EXAM II

This gives you a rough idea how many points could have been lost for each part of each question.

I also indicate a few common problems.

(1) Explain the desire fulfillment view of the good life, making it clear how it differs from relativism and the simple happiness view. State three distinct and serious objections to it. Do you think these are “knock down” objections?

Explain DFV 10

Common problem. You just talk about what “the good” is, on this view, and don’t go on to explain how DFV explains “the good life.”

Contrast with relativism 5

Contrast with SHV 5

Three objections 5 apiece

Common problem—you give an example or indicate an issue, and don’t explain how exactly it amounts to a problem for the DFV. Perhaps you were assuming the reader would “connect the dots.”

Another common problem—you come up with some objections, but ignore the four that we covered in class (which were in the reading). Typically one substitution was permitted, if it was a coherent objection, but beyond that you needed to cover the material from class.

Are they “knockdown”? 5

(2) What is the basic idea of the objective list view in chapter 5 of my book? Drawing on my list of basic goods and Finnis’s list, create your own list. Defend the decisions you make about what to include and exclude. Why think of these basic goods as necessities, instead of as interchangeable contributors of good? You should cover the three views on this issue in chapter 6, and explain their pros and cons.

Basic idea 10

Your own list 10

Common problem—not enough discussion of the other lists, especially Finnis’s.

First view 5

Second view 5

Third view 5

Pros and cons 5

(3) Peter Singer and Harriet Johnson have very different views on whether disabilities reduce a person’s chances of living a good life. Explain each view and what account of the good life it’s based on (if any). Then explain the repercussions of each view for the question of infanticide. Be sure to explain the conditions under which Singer thinks infanticide is permissible. Identify one weak, under-supported idea on each side of this debate.

Singer on disabilities and the good life 5

Johnson, same topic 5

Singer’s basic position on infanticide 5

His 4 conditions 10

Johnson’s basic position on infanticide 5

A Singer weakness 5

A Johnson weakness 5

No common problems. These answers tended to be excellent.

(4) Sartre argues that an ultimate choice ought to be made with anguish, abandonment, and despair. Explain what he means by these terms. Then discuss whether Sartre’s counsel really makes any sense, making use of an assortment of examples from Sartre’s essay and my chapter 7.

Anguish 10

Abandonment 10

Despair 5

Discussion of anguish with example 5

Discussion of abandonment with example 5

Discussion of despair with example 5

Common problem—people made good use of the class minutes, but maybe relied on them too much. Some of you appeared to think all of the examples in the minutes were Sartre’s, which worries me! I did want to see some of the great examples from the article, plus some from my chapter 6.