Study Guide.
I. Preparing for the exam.
The best way to prepare for the exam is to write out complete, clear, precise definitions of
the terms below, taking care to distinguish between closely related terms, and perhaps
giving an example satisfying the definition, and similarly to write out complete and clear
descriptions of the arguments referred to below. On the exam, you may wish to be more
succinct, but if you have already written out a full definition or description, this will be a
relatively easy task.
I. Terms you should be able to define:
Argument, Validity, Soundness, Efficient Cause, Final Cause, Psychological Egoism,
Psychological Egoistic Hedonism, Ethical Egoism, Ethical Relativism, Ethical or
Normative Subjectivism, Ethical Realism, Ethical Absolutism, Ethical Objectivism,
Meta-ethical Subjectivism (nihilism), Consequentialist Theory, Deontic Theory, Principle
of Sufficient Reason, Paradox of Hedonism, First Order Ethical Precept, General Moral
Principle, Intrinsic Value, Instrumental Value, Reflective Equilibrium.
II. Arguments you should be able to describe:
Ontological Argument
Gaunilo’s Response
Rowe’s Response
Aquinas’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th ways.
Clarke’s version of the Cosmological Argument.
Hume’s Response to the Cosmological Argument.
Rowe’s Response to the Cosmological Argument.
The four defenses of psychological egoism in Feinberg.
Feinberg’s reasons for rejecting Psychological Egoistic Hedonism (two arguments here,
one from prior commitment to others, one from the paradox of hedonism).
The three arguments for ethical egoism considered by Rachels, and his response to these.
The final argument against ethical egoism considered by Rachels.
The arguments for normative subjectivism considered by Shafer-Landau
(The arguments from Democracy, Disagreement, Tolerance and Atheism) and his
responses to each.
Shafer-Landau’s critique of Normative Subjectivism.