Chapter 14: The Importance of Character

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Contemporary virtue theory has been inspired by ______.

a. Plato

b. Aristotle

c. Socrates

d. Euripides

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. ______ does not seek to uncover a fundamental principle telling us what to do and

how to act in an ethical way.

a. Aristotle

b. Kant

c. Rawls

d. Socrates

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Aristotle was concerned with how people ______.

a. learn the proper ethical rules

b. evaluate the effects of their behavior

c. live an ethical life

d. adopt the proper maxims

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Consequentialists and deontologists do not consider ______.

a. emotions

b. virtue

c. justice

d. desire

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Anscombe published an article suggesting that modern moral philosophy was

misguided and that philosophers should stop thinking about ______ while placing virtue

center stage.

a. obligation

b. duty

c. rightness

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Many philosophers have realized that ______ presents a more subtle, rich, and

realistic picture of the ethical life.

a. Aristotle

b. Kant

c. Rawls

d. Socrates

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. The proponents of ______ theory join in with Aristotle in believing that ethical

knowledge involves a degree of wisdom or judgment that cannot be expressed in the

form of an absolute rule.

a. moral

b. justice

c. virtue

d. Kantian

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. For Aristotle, in order to answer the question of “What ought I to do,” one must first

answer the question ______?

a. what will make me happy

b. what will others say about what I do

c. what kind of person should I be

d. what kind of person am I

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. What are personal qualities or traits of character that make us persons of excellent

character?

a. morals

b. virtues

c. duties

d. ethics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Virtues can include natural qualities such as ______.

a. intelligence

b. strength

c. compassion

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. Aristotle believed that a virtuous character is developed by ______.

a. leading others

b. following others

c. education

d. repetition

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. A virtuous person will ask him or herself ______?

a. how will this make me happy

b. what will others say about what I do

c. how will I be good in this situation

d. what kind of person am I

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. According to ______ ethics, what is wrong with lying is not that it is unjust, but that it

is dishonest, and dishonesty is a vice.

a. moral

b. virtue

c. justice

d. Kantian

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Plato and Socrates identified only ______ or ______ primary virtues.

a. two; three

b. three; four

c. four; five

d. five; six

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. An act, such as being a brave soldier in the Nazi military, may reflect the virtue of

courage, but on the whole, it is not virtuous because the soldier ______.

a. could have made other choices

b. promotes an evil cause

c. should not follow orders

d. is blinded to the realities

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Rachels (1999) suggests that a reasonable ______ in relation to the virtue of

generosity is that we should be as generous with our resources as is consistent with

conducting our ordinary lives in a minimally satisfying way.

a. imperative

b. mean

c. act

d. decision

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Hard

17. In ______ ethics, the imperative is to do what is right, whereas in ______ ethics, the

imperative is to be a good person.

a. virtue; deontological

b. moral; virtue

c. deontological; virtue

d. virtue; moral

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. The critical point is that ______ are necessary for conducting our lives well.

a. morals

b. rules

c. laws

d. virtues

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Aristotle adopted a/an ______ approach to ethical problems.

a. empirical

b. virtuous

c. habitual

d. ethical

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. For Aristotle, a good life is a/an ______ life.

a. ethical

b. happy

c. pleasurable

d. emotional

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. According to Aristotle, the good life is a happy life, or, more accurately, one that is

______.

a. a life without pain

b. a courageous life

c. a well-adjusted life.

d. a flourishing life

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Easy

22. For Aristotle, a person who led a virtuous or moral life was also one who would

______.

a. achieve great material success

b. also become a great leader

c. be rewarded in the next life

d. flourish and find happiness

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. Virtues are strengths of character that promote human flourishing and well-being,

and ______ are weaknesses of character that hinder human flourishing or well-being.

a. habits

b. vices

c. bad morals

d. none of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. What is defined by Aristotle as an activity of the soul in accord with perfect virtue?

a. loyalty

b. trust

c. happiness

d. compassion

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. One commonly accepted interpretation is that Aristotle is emphasizing that

happiness is not ______ but is rather an activity.

a. dynamic

b. static

c. a feeling

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. What is a morally right or wrong act is ultimately to be judged in contrast to our final

goal of ______.

a. life

b. happiness

c. morality

d. trust

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. Aristotle argues that ______ arises out of virtuous activity.

a. honesty

b. flourishing

c. courage

d. charity

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Easy

28. For Aristotle, living a life of excellence refers to a life of ______.

a. courage

b. justice

c. virtuous activity

d. charity

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Easy

29. Aristotle concludes that man’s function is that which is ______.

a. unique to us as human beings

b. right

c. an activity of soul exhibiting excellence

d. both a and c

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

30. Man’s aim should be to find ______ in order to help us act rightly.

a. the Golden Mean

b. truth

c. justice

d. happiness

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Easy

31. Aristotle’s notion of the “Golden Mean” suggests that persons should always choose

______.

a. always seek to maximize all values simultaneously

b. moderation and not extremes

c. to do what the average virtuous person would do

d. seek to achieve average results

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. Aristotle’s concept of the “Golden Mean” is ______.

a. a principle which results in the same decisions for all persons

b. relative to each individual and their situation

c. a means of maximizing the greatest good for the greatest number

d. a way of doing what is best for society

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

33. Aristotle’s theory cannot be reduced to a set of rules because his theory is ______.

a. vague

b. unquantifiable

c. relativistic

d. without concrete meaning

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Easy

34. Aristotle argues that the way to behave in a moral or ethical sense is in accordance

with ______.

