Deck 5: The Search for Ethical Values

Question 1

The task of normative ethics is to describe various cultures' moral beliefs.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Ayn Rand was an ethical egoist but not a psychological egoist.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The paradox of hedonism is the fact that if your only goal is to find pleasure or happiness,you are unlikely to find it.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In spite of the fact that the Eskimos kill some of their babies,James Rachels says that their values are not all that different from our values.

Question 5

All religious philosophers necessarily hold to the divine command theory of ethics.

Question 6

According to your text,someone who embraces the philosophy of ethical egoism is by definition someone who wants to be the center of attention and who has an inflated ego.

Question 7

Teleological ethics is another name for deontological ethics.

Question 8

Ayn Rand believed that rational selfishness would lead to the best society.

Question 9

According to your text,you can act in your own self-interest without being selfish.

Question 10

The principle of utility defines a right action as one that produces as much good for as many people as possible.

Question 11

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus claimed that all cultures have the same moral values.

Question 12

Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism.

Question 13

Thomas Hobbes said that the only reason we have morality is to avoid a state of war.

Question 14

John Stuart Mill said it is better to be a satisfied fool than a philosopher such as Socrates who was dissatisfied.

Question 15

Psychological egoism is a theory about what we ought to do.

Question 16

According to psychological egoism,unselfish behavior is impossible.

Question 17

In Plato's story of the ring of Gyges,the ring had the power to make one invisible.

Question 18

Jeremy Bentham accepted ethical egoism but rejected psychological egoism.

Question 19

In his dialogue Euthyphro,Plato took the position that the gods approve of certain Actions because these actions are good.

Question 20

Ruth Benedict said that "normal" is defined as whatever a particular culture says is normal.

Question 21

According to Kant,every moral rule has its exceptions.

Question 22

Immanuel Kant's ethics is an example of deontological ethics.

Question 23

Kant believed that all true ethics was based on religion.

Question 24

Nel Noddings's book Caring agrees with Kant that caring for others must be based on a firm sense of moral obligation and not on feelings.

Question 25

Kant uses the term "maxim" to refer to a general rule that guides how we act.

Question 26

According to utilitarianism,the morality of a particular action can change over time if the consequences change.

Question 27

Virtue ethics can be defined as that area of ethics that is concerned specifically with sexual morality.

Question 28

Kant believed it would be wrong to lie even if the lie produced good consequences.

Question 29

Carol Gilligan's work criticized what she considered to be the male bias in traditional research on moral development.

Question 30

W.D.Ross does not think prima facie duties can be ranked in terms of priority.

Question 31

Kant says that it is impossible to treat others as both a means and an end.

Question 32

According to Kant,unless doing your duty is something you enjoy,you are not acting morally.

Question 33

The reading by Marilyn Friedman,"Liberating Care," argues that caring for others is more important than caring for oneself.

Question 34

According to your text,the notions of justice and individual rights are the two main themes in utilitarianism.

Question 35

Confucius developed an ethical theory that criticized the virtue ethics of this time.

Question 36

In her book Maternal Thinking,Sara Ruddick says that maternal thinking can characterize one's stance toward life,even if you are a man.

Question 37

Kant rejected the notion that ethics was based on human psychology.

Question 38

Aristotle developed an early version of virtue ethics.

Question 39

In Kant's ethics,a principle is reversible if we could rationally wish that everyone would act on it.

Question 40

Feminist ethics is based on traditional ethical theories and merely attempts to apply these theories to issues that concern women,such as sexual discrimination.

Question 41

Virtue ethics would argue that abortion is morally acceptable depending upon whether the agent is acting virtuously or viciously,or neither.

Question 42

Which of the following would be an example of subjective ethical relativism?

A) Ernest Hemingway
B) the Sophists
C) Jean-Paul Sartre
D) all of the above

Question 43

Which one of the following is an objection raised against psychological egoism by Bishop Butler?

A) It would lead to immorality.
B) Personal satisfaction is often the consequence of getting what we desire,not its goal.
C) Pursuing our own pleasure will not lead to happiness.
D) What we are psychologically driven to do and what we ought to do are different.

Question 44

In the reading by James Rachels,he criticizes the cultural differences argument by saying that

A) the premise concerns what people believe,but the conclusion concerns what really is the case.
B) not everyone accepts the conclusion.
C) if everyone accepted this argument,it would lead to rampant immorality.
D) it ignores the fact that cultures differ both in their practices and in their values.

