Kant claims that “Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without
qualification, except a good will.” Explain, by using your own words, what Kant means by this. What could utilitarians say in
response to Kant’s claim?
Explain the distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives, and discuss why it is important for understanding Kant’s
theory.
Explain, by using your own words, how we should understand Kant’s universalization test: “Act only according to that maxim
whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.” Is this a reasonable moral principle?
Explain the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties.
Is it morally permissible to lie if that is the only way to save the life of an innocent person? What would a Kantian say, and what isyour own view?
Kant thinks it might sometimes be permissible to treat a person as a means to an end, but he insists that it is wrong to treat persons
as mere means to an end. Construct an example (not mentioned in this chapter) that clarifies the significance of this point.
Discuss the similarities and differences between Kant’s theory and the golden rule. Would Kant have accepted the golden rule?
How would Kant evaluate the actions taken by Continental when they discovered that semiconductors inside their airbags could
corrode?
What is a virtue? Give as many examples as you can.
One of Anne’s many habits is to drink a cup of filtered coffee every morning. Why is this habit neither a virtue nor a vice?
Explain Aristotle’s notion of eudaimonia. What is the difference between eudaimonia and the hedonistic utilitarian notion of
happiness?
Explain the doctrine of the mean.
Explain the worry that virtue ethics may not offer decision makers any action guidance. What could virtue ethicists say in response
to this objection?
What does it mean to say that you have a moral right to something?
How do moral rights differ from legal ones?
Explain the distinction between positive and negative rights.
Summarize the key ideas of Robert Nozick’s theory of natural rights. What is the mixing theory of labor? What does it mean to say
that rights are “side constraints”?
Some utilitarians reject the existence of natural rights, but nevertheless believe we should respect people’s rights. Explain.
What is the Trolley Problem and why might it be important for testing the implications of moral theories?
