Phil 115 Quiz Questions
Is it true or false that Russell Wilson has a better quarterback rating than Donald Trump?
True.
Which one of the following best describes what it means to say that an act is morally permissible? A) It means that the act is morally obligatory. B) It means that acting in a way is morally irrelevant or not morally wrong. C) It means that relatively few people will be affected by its bad consequences. D) It means that the act is prima facie (vs. actually) obligatory.
B) It means that acting in that way is morally irrelevant or not morally wrong.
Which one of the following best characterizes the anthropocentric position on moral standing? A) All organisms and their genomic kinds (species) have moral standing. B) All humans and sentient animals have moral standing. C) All and only humans have moral standing. D) All organisms have moral standing.
C) All and only humans have moral standing.
Which one of the following statements best reflects the postmodernist view of nature? A) Nature was created by God for the benefit of humans. B) Humans are entrusted by God to be good stewards of God's creation. C) Any view of nature is a representation that reflects cultural ways of thinking. D) Rigorous on-going science is capable of disclosing nature as it "really is"
C) Any view of nature is a representation that reflects cultural ways of thinking.
An entity (any entity) cannot reasonably regarded as being morally considerable in its own right unless several conditions are met. Which one of the following is not one of these conditions? A) The entity is self-regulating. B) The entity is capable of being harmed. C) The entity is capable of moral agency. D) The entity possesses or exhibits a characteristic that is of value to it and is deserving of respect.
C) The entity is capable of moral agency.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "Utilitarianism has no room for the equal moral rights of different individuals because it has no room for their equal inherent worth or value. What has value for the utilitarian is the satisfaction of an individual's interests, not the individual whose interests they are?"? A) Richard Nixon. B) Peter Singer. C) Tom Regan. D) Max Scheler.
C) Tom Regan.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "You don't change unjust institutions by tidying them up. What's wrong - what's fundamentally wrong - is the system that allows us to view animals as our resources - to be eaten, or surgically manipulated, or put in our crosshairs for sport or money." A) Peter Singer. B) Bryan Norton. C) Tom Regan. D) Richard Posner.
C) Tom Regan.
Which one of the following is the best characterization of virtue ethics? A) Virtue ethics is the branch of ethics that engages primarily on the critique of macroeconomic policies B) Virtue ethics is the non-prescriptive branch of ethics that analyzes the meaning of moral terms and critically examines concepts and forms of argument used in moral reasoning C) Virtue ethics is the branch of prescriptive ethics that focuses on the qualities of a virtuous person or person of good character, and on how ideals of virtue should be cultivated within organizations and society
C) Virtue ethics is the branch of prescriptive ethics that focuses on the qualities of a virtuous person or person of good character, and on how ideals of virtue should be cultivated within organizations and society
Which one of the following is the best estimate of the magnitude of economic growth over the 20th century? A) A 2-fold increase B) A 4-fold increase C) A 10-fold increase D) A 20-fold increase
D) A 20-fold increase
Which one of the following best describes the "convergence hypothesis"? A) Someday all humans will agree that mammals, like humans, are morally considerable in their own right. B) As scientific knowledge continues to advance, people will come to agree that deontological thinking in environmental ethics is superior to teleological thinking. C) Convergence occurs when the genes of one species are incorporated in the genetic structure of another species. D) A fully developed anthropocentric ethics will yield the same management prescriptions as would a fully worked out non-anthropocentric ethics.
D) A fully developed anthropocentric ethics will yield the same management prescriptions as would a fully worked out non-anthropocentric ethics.
Which one of the following statements about Francis Bacon is false? A) Bacon was an Enlightenment thinker and a contemporary of Descartes. B) Bacon formulated the rudiments of the scientific method. C) Bacon viewed the new science as an indispensable tool for making nature hospitable to humans and the advancement of culture and civilization. D) Bacon formulated the theory of natural selection.
D) Bacon formulated the theory of natural selection.
Per Rosaline Hurtshouse in Ethics, Humans, and Other Animals, which of the following is a worthy candidate as a new environmental virtue, i.e. an important but hitherto underemphasized way that humans ought to be orientated toward the natural order? A) Being charitable. B) Being fair. C) Being courageous. D) Being respectful. E) Being generous.
D) Being respectful.
A teleological moral theorist associates moral rightness with which one of the following? A) Doing what is consistent with the customs, traditions, and mores of the society of which one is a member or visitor. B) Doing what God commands. C) Doing what the law requires. D) Doing what is expected to have the best consequences.
D) Doing what is expected to have the best consequences.
Which one of the following is not one of DeGrazia's fifteen moral norms? A) Make every reasonable effort not to provide financial support for institutions that cause or support unnecessary harm to sentient animals. B) Don't cause significant suffering to any sentient animal for the sake of your or others' enjoyment. C) The presumption against killing humans, Great Apes, and dolphins is virtually absolute. D) Don't keep wild animals as pets unless one is certain that they would otherwise be killed.
D) Don't keep wild animals as pets unless one is certain that they would otherwise be killed.