Question 45

Ruth Benedict's position was that of

A) subjective ethical relativism.
B) conventional ethical relativism.
C) ethical objectivism.
D) ethical egoism.

Question 46

The reading by Herodotus illustrated the position of

A) subjective ethical relativism.
B) conventional ethical relativism.
C) ethical objectivism.
D) ethical egoism.

Question 47

Which of the following statements contradicts ethical objectivism?

A) What I think is morally right is not necessarily what you think is morally right.
B) An action can be morally right for me and morally wrong for you in different circumstances.
C) A moral principle can be correct for me but not necessarily correct for you.
D) all of the above

Question 48

Which of the following is not a problem the text raised with divine command theory of ethics?

A) There is a lack of agreement as to which religious authority should be the basis of ethics.
B) Some ethical questions cannot be answered by traditional religious traditions apart from philosophical considerations.
C) Some nonreligious people are morally good persons but do not derive their morality from any religious tradition.
D) Most religious traditions are concerned with the afterlife and do not address ethical issues.

Question 49

In the reading from Plato's Republic,Glaucon says that the reason to be moral is because

A) that is simply the right thing to do.
B) of its social consequences.
C) immorality corrupts the soul,which is our true self.
D) we want to avoid punishment in the afterlife.

Question 50

John Ladd uses the term "the dependency thesis" to refer to the claim that

A) morality is dependent on God's commands.
B) the morality of an action depends on its consequences.
C) morality is dependent on the subjective opinion of each individual.
D) morality is dependent on the moral beliefs and practices of a particular society.

Question 51

James Rachels says that a consequence of cultural relativism is

A) we could no longer say that the customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own.
B) we could decide whether actions are right or wrong just by consulting the standards of our society.
C) the idea of moral progress would be called into doubt.
D) all of the above

Question 52

The text explained that __________ morality refers to the study of various cultures' moral beliefs and practices and __________ ethics refers to the philosophical task of discerning which moral principles are rationally defensible.

A) descriptive/normative
B) consequentialist/deontological.
C) objectivist/relativistic
D) religious/secular.

Question 53

Which of the following claims would be that of a universal ethical egoist?

A) I believe I ought to maximize my self-interest,but I have no opinion about how you should act.
B) Everyone has an obligation to serve my interests.
C) Everyone ought to do what will serve his or her own interests.
D) Everyone always acts so as to serve their own interests.

Question 54

A problem that the text raised with the divine command theory of ethics is that

A) no intelligent person believes in God.
B) many morally abhorrent actions have been defended on the basis of God's commands.
C) if moral goodness is defined in terms of God's will,it makes it meaningless to say God's will is good.
D) all of the above

Question 55

Kantian ethics would argue that abortion fails the universality test.

Question 56

Utilitarian ethics would argue that abortion is morally impermissible.

Question 57

Ruth Benedict said that "it is morally good" is synonymous with

A) "it is a socially approved habit."
B) "it is commanded by God."
C) "it is my moral duty."
D) "it is what makes me personally feel good."

Question 58

Which one of the following claims of the ethical absolutist distinguishes this position from other forms of ethical objectivism?

A) There are universal,objective moral principles.
B) Right and wrong are not a matter of subjective opinion like tastes in food.
C) Moral principles cannot be overridden and cannot have any exceptions.
D) There are objectively right and wrong answers to ethical questions.

Question 59

Which of the following claims would be that of a psychological egoist?

A) I believe I ought to maximize my self-interest,but I have no opinion about how you should act.
B) Everyone has an obligation to serve my interests.
C) Everyone ought to do what will serve his or her own interests.
D) Everyone always acts so as to serve their own interests.

Question 60

According to Ayn Rand,if an ethical egoist loved another person,the egoist would

A) be contradicting his or her own philosophy.
B) necessarily have to sacrifice his or her own interests.
C) be pursuing his or her own interests.
D) necessarily have no respect for that other person.

Question 61

Utilitarianism is not a form of ethical relativism because the utilitarian believes that

A) there are actions that are absolutely wrong,even if they produce the best consequences.
B) what produces pleasure or happiness will be the same for everyone.
C) even though moral principles are relative,people tend to arrive at the same moral judgments.
D) moral principles are objective even if their application is relative.

Question 62

Immanuel Kant said that the only thing in the world that has absolute,unqualified moral value is

A) God.
B) a good will.
C) the trait of moderation.
D) happiness.

