REL 3170: Sample Questions


Each quiz will follow the same format: there will be a series of short questions to test whether you have read the required texts thoroughly. Then there will be an essay question: you will have a choice of essay titles, and will be expected to choose one. The essay section tests your ability to engage in intelligent moral discussion. This means you must defend a point of view, but show that you are aware of the case that may be made against what you say, and that you have good reason for rejecting this case. Below are examples of questions that I have asked in the past. There is no guarantee that the questions I ask this time will be taken from this list - this is intended to give you an idea of what kind of questions will come up.
Each section is worth half of the total mark for the examination.

Sample short questions:

What is the meaning of shen-pen kyi-sem? (1 mark)

What is the Tibetan word that means ‘mind-state’? (1 mark)

What new institution does the Dalai Lama propose to promote a healthy sense of religious pluralism? (1 mark) [The answer is 'a Parliament of Religions'. Hardly any students answered this correctly - most waffled vaguely about the fact that he wants to promote respect for different religions]

Explain the Aristotelian concept of phronesis by means of example. With which concepts in Ethics for a New Millennium can it be compared? (3 marks)  [This was a question I discussed at length during class - pay close attention to what goes on in class!!]

What is meant by intrinsic moral evil? (3 marks)  [Not many students got all 3 marks: intrinsic moral evil refers to a type of action that is bad under any circumstances, whatever the consequences]

What is meant by intrinsic moral evil? (3 marks)

What is meant by ‘autonomy’, and how does it relate to the moral requirement of honesty? (2 marks)

Bedeau states:

It is also often argued that death is what murderers deserve, and that those who oppose the death penalty violate the fundamental principle that criminals should be punished according to their deserts--"making the punishment fit the crime."

If this principle is understood to require that punishments are unjust unless they are like the crime itself, then the principle is unacceptable …

What reason does he give why this principle is unacceptable? (1 mark)  [Notice that to answer correctly, you must give the response that Bedeau himself gives: this principle would also require that rapists should be raped, etc.]

Under what circumstances does Roy Weatherford (‘A Non-Pacifist Argument Against Capital Punishment’) argue that it is not permissible for me to kill an enemy soldier, or a burglar in my house? (2 marks)

Ernest van den Haag, in his article supporting the death penalty, states:

I do not doubt that, over a long enough period, miscarriages of justice will occur even in capital cases.

 Why does he reject this as a reason for abolishing the death penalty? (1 mark)

  According to the classical Sunni Muslim tradition, whose life should one aim to spare in warfare, as a general rule? (2 marks)

According to the classical Muslim tradition, at the start of a war, the Muslim ruler must clearly communicate his intentions to enemy authorities. What is he supposed to tell them? (2 marks)

According to the Muslim view, it is acceptable in certain circumstances for Muslims to rise up against a leader who has betrayed Islam, however, certain conditions must apply for such a rebellion to be morally acceptable. The requirement of al shauka is intended to ensure that such rebels are not, in Kelsay’s words, a ‘rag-tag’ group engaged in rioting or anarchic violence. What is necessary for a group of rebels to meet this requirement? (2 marks)

What are the ‘theological verities’, (that is, moral teaching that is distinctively Christian)  that Montgomery accuses Fletcher of neglecting? (4 marks)

What is the basic difference between The Arabian Nights and The Madhumalati in terms of the roles assigned to male and female? (3 marks)

How does Plato’s account of the relationship between Alcibiades and Socrates confound the expectations of his ancient Greek readers? (2 marks)

“Nothing exists independently, everything exists inter-dependently and anything which exists in a proper condition is in equilibrium with everything else.” (Bhikkhu Buddhadāsa). What does James Gustafson say about this statement? (2 marks)

Following Hans Jonas, Gustafson assigns a special place to perception of the evil (malum): briefly explain his view. (2 marks)

Sample Essay Questions:

Should the act of sexual intercourse be revered as something sacred?

Is the simplicity of Fletcher’s situation ethics a weakness or a virtue?

How can we rank the relative importance of human beings with respect to other animals?

Evaluate Weatherford’s pacifist argument against the death penalty.

Imagine you work for a publisher, and the firm has just received a manuscript of Ethics for the New Millennium. You are not aware that the book is written by the Dalai Lama (he submitted it under a pseudonym, and the self-identifying passages were omitted.) Write a report to your boss, in which you make a recommendation concerning whether or not the book should be published.

Is there any significant moral difference between Westerners fighting to spread freedom and democracy and Muslims engaged in Jihad?

Should society attempt to resolve debates about capital punishment on purely utilitarian grounds: what other options are there for resolving this debate?

Are there any circumstances under which you would consider it morally acceptable for a lawyer to lie in order to defend the interests of a client? Give reasons for your answer.

The medical profession is revising its code of ethics, and you have been invited to take part in the committee that is responsible for writing the section that deals with honesty. Write a draft of what you think should be included in this statement, and a paper for committee members supporting your proposal.

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