According to Taylor, which one of the following is not a prima facie duty that humans owe to non-human living beings? A) The duty of nonmaleficence. B) The duty of noninterference. C) The duty of fidelity. D) The duty of supererogation. E) The duty of restorative justice.
D) The duty of supererogation.
Which one of the following institutions was not singled out by the author of the text as playing a central role in the cultivation of environmental virtue? A) Religion. B) Education. C) The news media. D) The entertainment industry.
D) The entertainment industry.
DeGrazia discusses several basic ways in which human actions can harm animals. Which one of the following is not one of these ways? A) The harm of suffering. B) The harm of confinement. C) The harm of killing. D) The harm of genetic modification.
D) The harm of genetic modification.
Which one of the following is the best characterization of virtue ethics? A) Virtue ethics focuses on the formulation of action-guiding moral principles. B) Virtue ethics focuses on the meaning of moral terms. C) Virtue ethics focuses on the conditions under which it makes sense to hold people morally responsible for their actions. D) Virtue ethics focuses on the qualities of a morally good person - on the elements of good character -- and on how those qualities can and should be cultivated.
D) Virtue ethics focuses on the qualities of a morally good person - on the elements of good character -- and on how those qualities can and should be cultivated.
In regard to responsibilities owed to future generations, which one of the following best reflects utilitarian thinking? A) Privatization of resources represents the best prospect that the needs of future generations will be met. B) We are morally bound to future generations by virtue of our cultural links with them. C) Future generations have a moral right not to be deprived of what is fundamentally needed for their survival and well-being. D) We have a duty to do what can reasonably be expected to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of humans, where the good of future as well as currently living humans is taken into account.
D) We have a duty to do what can reasonably be expected to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of humans, where the good of future as well as currently living humans is taken into account.
If the history of life on Earth were represented in a movie lasting one year, the Industrial Revolution would appear at about what time in the movie? A) With about a month left. B) With about two weeks left. C) With about one week left. D) With about three seconds left.
D) With about three seconds left.
Approximately 44% of the total atmospheric carbon dioxide is emitted by China and the U.S. Is this statement true or false?
True
An anthropogenic theory of value maintains that only humans value and have values - that a world without humans would be a world without value. Is this statement true or false?
True.
Aristotle believed that moral virtues are dispositions to choose a middle path between excess and deficiency, a mean between extremes. Is this statement true or false?
True.
Bryan Norton argues that Leopold's land ethic, properly understood, is anthropocentric in its basis. Is this statement true or false?
True.
Cap-and-trade systems allow polluters to buy and sell pollution permits. Is this statement true or false?
True.
Government-allocated pollution permits in a cap-and-trade system sum to a not-to-exceed total, example, a government-established "cap". True or False?
True.
Holmes Rolston argues that Leopold's ethic, properly understood, is a departure from anthropocentrism, resting on the premise that ecosystems have inherent value. Is this statement true or false?
True.
The mechanistic-deterministic model of explanation posits that predictive certainty is, in principle, possible, and that phenomena studied in psychology can, in principle, be fully explained by phenomena studied in physics, chemistry, and biology. Is this statement true or false?
True.
The principle of self-interest is classified as a teleological principle. Is this statement true or false?
True.
Wilderness conservation has come to be associated with Gifford Pinchot and the contention that public lands ought to managed in ways that promote the "greatest good for the greatest number for the greatest time". Is this statement true or false?
True.
DeGrazia argues that consumers have an obligation to boycott the products of factory farms? Is this statement true or false?
True.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "A sentient valuer is not necessary for value.. The axiological scales we construct do not constitute the value, any more than the scientific scales we erect create what we thereby measure"? A) Aldo Leopold. B) Holmes Rolston. C) Peter Singer. D) Tom Regan. E) James Sterba.
B) Holmes Rolston.
Which one of the following writers stated: "The land ethic changes the role of the Homo Sapiens from the conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members and also respect for the community as such"? A) Aldo Leopold. B) Holmes Rolston. C) Paul Taylor. D) Charles Elton. E) Bryan Norton.
A) Aldo Leopold.
Which one of the following best characterizes the distinction between intrinsic value and extrinsic value? A) An intrinsic value is something that is good in and of itself; an extrinsic value is something that is good as a means to some other value B) An intrinsic value is something that is always good; an extrinsic value is something that is usually bad C) an intrinsic value is something that is associated with intellectual pleasure; an extrinsic value is something associated with sensual or physical pleasure
A) An intrinsic value is something that is good in and of itself; an extrinsic value is something that is good as a means to some other value
Which one of the following statements would least likely be made by Mark Sagoff? A) Cost-benefit analysis has no constructive role whatsoever to play in the formulation of policy. B) When environmentalists argue that a national forest should be preserved for its aesthetic or symbolic meaning, they are stating a conviction about a public good, not merely expressing personal wants. C) Cost-benefit analysis aggregates consumer preference to the exclusion of shared community values. D) Clean air or the preservation of wildlife is not something we choose, as we might choose a necktie or a cigarette, but reflects what we value and who we are as a people. E) Our environmental goals are not to be construed simply as interests to be priced by markets.
