Descriptive Ethics — MCQs August 22, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. Descriptive ethics is primarily concerned with: (A) How people ought to behave (B) How people actually behave and think about morality (C) Abstract meaning of moral terms (D) Universal moral duties 2. Descriptive ethics is also called: (A) Normative ethics (B) Empirical ethics (C) Meta-ethics (D) Applied ethics 3. Which discipline often supports descriptive ethics with data? (A) Psychology and sociology (B) Mathematics and logic (C) Physics and chemistry (D) Literature and art 4. A survey about people’s views on euthanasia belongs to: (A) Normative ethics (B) Meta-ethics (C) Descriptive ethics (D) Applied ethics 5. Descriptive ethics differs from normative ethics because it: (A) Judges morality (B) Explains what morality means (C) Describes moral beliefs without evaluation (D) Establishes universal rules 6. An anthropological study of tribal customs is an example of: (A) Applied ethics (B) Normative ethics (C) Meta-ethics (D) Descriptive ethics 7. Descriptive ethics is closest to: (A) Scientific observation of moral behavior (B) Philosophical reasoning about duties (C) Legal enforcement of morality (D) Theological justification of rules 8. Which method is commonly used in descriptive ethics? (A) Surveys and interviews (B) Laboratory experiments (C) Deductive proofs (D) Scriptural study 9. Descriptive ethics seeks to answer: (A) What does “good” mean? (B) What should I do? (C) What do people believe is right or wrong? (D) Why be moral? 10. Descriptive ethics provides: (A) Data for applied ethics debates (B) Final answers about morality (C) Universal moral laws (D) Abstract definitions of “right” 11. When a sociologist studies honesty across cultures, this is: (A) Normative ethics (B) Descriptive ethics (C) Meta-ethics (D) Applied ethics 12. Descriptive ethics is often criticized for: (A) Lacking scientific evidence (B) Being too judgmental (C) Not providing guidance on what should be done (D) Being too abstract 13. Which field examines cross-cultural moral values? (A) Anthropology (B) Sociology (C) Psychology (D) All of the above 14. Descriptive ethics is considered: (A) Normative (B) Empirical (C) Prescriptive (D) Absolutist 15. A psychologist studying children’s sense of fairness is practicing: (A) Applied ethics (B) Descriptive ethics (C) Normative ethics (D) Religious ethics 16. Descriptive ethics provides input for: (A) Normative theories (B) Meta-ethical analysis (C) Applied case studies (D) All of the above 17. The main question of descriptive ethics is: (A) What should we do? (B) What do people actually believe? (C) What does “good” mean? (D) What is universal law? 18. Descriptive ethics is sometimes called: (A) Anthropological ethics (B) Comparative ethics (C) Sociological ethics (D) All of the above 19. Which approach does descriptive ethics use most often? (A) Observation and description (B) Deduction and logic (C) Moral obligation (D) Divine command 20. A historian analyzing moral codes in ancient Rome is doing: (A) Normative ethics (B) Descriptive ethics (C) Meta-ethics (D) Applied ethics 21. Descriptive ethics does not ask: (A) What people believe about right and wrong (B) How cultures differ in moral systems (C) Why moral disagreements exist (D) Which moral system is correct 22. Descriptive ethics provides facts, while normative ethics provides: (A) Cultural history (B) Judgments about what should be done (C) Descriptions of customs (D) Surveys of opinion 23. A poll about public views on capital punishment belongs to: (A) Normative ethics (B) Meta-ethics (C) Descriptive ethics (D) Applied ethics 24. Which ethics branch is closest to social sciences? (A) Normative ethics (B) Meta-ethics (C) Applied ethics (D) Descriptive ethics 25. A descriptive ethicist would study: (A) Why stealing is wrong universally (B) Whether moral claims are factual (C) How different societies view stealing (D) The duties against theft 26. Descriptive ethics is limited because: (A) It is purely subjective (B) It does not prescribe moral action (C) It ignores cultural variation (D) It assumes universal laws 27. Who might use descriptive ethics to support their research? (A) Sociologists (B) Anthropologists (C) Psychologists (D) All of the above 28. Descriptive ethics investigates morality: (A) In theory only (B) As practiced in real life (C) As defined by philosophers (D) As dictated by religion 29. A descriptive study may reveal that: (A) Honesty is always best (B) People in different societies define honesty differently (C) Honesty is a universal duty (D) Honesty is indefinable 30. Descriptive ethics is important for: (A) Understanding moral diversity (B) Creating universal rules directly (C) Avoiding all moral judgment (D) Replacing ethical theories 31. A psychologist measuring levels of altruism in experiments contributes to: (A) Meta-ethics (B) Descriptive ethics (C) Normative ethics (D) Applied ethics 32. Descriptive ethics is related to moral relativism because it: (A) Shows differences in moral codes (B) Argues for universal values (C) Claims morality is absolute (D) Provides rational justification 33. Descriptive ethics is the study of ethics from the perspective of: (A) Philosophy only (B) Science and observation (C) Religion only (D) Law only 34. Moral psychology is often included under: (A) Descriptive ethics (B) Meta-ethics (C) Applied ethics (D) Normative ethics 35. Descriptive ethics can inform: (A) Policy-making (B) Education (C) Ethical theory development (D) All of the above 36. A cultural study on marriage practices falls under: (A) Applied ethics (B) Descriptive ethics (C) Normative ethics (D) Meta-ethics 37. Descriptive ethics focuses more on: (A) “Is” questions (B) “Ought” questions (C) Logical structure (D) Prescriptions 38. Which is not a method used in descriptive ethics? (A) Surveys (B) Case studies (C) Laboratory experiments (D) Categorical imperatives 39. The value of descriptive ethics lies in: (A) Giving absolute moral rules (B) Explaining cultural moral variation (C) Proving ethical theories (D) Replacing applied ethics 40. Descriptive ethics is most useful when combined with: (A) Meta-ethics (B) Normative ethics (C) Applied ethics (D) All of the above 41. Descriptive ethics is often the first step before: (A) Making moral judgments (B) Defining “good” (C) Creating universal law (D) Rejecting ethics 42. A descriptive approach to morality would focus on: (A) How people define good in language (B) How people apply moral rules in real life (C) Theories of duty (D) Ideal character traits 43. Descriptive ethics is sometimes called: (A) Comparative ethics (B) Empirical ethics (C) Sociological ethics (D) All of the above 44. Which branch of ethics is the least normative? (A) Meta-ethics (B) Normative ethics (C) Applied ethics (D) Descriptive ethics 45. Descriptive ethics helps us understand: (A) Why some practices are considered right in one culture and wrong in another (B) Which rules we must follow universally (C) What is the meaning of “ought” (D) Which motives matter most 46. In descriptive ethics, facts about moral practice are often collected by: (A) Philosophical reasoning (B) Empirical observation (C) Logical deduction (D) Intuition 47. A descriptive ethics study may conclude that: (A) Lying is universally wrong (B) Lying is perceived differently across societies (C) Lying must be condemned always (D) Lying is indefinable 48. Descriptive ethics does not: (A) Record moral practices (B) Study moral beliefs (C) Prescribe moral duties (D) Collect data on customs 49. Descriptive ethics is valuable because it: (A) Shows diversity in moral outlooks (B) Resolves ethical disputes directly (C) Provides absolute certainty (D) Establishes universal law 50. The main focus of descriptive ethics is: (A) To describe, not prescribe, moral beliefs and practices (B) To create rules for right action (C) To define moral concepts (D) To justify political systems