to be really meaningful.

9. Without the idea of objective value, one could simply say that a life one finds enjoyable is the same as a meaningful life. What is Vitrano’s objection to defining meaningful lives this way?*

a. A life of enjoyment may be too selfish and morally deficient to count as meaningful.

b. Why call it meaningful rather than just saying that it is happy or pleasant?

c. The idea of objective value is a necessary part of the definition of meaningfulness.

d. Different people may find different lives enjoyable.

10. Vitrano would most likely

a. agree with Taylor that contentment is sufficient for meaningfulness.

b. agree with Wolf that contentment is sufficient for meaningfulness.

c. disagree with Taylor that contentment is sufficient for meaningfulness.

d. claim that Taylor and Wolf should have focused more on the objective value necessary for instilling a life with meaning.

True or False

11. Vitrano thinks there are problems with both Taylor’s and Wolf’s accounts of meaningful lives.*

a. True

b. False

12. To ask whether a life is meaningful is to pose a question that incorporates an enigmatic term.

a. True

b. False

13. Vitrano holds that most people agree on which activities are objectively valuable.*

a. True

b. False

14. Vitrano regards moral decency as a prerequisite for an adequately meaningful life.

a. True

b. False

15. According to Vitrano, Wolf’s theory is problematic because it relies on the notion of objective value, which is not explained.*

a. True

b. False

16. Vitrano objects to Taylor’s theory because it counts any happy life as meaningful.*

a. True

b. False

17. Vitrano objects to Taylor’s theory because Taylor incorrectly thinks that meaningfulness means more than contentment.*

a. True

b. False

18. Vitrano argues that neither Taylor’s nor Wolf’s position is entirely convincing.

a. True

b. False

19. Vitrano argues that though there are many “paths to contentment,” there are limits to what a person can intelligibly find satisfying in their own life.

a. True

b. False

20. Vitrano’s conclusion is that we should stop trying to have lives that feel meaningful to us.

a. True

b. False

Essay

21. About what does Vitrano’s find plausible in Taylor’s and Wolf’s views? Does she offer a more appealing account? Defend your answer.

22. Do you think Vitrano is saying we should just give up on searching for meaningful lives when she says that searching for the right answer leads only to frustration? Do you find her conclusion satisfying? If we gave up on asking how to live a meaningful life, is there a different question we should ask instead?

23. Having read three philosophers’ views on what makes a life meaningful, would you judge your own life to be meaningful? How would Taylor, Wolf, and Vitrano assess your life? If they would disagree, on what points would their assessments differ?