Ethical Reasoning - Philosophy 150 Final Exam

The following statement is not an example of which of the following cognitive biases? I was raised to believe in God and being Christian is essential to my identity, so I can't question my faith.

Dunning-Krueger effect

Michelle Alexander's central thesis is that...

Mass incarceration works as a system of social control to keep African Americans as second-class citizens.

Our intentions are irrelevant in determining the moral worth of an action. Who would agree with this statement?

Mill

In the editorial "The Jim Crow South? No, Long Island Today", the editorial board argues (as their conclusion):

Significant changes must be made to real estate practices in order to end housing discrimination in the United States.

The Interactive Group effect suggests that there is enormous social pressure to conform to the majority opinion when we are part of a group.

True

The conclusion of the editorial "College Football is Not Essential" is normative.

True

The following statement is normative: We should rely on the theory of human-induced climate change as the basis for reasoned action.

True

Unlike Lee McIntyre, Eoin O'Carroll suggests that phenomenon of post-truth is a problem that has arisen within and is specific to politics.

True

Viewing crises as a trolley problem steers us toward adopting utilitarian principles.

True

Vitale argues that policing has been and continues to be used to unfairly reinforce social hierarchies (i.e., hierarchies of race and class).

True

Drawing from at least two of the texts that we've read, formulate a moral argument (conclusion and premises) about the issue of racism in the United States.

"The Jim Crow South? No, Long Island Today" Conclusion: The reformation of systemic racism in the housing market must be made to fight the people who are trying to keep African American's as second-class citizens. Premises: Studies conducted show that there is discrimination towards African Americans in the housing industry. "Yes We Mean Literally Abolish The Police" Conclusion: If police reform has not happened in this many attempts to fix it, then it will not be fixed by trying the same thing over and over again. If we want to change, we have to hire more black officers and assign pay cuts to police offciers. Premises: Throughout American history, there has always been violence used by the police towards black people.

The new Jim Crow refers to:

A system of racism that continues to produce racial inequality while not explicitly racist.

Which of the following statements is not a central premise in the editorial, "After a 'post-truth' presidency, can America make facts real again?"

According to a December NPR/Ipsos poll, 17% of respondents aligned themselves with the QAnon conspiracy theory, saying they believe the statement that "a group of Satan-worshiping elites who run a child sex ring are trying to control our politics and media."

Which of the following statements best expresses the conclusion of the editorial, "After a 'post-truth' presidency, can America make facts real again?"

American individuals and institutions need to make use of effective strategies that will elevate the place of facts in political discourse.

What role, might Bloom argue, does empathy play when watching a documentary like 13th?

As moral motivation for caring about the legacy of racial injustice in America.

Drawing from any of the texts that we read, explain what you see as the greatest moral challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and explain how one of the moral philosophies that we've read suggests that we ought to respond to this challenge.

As we read, in Dawson and Jennings's report entitled The Place of Solidarity in Public Health Ethics, there is high stress on the importance of solidarity for the American people to come together and make sacrifices to shorten the length of the pandemic. The wide-spread refusal to cooperate with COVID-19 guidelines like mask-wearing, social distancing, and proper hygiene is the sole factor of the pandemic lasting this long. If everyone had made those sacrifices to quarantine and follow COVID-19 as China did then we would be out of the pandemic. This is more than enough reason for everyone to understand, despite any type of opinion or belief, that this pandemic can be put to an end with the introduction of solidarity amongst the American people.

Drawing from at least one of the texts that we've read, formulate a normative argument (identifying the premises and conclusion) either in favor or against mandatory COVID vaccinations.

COVID-19 vaccinations should be mandatory because as a law established in 2003 states, each person should be informed: "of the option to accept or refuse administration of the product." However, it goes on to talk about, "the consequences, if any, of refusing." In this case, the "consequences" of not getting the vaccine, are contracting COVID-19. Which in turn, puts the American public in danger of more COVID deaths, new COVID strains, and a lot more time spent in this pandemic. The biggest factor in this is the new COVID strains that can be developed if we don't acquire herd immunity. Drawing from the Dawson and Jennings article entitled The Place of Solidarity in Public Health Ethics, as a country, we need to all work together and make sacrifices that go against what we believe in order to put an end to this pandemic.