A) Cost-benefit analysis has no constructive role whatsoever to play in the formulation of policy.
Which one of the following writers characterized recent work in ecology as an "ecology of chaos"? A) Donald Worster. B) Aldo Leopold. C) Bugs Bunny. D) Holmes Rolston.
A) Donald Worster.
Which one of the following pioneers in the development of ecology likened the work of an ecologist to that of a doctor? A) Frederick Clements. B) Paul Taylor. C) Charles Darwin. D) Bryan Norton. E) Arthur Tansley.
A) Frederick Clements.
Which one of the following is not a line of criticism leveled at Taylor's biocentric ethics? A) Taylor's biocentrism does not include decision rules for resolving conflicts between human and non-human interests. B) His principle of minimum wrong contradicts the principle of equal inherent worth. C) Implementation of his principle of distributive justice (requiring the distribution of equal shares of a critically needed scarce resources) would seriously hamstring human activities and thus too extreme and impractical. D) Taylor's biocentric individualism fails to recognize the central role and moral standing of collective wholes in nature (species and ecosystems).
A) Taylor's biocentrism does not include decision rules for resolving conflicts between human and non-human interests.
Which one of the following Christian theologians believed that the created world is hierarchically ordered and wrote the following: "We conclude, then, that lifeless beings exist for living beings, plants for animals, and the latter for man. The whole of material nature exits for man, inasmuch as he is a rational animal"? A) Thomas Aquinas B) Francis of Assisi C) Francis Bacon D) Pope Francis E) Saint Francisco
A) Thomas Aquinas
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "In creating the planet Earth, its living forms, and its human intelligence, the universe has found, so far as we know, the most elaborate manifestation of its deepest mystery. Here, in human form, the universe is able to reflect on and celebrate itself in a unique mode of conscious self-awareness." A) Thomas Berry. B) Edmund Burke. C) Leonardo de Vinci. D) Charles Darwin. E) Donald Trump.
A) Thomas Berry.
Which one of the following is a stated goal of the 2015 Paris Protocol? A) To limit post-industrial global warming to no more than 2.0 degrees centigrade by 2030 B) To limit post-industrial global warming to no more than 2.0 degrees centigrade by 2050 C) To limit post-industrial global warming to no more than 3.0 degrees centigrade by 2050
A) To limit post-industrial global warming to no more than 2.0 degrees centigrade by 2030
Which one of the following is the best estimate of the magnitude of human population growth over the 20th century? A) A 2-fold increase B) A 4-fold increase C) A 10-fold increase D) A 20-fold increase
B) A 4-fold increase
Which one of the following best states William Rees' definition of a region's "ecological footprint"? A) A measure of the extent to which resources within a region are exported to other regions B) A measure of the extent to which resource utilization within a region exceeds the availability of those resources regionally available C) A measure of the maximum number of people (population size) that can sustainably exist within a given geographical area
B) A measure of the extent to which resource utilization within a region exceeds the availability of those resources regionally available
CRISPR refers to which one of the following: A) A technique for determining the brittleness of materials used in aviation. B) A technique used to rearrange the DNA sequencing in a gene. C) A popular breakfast cereal. D) A recent Oscar-winning movie starring Tom Hanks.
B) A technique used to rearrange the DNA sequencing in a gene.
Which one of the following was the author of "The Wealth of Nations" and argued that an "invisible hand" operates in a capitalist economy to promote the greatest good for the greatest number? A) John Maynard Keynes. B) Adam Smith. C) John Stuart Mill. D) Herman Daly. E) William Rees.
B) Adam Smith.
Which one of the following writers advanced the "convergence hypothesis"? A) John Muir. B) Bryan Norton. C) Adam Smith. D) Henry David Thoreau.
B) Bryan Norton.
Which one of the following writers wrote the following: "As many more individuals of each species are born than can possibly survive; and, as, consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it varies however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected"? A) Lester Brown B) Charles Darwin C) Francis Bacon D) Isaac Newton E) Rene Descartes
B) Charles Darwin
Which one of the following economic theorists argued that growth becomes uneconomic and eventually impossible when rates of consumption of renewable resources exceed renewal rates, rates of consumption of nonrenewable resources exceed the rate of development of resource substitutes, and/or rates of waste generation exceed the capacity of ecosystems to absorb and recycle those wastes."? A) Peter Singer. B) Herman Daly. C) Tom Regan. D) Paul Taylor. E) Vladimir Putin.
B) Herman Daly.
Which one of the following best characterizes what the concept of moral responsibility is about? A) Acquiring wealth and maximizing profit potential. B) Holding oneself and others accountable for choices and actions. C) Claiming a benefit as an entitlement. D) Getting the facts straight before making a decision.
B) Holding oneself and others accountable for choices and actions.
