Question 1

The theory of the ____________ says that right and wrong have no intrinsic value, but instead are determined by circumstance, situation, or even personal preference.

Accepted Answer

Ethical relativism theory says that right and wrong have no intrinsic value, but instead are determined by circumstance, situation, or even personal preference. Such a system results in a "floating morality" in which what is ethical for one person is not ethical for another, and so on.

Question 2

Martin Luther King, Jr. refused to obey the injunction in Birmingham in the early 1960's that prohibited King from speaking publicly merely because he was black. He was jailed for his disobedience. King felt that there was a higher law than the law of the land. King's actions were most likely based on a(n) ____________ ethical model.

Accepted Answer

King was most likely basing his actions on natural law. According to natural law, there exists an unbreakable link joining morality to the law in a fundamental way. This link exists because a law must, in its most basic form, be moral. Otherwise, it is not lawful. A law with an immoral purpose is not a law at all. Instead, it is an anomaly that does not fit into our concept of either law or the legal process. There are, in fact, some laws that have no moral content whatsoever and are unjust. To King, the Birmingham law was unjust with no moral basis, so therefore, he did not have to obey it.

Question 3

The ethic of ____________ must be practiced by individuals because individuals can never foresee the result of their actions.

Accepted Answer

In an essay entitled Politics as a Vocation, Max Weber argues that a dyad (or a two level) system of morality exists, represented by the "ethic of ultimate ends" for individuals and an "ethic of responsibility" for national leaders. The ethic of ultimate ends must be practiced by individuals because individuals can never completely foresee "the ultimate ends" of their actions.

Question 4

Developing, formulating, and applying rules in line with our values is the job of:

Accepted Answer

Ethics is derived from our shared fundamental values that tell us the difference between right and wrong. Ethics is, therefore, an attempt to develop a means of determining what these values ought to be and of formulating and applying rules that enforce shared values.

Question 5

While the law protects our rights, only ethical principles can stop us from doing something that is wrong.

Accepted Answer

Ethical considerations should always form the foundation of law and the legal system. If the law is not founded on ethics, it will rarely succeed in reaching its objectives. Ethical principles can tell us what is right, but they cannot stop us from doing that which is wrong. The law also cannot stop us from doing wrong. However, the law can punish us if we choose to do wrong. The law draws the line between permissible and impermissible conduct, so that-at the very least-people are punished if they hurt or cheat one another or threaten society as a whole.

Question 6

____________ sees law and morality as united in a common and fundamental bond.

Accepted Answer

According to natural law, there exists an unbreakable link joining morality to the law in a fundamental way. This link exists because a law must, in its most basic form, be moral. Otherwise, it is not lawful.

Question 7

According to ____________, whether an action is moral or not depends on the ultimate effects of that action.

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that says that the morality of an action is determined by its ultimate effects. Unlike ethical relativism, which is constantly shifting, utilitarianism seeks only one stable goal-the greatest good for the greatest number. The more good that results, the more ethical the action. Conversely, the more bad that results, the less ethical the action.

Question 8

Political scientist and philosopher, Michael Sandel, warns that our tendency to evaluate everything based on money creates two insidious results-injustice and corruption. Here, Sandel is most likely critiquing which ethical theory?

Accepted Answer

In criticizing market value ethics, Sandel writes of the "moral limits" of the marketplace. If we quantify everything, Sandel warns, then those with more quantifiable assets win and those with fewer quantifiable assets lose and as a result, the gap between these classes widens.

Question 9

____________ is a philosophical theory that says ethical values can be determined by a proper application of human reason.

Accepted Answer

Rational, or objective, ethics is a philosophical theory that says ethical values can be determined by a proper application of human reason. The theory assumes, and rightfully so, that, because all human beings are rational, all human beings ought to have the same ethical values. Therefore, rational ethics ought to establish universal rules of behavior that apply to all people at all times.

Question 10

If the only question a corporate manager asks before she takes an action is whether the benefit to the shareholders will outweigh the cost to the corporation, she would most likely using a(n) ____________ ethical model.