Which of the following statements is not a significant premise in McKibben's argument?

Even though we can't be certain, anthropogenic climate change is the best possible explanation for the phenomena that we are currently experiencing.

According to Pascoe and Stripling, very often in crises like a pandemic it becomes necessary to utilize a utilitarian moral framework in order to produce the best outcome for the majority of people.

False

According to Vitale, to limit the role and scope of policing is to invite and/or accept more social chaos and violence.

False

An implicit claim is a claim that is directly stated in an argument.

False

In a disaster, Pascoe and Stripling think that we must adopt a Utilitarian moral framework in order to save the most lives.

False

Kaba views racial bias and lack of institutional oversight as the principle problem of policing.

False

Lee McIntyre argues that only some groups of people are susceptible to the cognitive biases that help to support post-truth.

False

Lee McIntyre, Jaron Lanier, and Eoin O'Carroll argue for the same strategy to combat post-truth.

False

Magdoff and Bellamy Foster would likely agree with Oreskes that a significant reason why virtually no concerted action has been taken to prevent climate change is the misrepresentation of scientific debate and dissent.

False

Oreskes argues that since no scientific conclusion can ever be proven and new evidence could lead scientists to change their views, it is accurate to say that the theory of anthropogenic climate change is equivalent to any other subjective belief that we hold.

False

The United Nations estimates that currently 2.4 million children are on the brink of starvation in Yemen. Paul Bloom would argue that empathy can successfully guide our moral judgments in this type of situation.

False

The following statement is normative: The consequences of anthropogenic climate change will destroy many species of animals and plants, and will kill millions of humans.

False

Vitale would agree that greater transparency and accountability are the key to addressing the problem at the heart of policing. You Answered

False

What is the connection between what Michelle Alexander identifies as the "new Jim Crow" and what the editorial board (in "The Jim Crow South? No, Long Island Today") identifies as the persistence of Jim Crow?

Mass incarceration and racist housing practices both function to keep African Americans as second class citizens.

Valles' central claim is that:

Health system inequities are morally wrong.

Which of the following positions is an example of post-truth?

I believe something despite the credible evidence that challenges this belief.

Comparing the arguments of Alexander, Vitale, and Kaba, which position do you find most persuasive and why?

I find Kaba's position most persuasive. There is obviously a problem with the American justice system and it has been going on for so long, yielding no results. However, Kaba argues that the pay cut of officers, firings of officers, and the hiring of black officers will introduce a new solution that may work. The definition of insanity is to try things over and over again and expecting different results and that is exactly why I agree the most with Kaba's argument in opposition to Alexander's and Vitale's.

Which of the following claims is not a premise in the editorial "The Jim Crow South? No, Long Island Today"?

Identifying and exposing housing discrimination is potentially costly.

What would it mean to use the theory of human-induced climate change as the basis of reasoned action? Drawing from at least two of the texts that we've read on the topic of Climate Change (not including the editorial by Lydia Millet), provide an account of what would this look like or involve.

If we were to use the theory of human-induced climate change as the basis of reasoned action effectively then it would save our planet. According to Magdoff and Foster, a major factor in the war on climate change is the unwillingness of capitalists to take losses for the betterment of our planet. In another example, McKibbon highlights the importance of the time we are living in and claims that even though the rate of population growth is slowing, we are a lot closer to the limit than we think. This is where reasoned action comes into play. If we are following the theory of human-induced climate change, then it is obvious that we must all make sacrifices in our lives if we want to save our planet.

In your own words, describe the phenomenon of post-truth. Explain why it is a problem and what we ought to do in response to this problem.