Which one of the following descriptions most closely matches the definition of "wild lands" provided by Conservation International? A) Lands that retain at least 96% of their original vegetation and prohibit human visitation. B) Lands that retain 70% of their original vegetation and have a resident human population of less than five people per kilometer. C) Lands that exhibit conditions much the same as those that existed during the Pleistocene. D) Lands that are legally protected.
B) Lands that retain 70% of their original vegetation and have a resident human population of less than five people per kilometer.
Which one of the following best characterizes the distinction between negative rights and positive rights? A) Negative rights protect freedoms; positive rights preserve nurturing relationships. B) Negative rights define entitlements not to be harmed; positive rights define entitlements to benefits. C) Negative rights are associated with welfare rights; positive rights are associated with natural rights. D) Negative rights are backed by custom; positive rights are backed by coercion.
B) Negative rights define entitlements not to be harmed; positive rights define entitlements to benefits.
Which one of the following is the author of the following: "My economic research has convinced me that Americans can have all the wilderness, timber, wildlife, fish, and other forest resources they want. Apparent shortages of any of these resources are due solely to the Forest Service's failure to sell them at market prices."? A) Mark Sagoff. B) Peter O'Toole. C) Baird Callicott. D) Aldo Leopold. E) William Rees.
B) Peter O'Toole.
In Slate (an online magazine), Peter Singer debated with Judge Richard Posner on the moral status of animals. Which debater made the following statement?: "When kindness toward animals is levered into a duty of weighting the pains of animals and people equally, bizarre vistas of social engineering are opened up."? A) Singer B) Posner
B) Posner
Which one of the following best describes the difference between teleological and deontological theories of ethics? A) Teleological theories associate rightness with actions that foster tolerance; deontological theories associate rightness with actions that foster respect from authority B) Teleological theories associate rightness with actions that have good consequences; deontological theories associate rightness with features of the actions themselves, or with considerations other than consequences C) Teleological theories associate right actions with preference maximization; deontological theories associate rightness with wealth maximization D) Teleological theories emphasize arrangements that punish wrongdoing; deontological theories emphasize arrangements that reward right doing
B) Teleological theories associate rightness with actions that have good consequences; deontological theories associate rightness with features of the actions themselves, or with considerations other than consequences
Which one of the following is the best characterization of Tom Regan's criterion of moral standing? A) The capacity to experience pain and suffering. B) The capacity to be an experiencing subject of a life. C) The capacity to develop moral theories and systems of law. D) The capacity to predict future events. E) The capacity to solve complex mathematical problems.
B) The capacity to be an experiencing subject of a life.
Per Ronald Sandler in Environmental Virtue Ethics, which one of the following is not a potential strategy for identifying environmental virtues? A) The extensionist strategy. B) The priority of principles over virtues strategy. C) The human benefits strategy. D) The consideration of human excellence strategy. E) The study of the role models strategy.
B) The priority of principles over virtues strategy.
William Rees estimated that the ecological footprint of the greater Vancouver B.C. is how many times greater than the resources available in that region to meet its total resource demand? A) 2 times greater. B) 4 times greater. C) 12 times greater. D) 160 times greater.
C) 12 times greater
Which one of the following best characterizes what Edmund Burke and other aestheticians call the experience of the sublime? A) An appreciation of beauty. B) A feeling of sheer terror when one is confronted by menacing forces. C) A powerful and strangely pleasing emotion produced in the human mind by "terrible objects," objects whose magnitude or power is so great that they evoke a sense of awe. D) A feeling of thankfulness for nature's bounty.
C) A powerful and strangely pleasing emotion produced in the human mind by "terrible objects," objects whose magnitude or power is so great that they evoke a sense of awe.
Which one of the following writers is the author of A Sound County Almanac, the last section of which is titled "The Land Ethic"? A) Baird Callicott. B) Paul Taylor. C) Aldo Leopold. D) Charles Elton. E) Theodore Roosevelt.
C) Aldo Leopold.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community... [and] wrong when it tends otherwise" A) Baird Callicott. B) Paul Taylor. C) Aldo Leopold. D) Charles Elton. E) Theodore Roosevelt.
C) Aldo Leopold.
Which one of the following is not a reason given by Louke van Wensveen in her book Dirty Virtues why virtue ethics is appealing to many contemporary environmentalists? A) Because virtue ethics provides a terminology for expressing concern about the environmental and ecological devastation we see all around us. B) Because virtue discourse allows and encourages the integration of emotion, thought, and action. C) Because the emphasis in ethics from the time of Plato and Aristotle until the Enlightenment was on the articulation and application of moral principles, not on the identification of cultivation of virtue. D) Because virtue ethics emphasizes narratives and the power of example
C) Because the emphasis in ethics from the time of Plato and Aristotle until the Enlightenment was on the articulation and application of moral principles, not on the identification of cultivation of virtue.
Which one of the following best describes a maximin choice? A) Choosing institutional arrangements expected to maximize total well-being. B) Choosing institutional arrangements expected to maximize average well-being. C) Choosing institutional arrangements under which the worst that could occur is better than the worst that could occur under any other set of institutional arrangements. D) Choosing institutional arrangements expected to be most advantageous in the long run.