a. the mean

b. our happiness

c. courage

d. industriousness

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. People with “practical wisdom,” according to Aristotle, are those who delibertate

about ______.

a. the consequences of their deeds for others

b. what is good for their life as a whole

c. what to do with their life

d. whether others see them as virtuous

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. ______ involves applying excellent character to a situation in light of an overall

conception of what amounts to a good life.

a. Virtue

b. Compassion

c. Practical wisdom

d. Character

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

37. Applying practical wisdom is a/an ______ in which we reflect on circumstances and

apply our wisdom to a specific case.

a. virtue

b. act

c. thinking process

d. Both virtue and act

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. An individual of practical wisdom is a person ______.

a. able to reason correctly about ethical matters

b. someone who has the vision to see which is the correct course of action

c. is able to deliberate well

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

39. People who practice ______ deliberate well as reflect ethically about the good life in

general.

a. act consequentialism

b. ethical wisdom

c. ethical absolutism

d. virtue ethics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

40. According to Aristotle, how do we acquire practical wisdom?

a. It is gained through a good upbringing that includes associating with good people and

through acting in a good way.

b. It is gained as a virtue in the developmental process.

c. We do not acquire it. We must earn it as we identify our virtues and develop our

character.

d. It is evident in the Golden Mean.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

41. One problem with Aristotle’ theory is that his virtues are ______.

a. relative to the society or community in which the individual lives

b. never listed

c. not tied in with human happiness

d. not tied in with character

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

42. Aristotle regarded the Athenian ______ as the epitome of human excellence.

a. woman

b. gentleman

c. virtue

d. compassion

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

43. Both Aristole and MacIntyre (1984) have linked ______ to particular forms of life.

a. virtue

b. happiness

c. families

d. communities

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

44. According to Blum (1996), virtues can only be sustained within ______.

a. families

b. individuals

c. communities

d. prison

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

45. A common criticism of Aristotle’s theory is that it is an ethics ______.

a. for the ruling classes

b. without flexibility for difficult situations

c. that fails to take happiness into account

d. that ignores character issues

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

46. Which of the following is not one of Hinman’s (1998) arguments regarding the

criticisms of Aristotle’s virtues?

a. argues there are some universal elements in the list of virtues

b. suggests all we need to develop certain attitudes to cope with our lives

c. There is no middle course in his list of virtues.

d. suggests the excess is pity or bleeding heart, the deficiency is acting callously, and the mean compassionately

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

47. Pincoffs (1998) is referring to ______ when he suggests that when faced with an

ethical dilemma, the approach is to ask what the right thing to do is, emphasizing action

rather than character.

a. character ethics

b. virtue ethics

c. moral ethics

d. quandary ethics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

48. Hursthouse (1999) argues that virtue ethics can provide ______.

a. affirmations

b. action guidance

c. justifications

d. rules and guidelines

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

49. Hursthouse (1999) argues that each virtue generates a prescription. Which of the

following are examples she provides as such a prescription?

a. Do what is honest.

b. Do what is charitable.

c. Do what is generous.

d. All of these

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

50. Feminist critics of Aristotle argue that his notion of virtue ______.

a. is from a male perspective only

b. says nothing about male-female relationships

c. allows rape and sexual abuse

d. fails to mention equal employment opportunity

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. Aristotle’s theory seeks to uncover fundamental principles governing specific actions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Aristotle was a student of Plato.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Aristotle

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Aristotle’s list of 12 virtues does not include justice or wisdom.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Aristotle’s theory is not concerned with happiness or flourishing as a human being.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Aristotle termed his theory of moderation “the Golden Mean.”

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Practical wisdom is useless according to Aristotle.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Critics of character theory, including Hursthouse, argue that there can be inconsistencies and conflicts between the virtues listed by Aristotle.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Critics of Aristotle’s theory contend that it shows class and gender bias.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The Golden Mean rule may mean different things when applied to different people.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge, Comprehension

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Aristotle was a famous Roman philosopher.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Aristotle

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. Unlike ______ theorists, Aristotle was not concerned with the effects or results of behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Aristotle was a student of ______ another famous philosopher.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Aristotle

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Aristotle was a tutor to the young ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Aristotle

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Unlike the philosopher ______, Aristotle’s theory does not stress duties.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Aristotle’s virtues do not include wisdom or ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Virtues

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. The principle of moderation was termed the Golden ______ by Aristotle.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Aristotle argues that people should practice ______ wisdom.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Define quandary ethics.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue?

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Define spheres of existence.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue?

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. ______ is primarily concerned with persons and character rather than with duties or with the consequences of actions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Importance of Character

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. According to Aristotle, what is the relationship between leading an ethical life and being happy or “flourishing?” Provide a specific example of such a relationship.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Aristotle and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Describe the role that practical wisdom plays in character.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Practical Wisdom

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Discuss and evaluate three criticisms of character or virtue theory. Please provide a hypothetical situation which exemplifies each of these three criticisms.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension | Application

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue?

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. What is Aristotle’s theory of the “Golden Mean?” Provide an example of a situation which follows that principle and one which violates it.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: The Golden Mean

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Describe Okin’s critique of virtue theory from a feminist perspective

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: What’s Wrong With Virtue?

Difficulty Level: Hard