Question 63

In his article "Comparing Harms," Alastair Norcross argues that

A) a consequentialist would say that it would be permissible to sacrifice a human life only if it saved a number of lives.
B) the consequentialist principle of "lives for convenience" shows that consequentialism is immoral.
C) our society frequently chooses to sacrifice lives for the convenience of the many.
D) there is no situation in which it would be morally permissible to sacrifice an innocent human life.

Question 64

Which of the following claims made by the utilitarians would Kant reject?

A) Ethical principles are objective.
B) Ethics concerns only our relations with others,for we have no moral duties to ourselves.
C) There can be a difference between what society thinks is moral and what really is.
D) all of the above

Question 65

According to Jeremy Bentham,we are governed by two sovereign masters,which are

A) physical desires and moral obligations.
B) pain and pleasure.
C) God and society.
D) love of self and love of others.

Question 66

The utilitarian ethics of Bentham and Mill is a version of

A) deontological ethics.
B) consequentialism.
C) divine command theory.
D) virtue ethics.

Question 67

The second version of the categorical imperative says

A) treat people as an end and never as a means only.
B) decide if the consequences of your action would make people happy.
C) ask yourself if you would want everyone to follow your example.
D) think about how you would feel if people knew what you did.

Question 68

According to Kant,a work of art has _________ value,but people have _________ value.

A) hypothetical/categorical
B) aesthetic/emotional
C) instrumental/extrinsic
D) conditional/intrinsic

Question 69

Which one of the following was not included in Bentham's hedonic calculus?

A) Intensity: How strong is the pleasure?
B) Duration: How long will the pleasure last?
C) Value: Is the pleasure a lower,physical pleasure or a higher,intellectual pleasure?
D) Extent: How many people will be affected?

Question 70

According to Kant's philosophy,which one of the following commands could be universalized?

A) Tell the truth only when it is convenient to do so.
B) Give all of your money to those who have less than you do.
C) Always charge less for your product than your competitors.
D) Always keep your promises.

Question 71

A criticism of Ayn Rand's egoism made in the text is that

A) it assumes a false dichotomy between pure ethical egoism and pure ethical altruism.
B) egoism would lead to selfish behavior.
C) it is immoral.
D) all of the above

Question 72

A prima facie duty is one that

A) never conflicts with other duties.
B) can never be violated under any circumstances.
C) is morally binding unless it conflicts with a more important duty.
D) defines our actual duty in a particular set of circumstances.

Question 73

The utilitarian rejects which one of the following claims of the ethical egoist?

A) The consequences of an action determine if it is right or wrong.
B) There are objectively correct answers in ethics.
C) People only have a moral obligation to be concerned about their own self-interest.
D) It is impossible for an action to be morally obligatory if it makes no one happy.

Question 74

According to Kant's philosophy,the statement "If you want people to be good to you,you should be good to them" is

A) the basis of all true morality.
B) a hypothetical imperative.
C) the first version of the categorical imperative.
D) the second version of the categorical imperative.

Question 75

Which of the following describes a major difference between Bentham's and Mill's ethics?

A) Mill believed an action could produce the best consequences and still be immoral.
B) Bentham said that pleasure is the only desirable end and Mill denied this.
C) Bentham's was a quantitative hedonism and Mill held to a qualitative hedonism.
D) Mill's ethics was concerned with the greatest happiness for all and Bentham's ethics was concerned only with the happiness of the individual.

Question 76

According to Kant,the basis of the categorical imperative is

A) God's command.
B) the need for an orderly society.
C) rational consistency.
D) human psychological tendencies.

Question 77

Which of the following express(es)the relationship between psychological egoism and ethical egoism?

A) It is possible to be a psychological egoist without being an ethical egoist.
B) It is possible to be an ethical egoist without being a psychological egoist.
C) Psychological egoism is frequently used to argue for ethical egoism.
D) all of the above

Question 78

The ancient Greek philosopher who taught virtue ethics was

A) Aristotle.
B) Protagoras.
C) Epicurus.
D) Herodotus.

Question 79

According to Kant,an action has moral worth if

A) it achieves good consequences.
B) we feel good about doing it.
C) it conforms to our duty.
D) it is done from a sense of duty.

Question 80

In balancing your own happiness with that of another person,Mill said that you should

A) give no more weight to your own happiness than that of another.
B) be concerned only with your own happiness.
C) be concerned only with the happiness of others and not with your own happiness.
D) realize that producing happiness has nothing to do with morality.