C) Choosing institutional arrangements under which the worst that could occur is better than the worst that could occur under any other set of institutional arrangements.
Which one of the following is the best characterization of conduct ethics? A) Conduct ethics is the branch of prescriptive ethics that focuses on the qualities of a virtuous person or person of good character, and on how ideals of virtue should be cultivated within organizations and society. B) Conduct ethics is the branch of descriptive ethics focuses on identifying basic moral beliefs within cultures and highlighting cultural differences. C) Conduct ethics is the branch of ethics that makes prescriptions about how one should go about deciding what is or would be the morally right course of action. D) Conduct ethics is the non-prescriptive branch of ethics that analyzes the meaning of moral terms and critically examines concepts and forms of argument used in moral reasoning.
C) Conduct ethics is the branch of ethics that makes prescriptions about how one should go about deciding what is or would be the morally right course of action.
Which one of the following writers stated the following: "If, in this world of uncertain moral convictions, it makes any sense to claim that one ought not to kill individuals, without justification, it makes more sense to claim that one ought not to superkill the species, without justification"? A) Aldo Leopold. B) Eric Holder. C) Holmes Rolston. D) James Lovelock.
C) Holmes Rolston.
Who wrote "Nothing more than the condition of being alive seems to me to be a plausible and non-arbitrary criterion or moral considerability," and suggested that "the core of moral concern lies in respect for self-sustaining organization and integration in the face of pressures toward high entropy"? A) Aldo Leopold. B) Rene Descartes. C) Kenneth Goodpaster. D) Peter Singer. E) Tom Regan.
C) Kenneth Goodpaster.
Which one of the following statements best conveys the meaning of Gary Snyder's poem "The Call of the Wild"? A) The coyote's howl will never be extinguished. B) Reintroduction of the coyote in Yellowstone National Park is a moral imperative. C) Loss of the coyote's call is a loss of wildness not only in nature but in our psyches as well. D) Loss of the coyote is a gain for cattlemen but a loss for ecosystems in which the coyote is the top predator.
C) Loss of the coyote's call is a loss of wildness not only in nature but in our psyches as well.
Which one of the following is not one of Rawl's criteria for making a rational choice (of ordering principles) under idealized conditions choice? A) Choosing on the basis of self-interest. B) Making a maximin choice. C) Making a utilitarian choice. D) Choosing as if one were choosing behind a "veil of ignorance".
C) Making a utilitarian choice.
Which one of the following is the best characterization of metaethics? A) Metaethics is the branch of ethics that focuses on the conditions under which it makes sense to hold people morally responsible for their actions. B) Metaethics is the branch of ethics that makes prescriptions about how one should go about deciding what is or would be the morally right course of action. C) Metaethics is the non-prescriptive branch of ethics that analyzes the meaning of moral terms and critically examines concepts and forms of argument used in moral reasoning.
C) Metaethics is the non-prescriptive branch of ethics that analyzes the meaning of moral terms and critically examines concepts and forms of argument used in moral reasoning.
Which one of the following is the best characterization of the meaning of "natural capital"? A) The investment capital required to more efficiently extract the natural resources needed to support growing populations B) Foods that contain only natural ingredients and are organically produced C) Natural resources and ecosystem processes whose contributions to economic production do not show up as line items in accounting systems and are not reflected in market prices D) A term that connotes the contribution of raw materials, technology, and financial capital to economic production
C) Natural resources and ecosystem processes whose contributions to economic production do not show up as line items in accounting systems and are not reflected in market prices
Which one of the following views of nature was not discussed in the text and lecture? A) Nature as divine creation. B) Nature as the antithesis of mind and civilization. C) Nature as a mirror universe. D) Nature as human artifact. E) Nature as cultural construct.
C) Nature as a mirror universe.
According to Jeanine Benyus in her book, Biomimicry, which of the following is not one of nature's ways that humans would do well to heed? A) Nature runs on sunlight. B) Nature fits form to function. C) Nature follows deterministic laws, making it possible in principle to predict future events with absolute certainty. D) Nature recycles everything and wastes nothing. E) Nature banks on diversity.
C) Nature follows deterministic laws, making it possible in principle to predict future events with absolute certainty.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: " Racists violate the principle of quality by giving greater weight to the interests of members of their own race. Sexists violate the principle of equality by favoring the interests of their own sex. Similarly, speciesists allow the interest of their own species to override the greater interests of members of other species." A) Bryan Norton. B) John Stuart Mill. C) Peter Singer. D) Tom Paine. E) Holmes Rolston.
C) Peter Singer.
Which one of the following best captures the point of the aphorism "Principles without dispositions are impotent; dispositions without principles are blind"? A) Dispositions to act in certain ways are more fundamental than action-guiding principles. B) Action-guiding principles are more basic in ethics than virtuous dispositions. C) Principles require dispositions to think and act in the ways that principles prescribe, but value-based principles are needed to discern what dispositions are indeed virtues. D) Statements about how one should go about deciding what one ought to do presuppose that there are basic moral truths.
