Chapter 37 Self Quiz

. Sober summarizes the problem with the Ignorance Argument, saying

a circle is a circle is a circle.

to assume one’s conclusion begs the question.

out of nothing, nothing comes.

ignorance is not an argument.

. Which of the following does Sober see as an important reason for environmentalists to resist simply grounding their ethics in what is “natural”?

If we are part of nature, then everything we do is natural—including destroying the environment.

Domesticated species have as much right to protection as wild or “natural” ones.

The appeal to nature easily leads to a melancholy and sobering attitude toward existence.

Appeals to nature tend to rest on an insufficiently critical embrace of post-Darwinian biology.

. Which of the following similarities does Sober see between environmentalism and aesthetic values?

an interest in rarity

a concern for preserving context

an attachment to objects that goes beyond the experiences they facilitate

all of the above

. Sober suggests an analogy between environmentalism and aesthetics that illuminates how we may value natural objects for more than just their use.

True

False

. For the environmentalist, the life situation of individual members of species is of primary importance.

True

False

. Sober grants that slippery slope arguments are usually compelling but denies their application in the context of environmentalism.

True

False

. Sober recognizes the distinction between “wild” and “domesticated” as ethically important.

True

False

. Sober regards preference utilitarianism as better suited than hedonistic utilitarianism to the task of securing ethical status for endangered species.

True

False

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