Ethics

Hinman builds an analogy to suggest that moral health shares similarities with what other ingredient to a healthy life: personal hygiene regular exercise prayer or meditation nutrition

nutrition

Rights are generally denied to animals because they are not rational. 1) True 2) False

True

According to Hinman, what famous philosopher is most associated with the ethics of duty and respect? -Aristotle -Bentham -Kant -Marx

Kant

The appearance of a research paper in 2010 by Susan Reverby of Wellesley College led the US government to take what action? apologize to the Guatemala government for sponsoring research studies that inflicted Guatemalan prisoners with life-threatening diseases require graphic images of cancer patients on cigarette packages dedicate a portion of US highway billboards to promoting environmental issues reimburse US veterans for out-of-pocket expenses while serving abroard

apologize to the Guatemala government for sponsoring research studies that inflicted Guatemalan prisoners with life-threatening diseases

Which of the following is NOT considered a basis for establishing and justifying natural rights? appeal to a divine sanction appeal to a natural law appeal to human nature appeal to the Constitution

appeal to the Constitution

According to absolutism, values may vary according to culture are eternally valid cannot be judged by an outsider are valid only for a given culture

are eternally valid

Those who hold the view that religion is unneccessary to any ethical platform are identified with what ethical theory: atheism secularism autonomy of ethics ethics of care

autonomy of ethics

According to Utilitarianism our personal pleasures and pains have no special status are to be considered in our calculations should sometimes be given preference constitute the selfish aspect of utilitarianism

have no special status

According to ethical relativism polygamy is moral if the majority of your culture approves of it if you feel that it's right if the husband is capable of supporting all his wives if the women agree to form a polygamous marriage

if the majority of your culture approves of it

Problems with the theory of ethical egoism include all of the following except it can easily be universalized seems morally insensitive seems to contradict the reality of love and friendship it presupposes a world of strangers indifferent to one another

it can easily be universalized

A strength of relativism as an ethical theory is it leads to mutual understanding it promotes tolerance it helps us understand our own culture it teaches us about the force of culture

it promotes tolerance

One of the biggest problems with ethical relativism is that it provides no foundation for opposing wrongdoing perpetrated against the powerless it depends on majority rule it has no definitive values none of the above

it provides no foundation for opposing wrongdoing perpetrated against the powerless

Ethical relativism which claims both ethical validity and the moral truth of whatever the culture holds is known as: descriptive ethical relativism absolute ethical relativism pluralistic ethical relativism normative ethical relativism

normative ethical relativism

Psychological egoism claims that people should always do what's best for me people always act selfishly selfishness is written into our genes people should always do what's best for themselves

people always act selfishly

When we say that certain rights are subject to being outweighed by additional considerations, those rights are referred to as: negative rights positive rights prima facie rights natural rights

prima facie rights

Which of the following is NOT a concern of utilitarianism? producing moral action governed by consequences producing a society that exhibits the greatest amount of happiness producing a society with the least amount of pain or suffering producing a society free from the constraints of government intervention

producing a society free from the constraints of government intervention

A distinction between Islamic and Western ethics is that Islamic ethics does not recognize the same God as Christianity as source of moral guidance does not respect women supports warfare requires the union of religious and civil law

requires the union of religious and civil law

Jeremy Bentham once famously said that talk of human rights is just "nonsense on stilts." In contemporary times, the philosopher Alisdair MacIntryre agreed with Bentham. What do these philosophers agree upon? the logic of rights theorists sometimes leads to contradictory results rights language enables us to see beyond the prejudice of social institutions rights do not exist before or apart from society or social institutions rights theorists draw on abstract arguments to justify their claims

rights do not exist before or apart from society or social institutions

According to Hinman, which of the following is NOT a criticism of rights talk? rights talk imputes a false sense of objectivity to its claims the emphasis of rights talk on individualism threatens the nature of communities rights talk unfairly enriches trial lawyers rights talk interferes with family units

rights talk unfairly enriches trial lawyers

According to Ethical Egoism, someone like Mother Teresa is acting out of self-interest in her care for the poor of Calcutta because she is fulfilling her karma she is pursuing sainthood she is obeying the rule of her religious order she enjoys serving the poor

she enjoys serving the poor

Which of the following did NOT function as a background influence leading to the landmark abortion legislation, Roe v. Wade? property rights (the right to own one's body) privacy rights individual rights social contract rights

social contract rights

Joshua fulfills his duty; Anthony exceeds his duty. What word or phrase best describes Anthony's behavior? supererogatory utilitarian rule-ethicist moral excessivism

supererogatory

In a tragic chapter from early 20th century American history, the Tuskegee "subjects" were inflicted with what medical condition? syphilis pneumonia smallpox measles

syphilis

For Utilitarianism morality is gauged by the intentions of the moral agent the universalizability of the action the consequences of the action all of the above

the consequences of the action

According to ethical relativism, the only ones who should judge the correctness of moral values are those who live in the culture those whose ancestors come from the culture everyone who interacts or has business with the culture no one should judge but the individuals involved with a practice

those who live in the culture

According to Hinman, which famous philosopher is most associated with the ethics of virtue? -Aristotle -Bentham -Kant -Marx