C) Principles require dispositions to think and act in the ways that principles prescribe, but value-based principles are needed to discern what dispositions are indeed virtues.
Which one of the statements is not consistent with the "weak" interpretation of the principle of precaution? A) The opportunity costs of not developing must be taken into account in cost-benefit analysis. B) Opponents of development bear the burden of proving that the project in question is not acceptably safe. C) Proponents of development bear the burden of proving that the project in question is acceptably safe. D) The practice of discounting future costs and benefits is justified.
C) Proponents of development bear the burden of proving that the project in question is acceptably safe.
Which one of the following is not singled out in the text as a primary factor contributing to a respectful attitude toward nature? A) Rekindling felt connections. B) Telling life's epic story. C) Reaffirming the faith that humans have been given mastery and dominion over the earth. D) Understanding complex situations. E) Taking stock of nature's manifold value.
C) Reaffirming the faith that humans have been given mastery and dominion over the earth.
Which one of the following historically important documents provided the following definition of sustainability: "Sustainable development is development that needs the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."? A) The Declaration of Independence (1776) B) Report of the Office of Technology Assessment to the 100th Congress (1987) C) Report of the Brundtland Commission to the United Nations (1987) D) Report of the Cheney Commission to the World Court (2009)
C) Report of the Brundtland Commission to the United Nations (1987)
Which one of the following is not implied by the claim that an entity has moral standing? A) That an obligation not to harm the entity in question is an obligation owed directly to that entity. B) That the entity in question is morally considerable in its own right. C) That harm to the entity is never morally justified. D) That the question of the permissibility of harm to that entity is a relevant moral question irrespective of whether any human being is benefited or harmed thereby.
C) That harm to the entity is never morally justified.
Which one of the following best characterizes the meaning of the term "net primary production"? A) The amount of energy required to sustain human life B) The total amount of energy in Earth's biosphere C) The amount of energy produced by photosynthesizing plants and chemosynthesizing cyanobacteria in excess of what those organisms require for their own growth and development D) The amount of solar energy that is converted into usable energy for planetary life
C) The amount of energy produced by photosynthesizing plants and chemosynthesizing cyanobacteria in excess of what those organisms require for their own growth and development
Which one of the following is not a central belief in what Taylor calls "a biocentric outlook on nature"? A) The belief that humans are an integral part of nature. B) The belief that all living beings exist in a system of interdependence. C) The belief that human well-being always trumps the well-being of other life in moral deliberation about right courses of action. D) The belief that all organisms are teleological centers of activity that pursue their own good in their own way.
C) The belief that human well-being always trumps the well-being of other life in moral deliberation about right courses of action.
Which one of the following beliefs was not held by Aldo Leopold? A) The belief that the science of ecology should play a role in moral decision making. B) The belief that ecosystems ought to be regarded as having human-independent moral standing. C) The belief that the good of individuals takes precedence over the good of the whole. D) The belief that the good of both biotic communities (wholes) and their constituent plants and animals (parts) ought to be regarded as morally considerable in their own right.
C) The belief that the good of individuals takes precedence over the good of the whole.
Which one of the following best describes what is meant by the term "ecological services"? A) The services that are priced and accounted for in financial systems. B) The services performed by waste disposal companies. C) The benefits that ecosystems provide to human life and life in general (example: nutrient recycling). D) The services performed by pest extermination companies.
C) The benefits that ecosystems provide to human life and life in general (example: nutrient recycling).
Which one of the following best describes the "biocentric" position on moral standing? A) The capacity to reason is the only acceptable criterion of moral considerability. B) The capacity to feel pleasure and pain is what makes a living being morally considerable in its own right. C) The capacity to self-actualize is what makes an entity morally considerable in its own right.
C) The capacity to self-actualize is what makes an entity morally considerable in its own right.
Which one of the following best characterizes the meaning of "external costs"? A) The costs borne by businesses and reflected in prices. B) The costs imposed on businesses by governmental regulation. C) The costs that business activity creates for other parties. D) The costs associated with a bad company reputation.
C) The costs that business activity creates for other parties.
Which one of the following best describes the duty of fidelity? A) The duty not to harm any entity that has a good of its own. B) The duty to refrain from placing restriction on the freedom of an entity having a good. C) The duty not to break a trust with any wild animal capable of being deceived or misled, particularly when that trust has been established as a result of past human behavior. D) The duty to restore the balance of a justice between a human perpetration of harm and a non-human victim of harm.
C) The duty not to break a trust with any wild animal capable of being deceived or misled, particularly when that trust has been established as a result of past human behavior.
Which one of the following economic theorists is the author of the following: "Our technological prowess feeds the common belief that humans and their economies have become increasingly independent of nature; in actuality, however, modern high income economies are becoming increasingly indebted to nature and are running massive unsustainable ecological deficits with the rest of the world... Technology and trade have merely obscured the relational truth by displacing the negative consequences of growth to distant ecosystems and the future."? A) Paul Taylor. B) David DeGrazia. C) William Rees. D) Jeremy Bentham. E) Rex Tillerson.
