FINAL EXAM

Description 30% (Final Exam Period)

Students will write a final exam that will be scheduled by the registrar's office during the final exam period. The scope of the exam will cover any of the assigned readings, material covered in lecture, and discussions. The format of the exam will be a series of short answer questions that address specific aspects of the course material to assess your level of comprehension and critical abilities. A list of questions will be circulated prior to the exam to help students prepare for the exam, and to focus your studies. The final exam will be composed of a selection of the pre-circulated questions, and students will be offered some choice on what questions to answer.

Final Exam Format

The final exam will be composed of two parts. The first part will be short answer questions, which are primarily content based. You will have a choice of 8 question, of which you will have to answer 6. The second part will be longer-short answer questions, which combine a content-based element, and a discussion portion. You will have a choice of 4 questions, of which you will have to answer 3. The longer answer questions should not be written in formal essay format, with an introduction and a conclusion. Please answers the questions as directly as possible. Since the questions are being provided to you in advance, points will be deducted for bullshit.

Sample Exam Questions

Short Answer (5 points each)

Answer 6 out of 8 questions

What is cultural relativism as specified by the cultural difference argument? Explain why James Rachels thinks the argument is unsound from a logical point of view.
James Sterba distinguishes between intending harm and foreseeing harm. Explain the distinction with reference to the non-explanation test. Come up with an example of each type of harm that was not used in class or in the text.
Why does the Non-Identity Problem make duties of justice relatively more important for individuals within the domain of private morality?
Opponents of markets in women's reproductive labour defend their position by relying on some variation of the asymmetry thesis. Explain asymmetry thesis, and Debra Satz's preferred method for defending the thesis to support a ban on markets in women's reproductive labour.
What is the Non-Identity Problem, and explain how Don Brock's Non-Person Affecting Harm principle is suppose to be a response to the Non-Identity Problem?
According to Don Brock, why is it permissible to prevent the birth of a potential person with a disability, but not to use the same kind of disability in an actual existing person to determine the allocation of scarce medical resources?
Despite Peter Singer's proclamation that there is a presumption in favour of impartiality underlying many ethical systems, impartiality is not without its critics. What are the two main objections to impartiality, and what are Singer's suggested resolutions?
According to Jan Narveson, what is the morally salient difference between killing and letting die, and how (if at all) can we ground an obligation to feed the hungry?
What is the ideal of equality of opportunity? Explain the distinction between formal and fair/substantive equality of opportunity, and why formal equality of opportunity my be insufficient.
What is the queue jumping objection to private schools, and what is Elizabeth Anderson's response based on the (actual) nature of meritocracy?
C.A.J. Coady distinguishes between two ways to define “terrorism”. Explain each type of definition, and why Coady prefers to the tactical definition.
Henry Shue argues that hypothetical ticking time-bomb cases present a drastically misleading analogy because the hypothetical is so vastly superior to reality. Explain the charges of idealization and abstraction.
According to standard liberal theory, individuals must refrain from causing harm, but are not required to confer a benefit upon others. Explain why Tim Dare considers cases of non-immunization are an instance of causing harm by appealing to the normal welfare baseline. Make sure to distinguish between the different kinds of baselines considered by Dare.
According to Jennifer Flanigan, why may individuals refuse self-regarding medical treatments (e.g., Jehovah's Witnesses refusal to accept blood transfusions), but are not permitted to refuse mandatory vaccinations for something like the MMR vaccine?
Adam Moore suggests that proponents of constant government surveillance often marshall out the “Nothing to Hide” argument in defence of their position. Explain the argument, and Moore's responses.
David Luban argues that prosecutors and defence attorneys have asymmetrical obligations. Explain each side's obligations and why only prosecutors should seek justice not victory.

Longer-Short Answer (10 points each)

Answer 3 out of 4 Question

David Rodin maintain that a conventional war is analogous to a game of chess. Explain what is an asymmetric war and how it subverts the analogy of war as a game of chess. Discuss whether it is sufficient to balance the competing demands of fairness and justice by placing greater restrictions on the strong party to the conflict.
Simon Caney argues that we should adopt a human rights-based perspective on climate change. Explain Caney's human rights-based approach to climate change, and how climate change violates three basic human rights. Discuss whether or not the human rights-based approach is superior to the competing perspectives and why.
In his analysis of the moral limits of markets, and the role of incentives, Michael Sandel says that incentives are liable to the charge of moral corruption. Explain the charge of moral corruption, and discuss whether or not healthcare bribes designed to incentive healthy behaviour or lifestyles constitute moral corruption, and why.
Adam Swfit suggests that sending your children to a private school is bad for everyone else. Explain Swift's charge in relation to the two types of harm, and discuss whether or not this is a philosophically sound objection to private schools, and why.
Both Alison Jaggar and C.A.J. Coady look to challenge the state's monopoly on the use of violent force. Explain why it may be permissible for sub-state groups to resort to political violence, which does not directly target non-combatants (i.e., not terrorism, per se). Discuss whether you think the scope of legitimate use of violence should extend to some sub-state groups, and why.
Allan Dershowitz is often criticized in the media for being an advocate of torture. What's a more accurate description of Dershowitz's position? Even if we accept Dershowitz's position, discuss whether we have reasons to be wary of allowing for torture, even under a warrant system.
James Stacey Taylor holds that instead of opposing increased government surveillance, we should encourage constant government surveillance. Explain how Taylor attempts alleviate our concerns over constant surveillance by appealing to the distinction, and differential restrictions, between gathering and accessing information. Discuss whether or not even if agents of the state are not permitted to access all the information that is gathered, do we have reasons to be wary of constant government surveillance.
The criminal justice system in Canada and the United States is characterized by an adversarial system. Explain the nature of an adversarial system, and discuss whether or not prosecutors should be permitted to appeal to the conscience in an adversarial system, and why.

PHIL 247

- Practical Ethics -