Aristotle

In the reading for this week Hinman identifies a personal experience that caused him to rethink the moral nature of certain practices he had engaged in since his youth. What practice does it refer to? -burning large amounts of refuse in open-pit fires -constricting farm animals to inadequate amounts of living space -indiscriminate netting of dolphins by commercial fishing boats -intentional stress induced in certain animals to produce pheromones used in the production of perfume

Constricting farm animals to inadequate amounts of living space

The word "deontology" means duty moralty self-control universalize

duty

Moral absolutism is the theory that ethical ideas vary from culture to culture ethical values are universal and objective universal values can not be known unless God reveals them None of the above

ethical values are universal and objective

The version of utilitarians known as eudaimonistic relies on which of the following principles common goods egoism happiness delayed gratification

happiness

The version of utilitarians known as hedonistic relies on which of the following principles: happiness wealth authority pleasure

pleasure

Ethical egoism claims that life is nasty brutish and short people do in fact act selfishly altruism is a form of disguised egoism we should always act in our own self-interest

we should always act in our own self-interest

According to the text, Peter Singer is famous for applying utilitarianism to address what social injustice? gender inequality organ donation shortages world hunger unfair sentencing for possession of small amounts of marijuana

world hunger

According to the text, law professor Alan Dershowitz draws on consequentialist ethics to argue that torture is morally acceptable if it prevents greater harm. 1) True 2) False

1) True

The text notes three arguments that oppose Kant's emphasis on duty. Two of those are "moral alienation" and "moral minimalism." Identify the third argument: "do the right thing" "not in my backyard" "just say no" "just following orders"

"just following orders"

According to the text, which religious ethical tradition makes no appeal or reference to a personal God? Buddhist Hindu Sufi Neo-Pagan

Buddhist

Hinman tells the story of Admiral Stockdale, a Vietnam-era war hero who was kept in solitary confinement for 7 years. What philosophy did Stockdale rely on to find inner strength amidst these distressing conditions? virtue theory theories of delayed vengeance Epictetus and Roman stoicism theories of justice

Epictetus and Roman stoicism

Early in chapter 3 Hinman uses a story to illustrate the tension between religion and morality. Which one of the following characters is NOT in this story? God Adam Isaac Abraham

Adam

What 20th century figure does Hinman identify with ethical egoism? Sartre Dalai Lama Iris Murdoch Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand

According to the text, which one of the following senators voted not to impeach President Andrew Johnson, a vote which led to the senator's exile from politics? Mason Ross McBrennan Furnish

Ross

For the Navajo, if harmony is lost, how is it then restored? by restoration to the victim by punishment of the agent of the wrongdoing by excommunication from the tribe by performing a ritual

by performing a ritual

"If you want to be moral, then you should always tell the truth." In Kantian ethical terms, this is an example of a ______________. categorical imperative hypothetical imperative moral certitude moral platitude

hypothetical imperative

According to ethical relativism our response to the destruction of the Bamiyan Valley Buddha statues in Afghanistan should be to reconstruct the statues attack those responsible ignore it report it in the world press

ignore it

The five pillars of Islam refer to: the first five books of the Qur'an Islamic dietary restrictions the 12th century columns that support the Great Mosque in Mecca laws which direct the action of believers toward God

laws which direct the action of believers toward God

Which one of the following words refers to belief in one single god? pre-ordained monotheistic monolithic pantheistic

monotheistic

Hinman mentions three pillars of Kant's ethical philosophy. Select the item below that is NOT identified in the text as one of these three pillars: duty universalizability morality respect

morality

Jonathan, a nonsmoker, has a right to take public transportation that is free of cigarette smoke. From the perspective of right's theory Jonathan's right is known as a: positive right negative right natural right none of the above

negative right

In the Hinman text, the philosopher Alisdair MacIntyre decries the abuse of rights language as "moral fiction," or claiming a level of objectivity for themselves that they don't really possess. Which of the following is a modern-day example of such a "moral fiction" noted by MacIntyre? the right to periodic holidays with pay free and universal health care the right to retire by age 55 with full benefits the right to free tuition at public universities

the right to periodic holidays with pay

Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, was an early disciple of Ayn Rand 1) True 2) False

True

An example of a negative right is the freedom of speech. 1) True 2) False

True

Each year, 400,000 copies of Ayn Rand's novels are offered for free to high school AP (advanced placement) classes. 1) True 2) False

True

Future generations are not recognized as possessing the rights of already existing persons. 1) True 2) False

True

Hinman believes that curving grades could be considered immoral 1) True 2) False

True

John Locke, the 18th century British author of Two Treatises of Government which is considered one of the formative documents of modern political theory, believed that God was the ultimate source and foundation of human rights 1) True 2) False