C) William Rees.
Which one of the following Enlightenment philosophers believed that there are two irreducibly different kinds of reality, mind and matter, and associated nature exclusively with the material reality? A) Albert Einstein B) Bob Dylan C) Rene Descartes D) Rex Tillerson E) Charles Darwin
C)Rene Descartes
Which one of the following best describes James Lovelock's "Gaia hypothesis"? A) Earth was created by the Greek goddess, Gaia. B) Earth's processes are designed to promote biological diversity. C) Evolution favors organisms that derive energy from photosynthesis. D) Earth is a very large self-organizing entity capable of regulating the mix and concentration of atmospheric gases in ways that make life possible.
D) Earth is a very large self-organizing entity capable of regulating the mix and concentration of atmospheric gases in ways that make life possible.
Which one of the following best characterizes the extensionist strategy? A) Extending the scope of ethics to include metaphysics and epistemology. B) Arguing that certain ways of treating non-human lives and life systems are advantageous to humans. C) Arguing that human excellence comprehends not only ideals of how humans treat other humans but how humans treat non-human life. D) Extending the range of traditional human virtues to include human-nonhuman relationships. E) Singling out the life and works of certain individuals as inspiring exemplars of environmental virtue.
D) Extending the range of traditional human virtues to include human-nonhuman relationships.
Which one of the following was not identified in Chapter 1 as a preeminent environmental virtue? A) Respect. B) Humility. C) Gratitude. D) Fortitude. E) Responsibility.
D) Fortitude.
Which one of the following statements best reflects the view of Kenneth Arrow (a Nobel prize winner for his work in economics)? A) Public lands ought to be transferred to public ownership. B) If government regulation focused on incentives rather than penalties, harmful externalities would be kept to a minimum. C) If private enterprise were completely unregulated, all costs associated with the production and use of goods and services would be reflected in prices. D) Internalizing external costs in business decision making and reflecting such costs in the prices charged for goods and services would be a far more efficient way of protecting people and the environment than taxing people to support governmental bureaucracies to deal with harmful externalities.
D) Internalizing external costs in business decision making and reflecting such costs in the prices charged for goods and services would be a far more efficient way of protecting people and the environment than taxing people to support governmental bureaucracies to deal with harmful externalities.
Which one of the following is the best formulation of the principle of non-maleficence? A) It is wrong not to give similar consideration to similar interests. B) It is wrong not to try to promote the greatest good for the greatest number. C) It is wrong not to distribute burdens and benefits fairly. D) It is wrong to cause unnecessary harm knowingly.
D) It is wrong to cause unnecessary harm knowingly.
Which one of the following writers is the author of the following: "The question is not whether they can think? Nor can they talk? But can they suffer?"? A) Immanual Kant. B) Rene Descartes. C) Brian Luke. D) Jeremy Bentham. E) Max Scheler.
D) Jeremy Bentham.
Which one of the following is not a line of criticism of anthropocentrism? A) It is impossible to formulate a rationality criterion that includes all humans and excludes all non-humans. B) Anthropocentrism is another form of discrimination, no less discriminatory than racism and sexism. C) An ethic that begins with the premise that non-human life lacks moral standing will inevitably favor humans and will, ipso facto, lead to the inevitable long-term degradation of nature. D) No justificatory arguments for environmental stewardship can be made from an anthropocentric perspective.
D) No justificatory arguments for environmental stewardship can be made from an anthropocentric perspective.
Which one of the following is not an assumption and/or regarded as desirable in free market economic theory? A) Productive assets (land, factories, machinery, etc.) are privately owned. B) Robust competition exists among the producers of goods and services. C) Prices for goods and services reflect all the costs associated with their production. D) Private business owners are motivated by altruistic as well as selfish impulses, but only the former finds expression in business decision making. E) Government regulation is limited to what is minimally necessary to prevent force, fraud, deceit, and monopolization and to protect human health and safety.
D) Private business owners are motivated by altruistic as well as selfish impulses, but only the former finds expression in business decision making.
Which one of the following is not emphasized by the author of the text as a primary environmental virtue? A) Humility. B) Respect. C) Gratefulness. D) Prudence. E) Responsibility.
D) Prudence.
Gus Speth identified four basic "drivers" of environmental and ecological decline. Which one of the following is not one of these drivers? A) Population growth B) Economic growth C) Market failure D) Radical religious beliefs E) Political failure
D) Radical religious beliefs
Which one of the following was not a view expounded by Pope Francis in his 2015 Papal Encyclical? A) That we should not think of species merely as resources to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. B) That climate is a common good belonging to all of us. C) That the environment is defenseless before the interests of a "deified market". D) That married couples should limit the size of their families to no more than two children.
D) That married couples should limit the size of their families to no more than two children.
