PHIL152 – Spring 2012
Study guide for final exam

Your final exam consist of some of the following. There may be a bonus question as well.

1. Outline an argument in favor of same-sex marriage, and then either defend or criticize it.

2. Outline an argument opposing capital punishment, and then either defend or criticize it.

3. Assess McElroy’s argument that feminists should not argue in favor of censorship of pornography.

4. What is terrorism? Assess the morality of terrorism.

5. What are the pluses and minuses of global trade? Does trade harm or benefit developing nations?

6. Assess the arguments supporting the prohibition on drugs. Do prohibitionists have a good answer to the sorts of criticisms raised by Boaz (in the readings) and Dills (in the video)?

7. Assess Hughes and Hunt’s argument that a right to armed self-defense follows from basic principles of liberal thought.

8. Is it morally wrong to eat meat? Why or why not? Do the same reasons apply to medical research?

9. Explain how Zimbabwe and Botswana can allow elephant hunting and still increase the population, while countries with outright bans have seen the population decimated.

10. Contrast anthropocentric arguments for environmental protection with ecocentric arguments. Why should we care about protecting the environment?