‘THIS PAPER IS NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAMINATION HALLS UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 235 PO9S DIPLOMA IN PHILOSOPHY B.A. EXAMINATION for External Students PHILOSOPHY Ethics: Historical Perspectives Thursday, 8 May 2008: 14.30-17.30 Candidates should answer THREE of the following TWELVE questions. PLEASE TURN OVER c.University of London 2008 UL08/52810, ML. 12 Is Plato justified in thinking that the just person is happier than the unjust person? Are there good reasons for Socrates’ claim that no person commits unjust acts knowingly? What role does virtue play in Aristotle’s conception of eudaimonia (happiness)? Is he justified in giving it this role? Assess the role that Aristotle gives to deliberation in his account of ethics. “When you pronounce any action or character to be vicious, you mean nothing, but that from the constitution of your nature you have a feeling or sentiment of blame from the contemplation of it’ (Hume). Discuss. Assess the importance for Hume’s moral theory of his distinction between natural and artificial virtues. “Itis impossible to think of anything at all... that could be considered good without limitation except a good will’ (Kant). Critically assess the role that this claim plays in Kant’s moral theory. Is Kant right in thinking that appeal to the categorical imperative is enough to show lying to be morally wrong? Does Mill have a coherent conception of happiness? “People find it difficult to see, in justice, only a particular kind or branch of general utility, and think that its superior binding force requires a totally different origin’ (Mill). Does Mill offer a convincing reason to think that this difficulty can be overcome? Are moral assertions merely expressions of emotion? Critically assess Moore’s argument that if good were identical to pleasure, then the claim that pleasure is good would be no more informative than the claim that pleasure is pleasure. END OF PAPER UL08/528 1