Which one of the following organizations did not publicly embrace the principle of precaution? A) The Rio Declaration issued at the 1992 Earth Summit. B) The Wingspread Statement issued by the Science and Environmental Network in 1998. C) The Communication on the Precautionary Principle issued by the European Union in 2000. D) The Report of the 80th Congress to the United Nations Security Council.
D) The Report of the 80th Congress to the United Nations Security Council.
Which one of the following is not an assumption made in the classical resource economics? A) Resources needed for economic growth will always exist in abundance. B) The natural environment will be able to absorb the wastes by-products of economic growth without diminishing regenerative capacity. C) When sporadic resource scarcities occur, technology is capable of providing resource substitutes. D) The costs associated with diminishing natural capital are accounted for in financial reports that comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
D) The costs associated with diminishing natural capital are accounted for in financial reports that comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
Which one of the following authors stated the following: "It is a mistake to treat natural resources as goods to be managed for the benefit of the public by supposed experts. The rational alternative is to privatize resources and rely on private owners to use their property in ways that best serve their interests, as these interests are expressed in free, open, and competitive markets."? A) Abbot. B) Costello. C) Obama. D) Trump. E) Baden.
E) Baden.
Which one of the following is not a line of criticism of "real world" capitalism? A) Today's corporations engage in monopolistic practices and unduly influence the formulation of public policy. B) The effectiveness of supply-side marketing has created a wasteful consumer society awash in non-essential goods and services, and has created an environment in which supply drives demand no less than demand drives supply. C) Information disparity almost always exists between buyers and sellers, enabling the latter to take advantage of the former. D) Capitalism leads to an unfair distribution of income and wealth. E) Capitalism is incompatible with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
E) Capitalism is incompatible with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
Which one of the following is not an expected impact of global warming? A) Decreasing populations of shellfish B) Shrinking ice sheets and glaciers C) Release of methane from thawing permafrost D) Disappearing coral reefs E) Decreasing levels of acidity in the world's oceans
E) Decreasing levels of acidity in the world's oceans
Which of the following was not identified (in the posted lecture notes) as a central question in ethics? A) Rightness: asking what makes an action or character trait morally right B) Value: asking what constitutes well-being or goodness in the lives of individuals and society C)Fairness: asking what is right and wrong in regard to the comparative treatment of individuals D) Rights: asking whether people have a right (are entitled) to be treated in certain ways E) Truth: determining whether an empirical statement is true or false
E) Truth: determining whether an empirical statement is true or false
Which one of the following is not a line of criticism of the definition of nature provided in the 1964 Wilderness Act? A) Wilderness thus conceived dilutes responsibility for protecting areas that are less pristine. B) Wilderness thus conceived requires intensive and continuous human management. C) Wilderness thus conceived flies in the fact that change and adaptability to change are basic dynamics in evolving ecosystems, not constancy. D) Wilderness thus conceived is ethnocentric and deprives people living in undeveloped countries the opportunity to achieve the standards of living achieved by people living in developed countries. E) Wilderness thus conceived will inevitably hasten the destruction of rainforests.
E) Wilderness thus conceived will inevitably hasten the destruction of rainforests.
It is widely estimated that about 15% of contemporary humans live on or very near coastlines (at sea level). Is this statement true or false?
False
Rene Descartes was a medieval theologian who argued that plants and animals have souls. Is this statement true or false?
False
According to Peter Singer, the principle of equal consideration requires that all animals be treated the same. Is this statement true or false?
False.
All anthropocentric theorists believe that the needs of currently living humans should be given greater weight in moral deliberation than the needs of future human beings. Is this statement true or false?
False.
All biocentric and ecocentric theorists agree that species are real biological entities that count morally in their own right. Is this statement true or false?
False.
All ecocentric theorists agree that the integrity of an ecosystem (the whole) always takes precedence over the well-being of any individual living being, or any species, compromising that ecosystem (parts). Is this statement true or false?
False.
An anthropocentrist cannot consistently assert that future people have moral standing. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Cap-and-trade systems are designed to completely eliminate the role of government in pollution control. Is this statement true or false?
False.
DeGrazia argues that all animals fear death in much the same way. Is this statement true or false?
False.
For an anthropocentrist, an obligation not to harm a neighbor's pet is an obligation owed both to the neighbor and to the neighbor's pet. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Hutshouse's analysis of what constitutes respect for nature is very close to the analysis provided by Paul Taylor. Is this statement true or false?
False.
It would be theoretically impossible within an anthropocentric ethical framework to conclude that a proposal to preserve a wilderness tract could win out over a competing proposal to develop the tract for needed housing and job creation. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Martin Luther saw nature as "God's cathedral" in which humans can find comfort, solace, and divine inspiration. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Most free market resource economists today advocate unregulated laissez-faire capitalism. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Paul Taylor argues that species as well as individual members of species are real biological entities. Is this statement true or false?
False.
Taylor argues that the prima facie duties that humans owe to other life is derivable from the principle of utility. Is this statement true or false?
False.
The concept of moral standing and the concept of moral significance are one and the same concept. Is this statement true or false?
False.