In my opinion, the phenomenon of post-truth had everything to do with what we watched in The Social Dilemma. The developmental rise of technology has lead us to a point where our own phones know us better than some of our friends. This is a huge issue because when our phones know everything about us, they show us what we want to see. From that, we associate with other people who like the same things, have the same beliefs, and act the same way which strengthens the polarization of particular groups with opposing beliefs. In order to solve this problem, it starts with the media. The fact that there are political "sides" to different news sources baffles me and is the leading cause of polarization. News sources need to establish a nonbias method of operation that reports every news story, not just the stories that their viewers want to see. If this were to happen immediately, it would be very hard for some people to deal with it but in the end there would be so much more love in the world.

From a utilitarian perspective, the fictional sacrifice of the well-being of the child in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" is

Justified

For Aristotle, having a virtuous character is

Learned

Which of the following is not an alternative to policing proposed by Vitale:

Legalize drugs

According to Mill, "it is better to a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied." This implies that:

Not all pleasures are equally valuable.

Which of the following statements is Bill McKibben's conclusion?

Our current generation must choose to live more simply, efficiently, and reproduce less.

Pascoe and Stripling argue that the greatest challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic is

Our interconnectedness

For Aristotle, happiness

Results from living a virtuous life

The example of Elmhurst hospital is intended to make the point that

Supporting networkers of care save lives.

In her editorial, "Yes, we mean literally abolish the police", Mariame Kaba argues (as her conclusion)

That police department budgets should be radically cut and that this surfeit of funding should be redirected toward housing, healthcare, education and good jobs.

Which of the following sentences is stating a claim?

That sand is hot

Vitale's central claim is that:

The institution of policing needs to be fundamentally changed.

Alex Vitale argues that...

The institution of policing should be fundamentally changed.

Formulate a normative argument on the topic of climate change. Your argument should draw from two of texts that we've read, but it cannot just paraphrase or repeat one of these arguments.

The two articles that are influencing my normative argument are "A Special Moment in History" by Bill McKibbon and "What Every Environmentalist Needs To Know About Capitalism" by Fred Magdoff and John Bellamy Foster. Normative Statement: In order to cease human-induced climate change, we ought to continue to decrease the rate of population growth and take action on the suggestions made by scientists that will keep our planet alive and well for centuries to come.

What is the conclusion of the editorial "College Football is Not Essential"?

This year's college football season should be cancelled.

A "trolley problem" refers a situation where we are compelled to make a moral choice that involves some kind of sacrifice.

True

According to McKibben, the primary problem with population growth is not scarcity of resources but lack of atmospheric sinks to dispose of waste from consumption.

True

According to the documentary The Social Dilemma, social media platforms are designed to exploit vulnerabilities in human psychology.

True

An argument is composed of at least two statements.

True

An argument with a moral conclusion must also have a moral premise.

True

In the new Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander makes the claim that throughout American history race and class are fundamentally connected.

True

Jaron Lanier's argument is normative.

True

Kaba would agree with Vitale's conclusion.

True

Lee McIntyre, Jaron Lanier, and Eoin O'Carroll (the author of "After a 'post-truth' presidency, can America make facts real again?") each argue that rise of social media has contributed to the proliferation of misinformation.

True

Like Vitale, Kaba argues that we should reduce the role and scope of policing by identifying other ways of preventing and responding to violence.

True

McKibben claims that our current levels of population growth are unsustainable.

True

The fictional society in the story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" (see supplementary texts) is consistent with which of the following moral philosophies:

Utilitarianism

Which of the following phenomena does Lee McIntyre identify as a central problem with social media.

Viewpoint polarization

Which of the following statements best represents Lee McIntyre central claim?

We can and must fight post-truth.

Which of the following statements is a normative statement?

We should drink plenty of water each day.

Which of the following statements is making a moral claim?

We should eat less meat

Which of the following statements is not a premise in the argument ("College Football is not essential"):

We shouldn't be having face-to-face classes.

According to the people interviewed in The Social Dilemma, social media companies collect our data in order to

to build algorithms that will keep us engaged longer on their platforms

Paul Bloom argues that empathy...

tends to lead us astray in our moral judgments

The discussion of apartheid in South Africa was meant to show

the weakness of Utilitarianism in disasters.