Chapter 3 Ethics

Identify the view which holds that people act only out of a self-interest.

Egoism

_____ is a view that holds that people act only out of self-interest.

Egoism

14. Employees have a right to a minimum wage, equal opportunity, and to bargain collectively as part of a union. These rights are examples of contractual agreements with employers

False

An ethics of virtue shifts the focus from questions about who a person is, to what that person should do.

False

Immanuel Kant claimed that the duty to respect human dignity could be expressed in several ways. One version directs us to act according to those rules that could be universally agreed to by all people. This is the first form of the:

Kantian categorical imperative.

What are the roles enacted by professionals within business termed as, and what do they entail?

Lawyers, accountants, auditors, financial analysts, and bankers have important roles to play within political and economic institutions. Many of these roles, often described as "gatekeeper functions," insure the integrity and proper functioning of the economic, legal, or financial system.

Distinguish between legal and contractual employee rights.

Legal rights are those granted to employees on the basis of legislation or judicial rulings. Thus, employees have a right to a minimum wage, equal opportunity, to bargain collectively as part of a union, to be free from sexual harassment, and so forth. Employee rights might refer to those goods that employees are entitled to on the basis of contractual agreements with employers. In this sense, a particular employee might have a right to a specific health care package, a certain number of paid holidays, pension funds, and the like.

What is the social contract?

Legal rules, organizational rules, role-based rules, and professional rules can be thought of as part of a social agreement, or social contract, which functions to organize and ease relations between individuals.

Moral right is the right to be treated with respect, to expect that others will treat us as an end and never as a means only, the right to be treated as an autonomous person.

Moral right is the right to be treated with respect, to expect that others will treat us as an end and never as a means only, the right to be treated as an autonomous person.

What is a moral right?

Moral right is the right to be treated with respect, to expect that others will treat us as an end and never as a means only, the right to be treated as an autonomous person.

Which of the following statements reflects the deontological ethical tradition?

Obey the law

What is the biggest challenge posed by 'egoism'?

The biggest challenge posed by egoism and, according to some, the biggest challenge to ethics, is the apparent gap between self-interest and altruism, or between motivation that is "self-regarding" and motivation that is "other-regarding." Ethics requires us, at least at times, to act for the well-being of others.

Which of the following principles of utilitarianism indicates its support for democratic institutions and policies?

The greatest good for the greatest number

Utilitarianism has been called a(n):

consequentialist approach to ethics.

Utilitarianism's fundamental insight is that we should decide what to do by: A. considering the moral character of individuals.

considering the consequences of our actions.

Virtue ethics directs us to consider the _____ of individuals and how various character traits can contribute to, or obstruct a happy, meaningful life.

moral character

The concept of moral rights is central to the:

principle-based ethical tradition.

Legal rules, organizational rules, role-based rules, and professional rules, all form a part of a social agreement called the _____, which functions to organize and ease relations between individuals.

social contract

The utilitarian tradition has a long history of relying on _____ for deciding on the ethical legitimacy of alternative decisions.

social sciences

Economists that view profit maximization as a central idea to corporate social responsibility are following the:

utilitarian framework of ethics

A social contract functions to organize and ease relations between individuals.

True

Which of the following is also known as the Kantian tradition in ethics?

Deontological ethics

Which of the following would be advocated by the "administrative" version of utilitarianism?

Government regulation of business

The emphasis on producing the greatest good for the greatest number makes utilitarianism a _____.

Social Philosophy

No group could function if members were free at all times to decide for themselves what to do and how to act. Which of the following functions to organize and ease relations between individuals?

Social contracts

Which ethical framework goes against the ethical principle of obeying certain duties or responsibilities, no matter the end result?

Utilitarian framework of ethics

Which of the following traditions is commonly identified with the principle of producing "the greatest good for the greatest number"?

Utilitarianism

_____ is commonly identified with the principle of "maximize the overall good" or, in a slightly different version, of producing "the greatest good for the greatest number."

Utilitarianism

Which of the following traditions seeks a full and detailed description of those character traits that would constitute a good and full human life?

Virtue ethics

The Kantian tradition claims that humans do not act only out of instinct and conditioning; they make free choices about how they live their lives, about their own ends. In this sense, humans are said to have a fundamental human right of:

autonomy.

The idea behind deontological approach to ethics is:

commonsensical.

