Midyear

 Exam  Review  Sheet  

Your  midyear  exam  will  consist  of  10  ques=ons.    These  ques=ons  will  be  taken  from  the  ques=ons  
below.    You  should  be  able  to  find  the  answer  to  these  ques=ons  from  your  class  readings,  class  
notes,  or  from  lectures  put  on  ADI.    Your  exam  will  be  given  in  class  on  January  15th.  

1) Explain  what  the  Success  Theory  of  self-­‐interest  is,  as  described  by  Derek  Parfit.  

Success  theory,  according  to  Parfit,  takes  account  only  the  desires  which  involve  one´s  self  to  be  
the  ones  that,  if  fulfilled,  will  lead  us  to  happy,  or  just  beNer  life.  Not  depending  on  the  amount  of  
pleasure  we  get  from  them  

2) Explain  what  an  ObjecDve  List  Theory  of  self-­‐interest  is,  as  described  by  Derek  Parfit.  

There  are  goods  in  life  that  will  indisputably  mill  make  us  have  a  beNer  life,  whether  we  decide  
them  or  not,  to,  even  if  we  are  aware  of  them  or  not.  So  according  to  Parfait,  there  are  objec=vely  
speaking,  some  general  aspects  in  life  that  one  must  obtain  or  fulfill  to  have  a  good  life,  or  a  beNer  
one,  at  least  

3) According  to  Derek  Parfit,  what  are  the  three  possible  kinds  of  theories  of  self-­‐interest?  

Hedonis=c  theory,  desire  fulfillment  theory,  and  objec=ve  list  theory    

4) Give  an  example  of  a  modus  tollens  argument.  (It  doesn’t  need  to  be  a  philosophical  
argument.)  

If  Julio  Verne  was  a  writer,  then  Verne  wrote  books    

5)  Explain  the  difference  between  Intrinsic  AStudinal  Hedonism  and  Desert  Adjusted  
Intrinsic  AStudinal  Hedonism.  

IAH  considers  correct  someone  who  enjoys  doing  things  in  their  life  that  are  actually  worth  
enjoying.  On  the  contrary,  DAIAH  -­‐  someone  who  enjoys  their  life  and  is  actually  enjoying  
something  worth  enjoying  

6) Explain  the  difference  between  Sensory  hedonism  and  AStudinal  hedonism.  

Concerning  sensory  hedonism,  all  that  is  required  is  that  the  one  that  experiences  the  feeling  
enjoys  it.  On  the  other  hand,  according  to  aUtudinal  hedonism  “enjoyment”  is  not  a  feeling.  It  is  
an  aUtude.  

7) Give  a  modus  tollens  argument  against  Intrinsic  AStudinal  Hedonism  using  Feldman’s  
example  of  the  terrorist  who  enjoys  seeing  folks  suffer.  

If  intrinsic  aUtudinal  hedonism  were  true,  we´d  have  to  accept  a  terrorist  who  enjoys  killing  
people  and  caused  terror  throughout  life  lived  good  
 8) Give  a  definiDon  of  basic  human  good  according  to  Gomez-­‐Lobo.  

According  to  Gomez-­‐Lobo,  the  basics  human  goods  are  the  building  blocks  and  cons=tuent  parts  of  
flourishing  life  

9) What  are  the  basic  human  goods  according  to  Gomez-­‐Lobo?  

The  basic  human  goods  are:  life  (health),  family,  friends,  work,  knowledge,  the  experience  of  good  
and  integrity.  

10) According  to  Aristotle  everyone  agrees  that  the  highest  human  good  is  happiness.    
Explain  what  it  means  for  something  to  be  the  highest  human  good.  

People  iden=fy  happiness  with  living  well  and  ac=ng  well.  It  means  that  all  our  ac=vity  must  aim  to  
achieve  happiness    

11) According  to  Aristotle,  if  we  can  find  the  characterisDc  acDvity  of  an  individual,  we  
should  be  able  to  discover  the  highest  good  for  that  individual.    According  to  Aristotle  
what  is  the  characterisDc  acDvity  of  man?  

12)    According  to  Aristotle,  what  is  the  highest  good  of  the  human  being?  

The  highest  good  of  the  human  being  is  happiness    

13)  According  to  Aristotle,  what  is  an  ethical  or  moral  virtue?      

The  end  of  ethical  inquiry  is  ac=on.  Aristotle  defines  moral  virtue  as  a  disposi=on  to  behave  in  the  
right  manner  and  as  a  mean  between  extremes  of  deficiency  and  excess  which  are  vices.  It  is  
having  the  appropriated  aUtude  toward  pleasure  or  pain.  

14)  According  to  Aristotle,  what  are  the  vices  associated  with  courage?    (One  of  these  vices  
will  involve  excess  and  the  other  defect  regarding  danger.)  

Rashness  and  cowardice  

15) According  to  Aristotle,  what  are  the  vices  associated  with  temperance?  (One  of  these  
vices  will  involve  excess  and  the  other  defect  regarding  bodily  pleasures.)  

Self-­‐indulgence  and  insensibility  

16)  Explain  the  difference  between  external  goods,  goods  of  the  body,  and  goods  of  the  
soul.      

Goods  of  the  soul:  ra=onal  ac=vi=es  

Goods  of  the  body:  allow  our  body  to  func=on  correctly    

External  goods:  External  ac=vi=es  that  allow  either  the  body  or  the  soul  to  have  goods  and  
contribute  to  our  overall  prosperity