True

One weakness of utilitarianism is that it is not concerned with justice as fairness 1) True 2) False

True

Psychological egoism usually points to some form of determinism to justify its claims 1) True 2) False

True

The statement 'What is right depends on what God says is right.' is an articulation of the divine command theory. True False

True

Utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham thought that we should act to maximize pain and minimize pleasure. True False

False

According to Hinman, Buddhism presents an ethics of harmony, in which a balance in the relationship between human beings and the natural world is central. True False

False

According to Hinman, the Navajo provide an ethic of war in which the balance of good and evil combat one another, with good eventually triumphing over evil. True False

False

According to Hinman, three levels must be harmonized in the Navajo world: family, military, and God. True False

False

According to psychological egoism, humans should always act in their own self-interest 1) True 2) False

False

According to utilitarianism, if an act brings me pleasure, then it is morally good 1) True 2) False

False

Acting selfishly and acting in our self-interest are the same thing 1) True 2) False

False

Hinman defines ethics as the spontaneous eruption of emotions, independent of conscious reflection, to events of the day. True False

False

Hinman's text defends an explicitly monist ethical view. True False

False

Kant claims that consequences of action should always be taken into account when determining what is right. 1) True 2) False

False

Rachel is despondent over acute health concerns, loss of a job, and a profoundly painful breakup with her partner of 12 years. Her immediate future holds the prospect of painful medical treatment which will not cure her but only prolong the inevitable, and she contemplates suicide as her best course of action. Under these conditions, Kant would grant that sometimes suicide can be morally allowed. 1) True 2) False

False

The statement 'Justice consists of treating everybody the same.' is an expression of moral elitism. True False

False

The statement 'What's right depends on the culture you are in.' is an expression of absolutism. True False

False

Which of the following is the title of Kant's major publication in the field of ethics? Groundwork of a Metaphysics of Morals The Philosophy of Duty The Metaphysics of Moral Truth Transcendent Truth: A Categorical Imperative for Modern Man

Groundwork of a Metaphysics of Morals

In the text, Hinman makes this statement: "One of the most important contributions that he made to ethics was his discussion of respect for other persons and his injunction that we not use other persons as mere means to our own ends." Based on your reading of the chapter, who is Hinman referring to? Immanuel Kant Thomas Hill Thomas Hobbes Bertrand Russel

Immanuel Kant

What is the name of the famous medieval philosopher and theologian who, according to Hinman, developed one of the strongest articulations of natural law ethics to date? John Quincy Adams Thomas Aquinas Thomas Jefferson Alisdair MacIntyre

Thomas Aquinas

Identify the author who wrote "life is nasty, brutish, and short," and who claimed that humans are selfish animals incapable of self-government. Ayn Rand Jeremy Bentham Thomas Hobbes Peter Singer

Thomas Hobbes

Psychological egoism is a scientific theory a normative theory telling us how to act a theory supported by J.S. Mill all of the above

a scientific theory

Which of the following is the closest definition of the Islamic notion of 'jihad'? a striving against forces that threaten the basic tenets of Islam embracing Western dress codes an emphasis on family traditions making bank loans in conformity to Islamic usury laws

a striving against forces that threaten the basic tenets of Islam

In the reading for this week Hinman tends to contrast ethical pluralism with what opposing view: absolutism generalism special relativity natural law

absolutism

Which of the following is NOT a categorical imperative: always be loyal to your friends tell the truth act morally if you want to be happy never lie

act morally if you want to be happy

If I neither affirm nor refute the existence of God, I am closest to which of the following categories? agnostic atheist pagan secular

agnostic

Arguments in support of ethical egoism include altruism is demeaning acting selfishly creates a better world each person is best suited to know his or her own best interests all of the above

all of the above

Atheists and agnostics reject divine command theory on the grounds that following commands of a supernatural being betrays the autonomy of reason there is no way to know that God exists we cannot know God's will all of the above

all of the above

Ayn Rand claims that genuine love is not altruistic selfishness is a virtue acting in my own interest is best for all all of the above

all of the above

Ethical pluralism claims that cultures can legitimately pass judgments on one another in some situations we must stand up to evil and oppose it we should listen to others because we are fallible all of the above

all of the above

Problems with ethical relativism include moral diversity does not justify it it cannot solve moral disputes it provides no basis for moral change all of the above

all of the above

Weaknesses of Utilitarianism include it relies on moral luck regarding outcomes it reduces morality to pleasure or preference it can be unjust all of the above

all of the above

A criticism of act utilitarianism is that it allows sacrificing individuals for the sake of the majority makes calculating consequences difficult takes personal ties into account none of the above

allows sacrificing individuals for the sake of the majority

Utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer claims that we should be vegetarians out of respect for animals because animals can communicate animals can reason animals are integral parts of ecosystems animals can feel pain

animals can feel pain