One problem associated with utilitarianism is that the essence of utilitarianism is its reliance on _____.

consequences

Lawyers, accountants, auditors, financial analysts, bankers have important roles to play within political and economic institutions. These roles insure the integrity and proper functioning of the economic, legal, or financial system and are termed as:

gatekeeper functions.

An ethical tradition that directs us to decide based on overall consequences of our acts is: A. deontological ethics.

utilitarianism

The statement, "the end justifies the means," reflects the principle of:

utilitarianism.

People endorsing child labor by justifying that it brings in foreign investment within poor countries are mostly _____.

utilitarians

The study of various character traits that can contribute to, or obstruct, a happy and meaningful human life is part of:

virtue ethics.

Which of the following traditions would support child labor because it produces better overall consequences than the available alternatives?

. Utilitarianism

What is an ethical theory and how do they help?

An ethical theory is nothing more than an attempt to provide a systematic answer to the fundamental ethical question: How should human beings live their lives? Not only do ethical theories attempt to answer the question of how we should live, but they also provide reasons to support their answer. Ethical theories seek to provide a rational justification for why we should act and decide in a particular way.

Briefly explain how the concept of role-based rules works in business.

As an employee, one takes on a certain role that creates duties. Every business will have a set of rules that employees are expected to follow. Sometimes these rules are explicitly stated in a code of conduct, other times in employee handbooks, still others simply by managers. Likewise, as a business manager, one ought to follow many rules in respect to stockholders, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Perhaps the most dramatic example of role-based duties concerns the work of professionals within business. Lawyers, accountants, auditors, financial analysts, and bankers have important roles to play within political and economic institutions. Many of these roles, often described as "gatekeeper functions," insure the integrity and proper functioning of the economic, legal, or financial system.

"All of my friends trust me because I never back down on my word and I never break promises, no matter what." Identify the ethical approach that reflects this line of thought.

Deontological

"We ought to stop at a red light, even if no cars are coming and I could get to my destination that much sooner." Identify the ethical approach that follows this line of thought. A. Virtue ethics

Deontological

Which of the following approaches to ethics tells us that there are some rules that we ought to follow even if doing so prevents good consequences from happening or even if it results in some bad consequences?

Deontological

Identify the ethical tradition that directs us to act on the basis of moral principles.

Deontological ethical tradition

Deontological ethical traditions direct us to consider the moral character of individuals and how various character traits can contribute to, or obstruct, a happy and meaningful human life.

False

Ethical theories attempt to answer the question of how we should live, but do not give reasons to support their answers

False

The "administrative" version of utilitarianism considers competitive markets to be the most efficient means of maximizing happiness.

False

The "market" version of utilitarianism argues that questions of safety and risk should be determined by experts who establish standards that the business is required to meet.

False

The concept of a human or moral right is central to the consequence-based ethical tradition.

False

The ultimate ethical goal of deontology is to produce the best consequences for all parties affected by the decisions

False

Utilitarians would object to child labor as a matter of principle

False

Briefly highlight the problems associated with utilitarian thinking.

If utilitarianism advises that decisions be made by comparing the consequences of alternative actions, then we must have a method for making such comparisons. In practice, however, some comparisons and measurements are very difficult. A second challenge goes directly to the core of utilitarianism. The essence of utilitarianism is its reliance on consequences. Ethical and unethical acts are determined by their consequences. In short, the end justifies the means. But this seems to deny one of the earliest ethical principles that many of us have learned: The ends do not justify the means. Utilitarian reasoning demands rigorous work to calculate all the beneficial and harmful consequences of our actions. Perhaps more important, utilitarian reasoning does not exhaust the range of ethical concerns. Consequences are only a part of the ethical landscape. Responsible ethical decision-making also involves matters of duties, principles, and personal integrity.

The basis of the ethical principle emphasized by _____ is to respect the dignity of individuals.

Immanuel Kant

According to one version of attaining the utilitarian goal, and with reference to Adam Smith's 'an invisible hand', how is it possible to have the most efficient economy?

One movement within utilitarian thinking invokes the tradition of Adam Smith and claims that free and competitive markets are the best means for attaining utilitarian goals. Given this utilitarian goal, current free market economics advises us that the most efficient economy is structured according to the principles of free market capitalism.

Ethical reasoning falls into three major categories. Identify them.