Accepted Answer

Utility thinking or cost-benefit thinking occurs when a corporate manager simply looks at the action he or she is about to take and asks whether the benefit to the shareholders will outweigh the cost to the corporation. If the shareholders' benefits offset corporate costs, then the action is taken. If not, the action is abandoned.

Question 11

The social contract ethical theory:

Accepted Answer

At the most fundamental level, the social contract ethical theory says that for people to live together harmoniously, they must give up certain freedoms to receive certain protections in return. In other words, to protect our fundamental rights, people enter a social contract under which they agree to limit all other "rights" and to establish a central governing authority whose job it is to protect those rights by establishing an orderly, safe, and secure governmental system.

Question 12

According to neoliberalism, or ethical relativism:

Accepted Answer

Ethical relativism says that there are no objective or absolute standards of right and wrong. Ethical relativism says that right and wrong have no intrinsic value but, instead, are determined by circumstance, situation, or even personal preference.

Question 13

____________ consist of rules of conduct established by the government of a society to maintain harmony, stability, and justice.

Accepted Answer

The law consists of rules of conduct established by the government of a society to maintain harmony, stability, and justice. It accomplishes these objectives by defining the legal rights and duties of the people. The law also provides a way to protect the people by enforcing these rights and duties through the courts, the executive branch, and the legislature.

Question 14

Which of the following do positive law theory and natural law theory have in common?

Accepted Answer

Natural law is sometimes confused with positive law because both depend on an outside force for their understanding of law, morality, and human rights. The difference is that positive law says that the law comes from social institutions, whereas natural law generally derives from a superior force, such as the biblical God, Aristotle's eternal changeless primary being, Hegel's Absolute, the Being of Eckhart Tolle, or the Kami of Shintoism.

Question 15

____________ are values that govern a society's attitude toward right and wrong and toward good and evil.

Accepted Answer

Morals are values that govern a society's attitude toward right and wrong and toward good and evil. Therefore, morality ought to serve as a guide for those bodies within our society, such as the courts, the executive branch, the legislature, and the administrative agencies, that make, interpret, and enforce the law.

Question 16

If Samantha believes that the primary way to judge whether an action is right or wrong is to use quantification as the primary tool for determining value, she would believe in:

Accepted Answer

Market value ethics uses quantification as the primary tool for determining value and therefore, for determining whether an action is right or wrong. Generally, most experts, economists, philosophers, theologians, politicians, and historians alike refer to this concept as neoliberalism.

Question 17

____________ is a vision of society in which competition for wealth is the only recognized value and virtually all social decisions are left to unregulated markets... It is a world in which... "everything [is] for sale."

Accepted Answer

According to the text, we have begun to quantify everything from art to education to human rights. Generally, most experts, economists, philosophers, theologians, politicians, and historians alike refer to this concept as neoliberalism. This quote is found in The Global Class War, by Jeff Faux, the founder and former president of the Economic Policy Institute and editor of American Prospect.

Question 18

If Anthony is concerned only with corporate benefits and problems, rather than the benefits and problems that will result for others outside the boardroom, he most likely believes in:

Accepted Answer

Like its cousin neoliberalism, utility thinking fails because it relies on market values to make moral judgments. This tendency corrupts the essential elements of utilitarianism. If neoliberal utility thinking is used rather than pure utilitarianism, then the concept of the "greatest good" becomes defined in terms of the market.

Question 19

If George believes in a "state of nature", where people must fend for themselves rather than give up the freedom to do as they please, and in return receive a guarantee that other individuals will curb their behavior, he would most likely be rejecting the ____________ ethical theory.

Accepted Answer

For the social contract to work, most people must adhere to its rules, and those who do not must be punished. If this were not the case, then the social contract would disintegrate, and the society would return, as George believes, to a "state of nature" in which people must fend for themselves.

Question 20

Living an ethical lifestyle means simply doing what is legal.

Accepted Answer

Some people determine an ethical lifestyle as simply doing what is legal. Such a course of action may often result in ethical conduct. However, that is not always the case. Even when most people know that a particular type of conduct is illegal, that does not prevent some people from engaging in that conduct.

Quiz 1: Ethics, Social Responsibility, and the Law