Personal character, consequences, and principles

Which among the following is a legal right?

Right to bargain collectively as part of a union.

How is the concept of moral right central to the concept of deontological ethics?

The concept of a moral right is central to the deontological tradition since the inherent dignity of each individual means that we cannot do just anything we choose to another person. Moral rights protect individuals from being treated in ways that would violate their dignity and that would treat them as mere objects or means. Moral rights imply that some acts and some decisions are "off-limits." Accordingly, our fundamental moral duty (the "categorical imperative") is to respect the fundamental moral rights of others. Our rights establish limits on the decisions and authority of others.

How does utilitarianism directly go against the fundamental ethical principle?

The essence of utilitarianism is its reliance on consequences. Ethical and unethical acts are determined by their consequences. In short, the end justifies the means. But this seems to deny one of the earliest ethical principles that many of us have learned: the ends do not justify the means.

It is possible to argue on utilitarian grounds that child labor is ethically permissible because it produces better overall consequence than the alternatives.

True

Philosophical ethics provides justifications that must be applicable to all people regardless of their religious starting points

True

The idea behind deontological ethics is commonsensical.

True

Utilitarianism has been called a consequentialist approach to ethics and social policy.

True

Utilitarianism opposes policies that aim to benefit only a small social, economic, or political minority.

True

Virtue ethics emphasizes the more affective side of our character

True

Which of the following approaches conceive of practical reason in terms of deciding how to act and what to do?

Utilitarianism and deontology

Explain how the branch of utilitarianism claims free and competitive markets can help maximize the overall good?

Utilitarianism answers the fundamental questions of ethics - what should we do? - by reference to a rule: Maximize the overall happiness. One movement within utilitarian thinking invokes the tradition of Adam Smith, claiming that free and competitive markets are the best means for attaining utilitarian goals. This version would promote policies that deregulate private industry, protect property rights, allow for free exchanges, and encourage competition. In such situations, decisions of rationally self-interested individuals would result, as if led by "an invisible hand" in Adam Smith's terms, in the maximum satisfaction of individual happiness. Current free market economics advises us that the most efficient economy is structured according to the principles of free market capitalism. This requires that business managers, in turn, should seek to maximize profits. This idea is central to one common perspective on corporate social responsibility. By pursuing profits, business insures that scarce resources go to those who most value them and thereby insures that resources will provide optimal overall satisfaction. Thus, these economists see competitive markets as the most efficient means to the utilitarian end of maximizing happiness.

Explain how child labor may be justified in the eyes of a utilitarian.

Utilitarianism's fundamental insight is that we should decide what to do by considering the consequences of our actions. One might argue on utilitarian grounds that child labor practices are ethically permissible because they produce better overall consequences than the alternatives.

Identify the approach to ethics that shifts the focus from questions about what a person should do, to a focus on who that person is.

Virtue ethics

Which of the following focuses on the concept of practices and what type of people these practices are creating?

Virtue ethics framework of ethics.

Briefly explain the concept of virtue ethics.

Virtue ethics is a tradition within philosophical ethics that seeks a full and detailed description of those character traits, or virtues, that would constitute a good and full human life. An ethics of virtue shifts the focus from questions about what a person should do, to a focus on who that person is. This shift requires not only a different view of ethics but, at least as important, a different view of ourselves. Implicit in this distinction is the recognition that our identity as a person is constituted in part by our wants, beliefs, values, and attitudes. A person's character—those dispositions, relationships, attitudes, values, and beliefs that popularly might be called a "personality"—is not a feature independent of that person's identity. Character is not like a suit of clothes that you step into and out of at will. Rather, the self is identical to a person's most fundamental and enduring dispositions, attitudes, values, and beliefs. Note how this shift to an emphasis on the individual changes the nature of justification in ethics.

The " _____ " version of utilitarianism would be sympathetic with government regulation of business on the grounds that such regulation will insure that business activities do contribute to the overall good.

administrative

Virtue ethics emphasizes the more _____ side of our character.

affective

Right to a minimum wage, equal opportunity, to bargain collectively as part of a union, and to be free from sexual harassment are examples of _____ rights.

legal

The "market" version of utilitarianism would promote all of the following policies except:

regulation of advertising.

The essence of utilitarianism is its:

reliance on consequences.

According to Immanuel Kant, there is essentially one fundamental moral duty:

respect the dignity of each individual.