PHIL 340 Quiz Key

Which of the following are examples that Zuk gives for why a feminist perspective can help create less biased scientific research? Choose all that are correct.

3. Zuk argues that cultural bias, in this case, bias about gendered behavior in the human world, can influence our ability to make objective observations; she uses the example of "female choice" in animal reproduction as an example since this phenomenon always existed but was not noticed for centuries (even though Darwin pointed it out!) Correct 4. Zuk argues that if researchers in a particular area are all from the same demographic (for example, all male researchers or all white researchers, etc), they may be unable to identify specific biases they are bringing into the research-- for example, the belief in male superiority. Correct 1. Zuk argues that what we choose to study in the first place may be biased, for example, she points out that the National Institute of Health has identified a disturbing lack of data on female physiology, as most test subjects in both human and animal experiments are male Correct

The Ancient Greeks believed that humans were separate from Nature.

False The ancient greeks did not

Which of the following is a principle of Deep Ecology, according to Devall? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

Select one or more: 1. Biodiversity has intrinsic value Correct 3. The human population should decrease Correct 4. Humans have no right to reduce biodiversity except for vital needs (survival) Correct

Which of the following is a biocentrist idea that Rachel Carson suggests in her writing? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 1. Carson emphasizes the interconnectedness of all species and natural objects within an ecosystem Correct 2. Carson argues that human beings have been destructive of the natural world due to our attitude that we must control nature Correct 3. Carson argues that we can find alternative means of engaging with the natural world that are less intrusive, for example, we can study invertebrates in order to work with their own biological defenses instead of spraying toxic chemicals Correct

Which of the following points does Godfrey-Smith raise about our criteria for measuring intelligence in animals? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

Select one or more: 1. Godfrey-Smith compares the brain to a tool-kit when describing the different skills of different animals, saying the tool kit may be comprised of different tools depending on the animals' behavior Correct 5. The relative size of the brain to the animal's total body is often used as a criteria for measuring intelligence; this tells us how much an animal is "investing" in its brain

Which of the following is true of value neutrality, given this chapter's readings from the textbook as a whole (Zuk, Wilson, Wohlleben, Godfrey-Smith)? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 1. Historically, scientists generally believed that the science they were practicing was free from bias; it is only in the last century or so that researchers have recognized that what passes as "objective" may actually contain implicit bias. correct 4. Value neutrality basically means free from bias, and it is an ideal in scientific research even if we recognize that human beings are incapable of being completely free from bias. Correct 5. When critics claim that science is not value neutral, they often cite examples of racism, sexism, anthropocentrism, ethnocentrism, and other biases that are shared by many people within a culture. Correct

Which of the following statements would Rachel Carson be likely to support? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 1. Individual organisms are something of a myth—all organisms exist in a state of interdependence within an ecosystem 2. Carson believes that human bodies can easily adapt to chemical changes in their environment 3. Carson suggests the biocentrist point that we simply do not understand the complexity of ecosystems, so our actions are often destructive and heavy-handed Correct

Which of the following are biocentrist ideas first expressed by Aldo Leopold? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 1. Intrinsic Value Correct 2. Critique of human beings as Conquerors (i.e. critique of anthropocentrism) Correct 3. Ecosystems are extremely complex, and human understanding of them is not complete

Which of the following does Leopold support in his essay? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 1. The Land Ethic: a limitation on our freedom of action Correct 4. The Land Ethics means the right to continued existence, very similar to the concept of intrinsic value. Correct 5. A system that values things only for their economic value will fail correct

Which of the following conclusions regarding anthropocentrism are well supported by the essays in this section (Wilson, Zuk, Wohlleben, Godfrey-Smith)? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

Select one or more: 1. Wilson's essay suggests that our anthropocentric attitudes cause us to direct our research and resources only towards the study of animals like us, so we study vertebrates and ignore invertebrates. Correct 2. Zuk argues that our anthropocentric attitudes may cause us to project human behaviors (such as gendered behavior) onto our observations of animal behavior. Correct 3. Each of the essays in this section demonstrate how difficult it is to attain complete value neutrality when conducting scientific research. Correct 4. Wohlleben's essay challenges our anthropocentric notion that only animals possess intelligence, since he demonstrates the manner in which trees seem to behave as "social" creatures. Correct 5. Godfrey-Smith's study of octopus intelligence demonstrates that our criteria for understanding intelligence may not be appropriate for studying animals with entirely different brains-- we cannot simply use criteria for evaluating mammal intelligence when dealing with invertebrates, for example.

Which of the following is true of Zuk's essay "Feminism and the Study of Animal Behavior"? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: 3. Zuk suggests that scientific practice is not always value neutral.correct 4. Zuk's essay points out that we very often engage in bias without realizing that we are doing so. Correct

Which of the following are examples of tree "behavior" that Wohlleben discusses? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

Select one or more: 4. Trees are able to communicate using scent and electrical impulses in the root systems Correct 5. Trees appear to "share" sugar with other trees of the same species in old growth forests correct

Which of the following characterizes an oppressive conceptual framework? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. "Up" and "Down" thinking that gives greater value to the higher group. Correct b. Usually argues that "ups" have some quality that "downs" lack, such as reason. Correct c. Sanctions a logic of domination—contains a logical structure of argumentation that "justifies" domination and subordination. Correct d. Power is conceived of as power-over. Correct e. Creates, maintains, and perpetuates privilege. Correct

Which of the following are true of antagonistic dualism, according to Mies and Shiva? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. Antagonistic dualism shows up in many different areas, including the natural world (the survival of the fittest), the social world, and the economic world (capitalism). Correct b. Antagonistic dualism emphasizes competition, when there are other possible models such as cooperation that we might focus on instead. Correct c. Focusing on other models, such as cooperation, would be beneficial to human beings as a species because antagonistic dualism implies violence and warfare. Correct d. Antagonistic dualism is pitting two groups against one another, such as 'men vs. women'.

With which of the following statements would Singer agree? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. Considering human interests as more important than those as animals is akin to racists considering the interests of their race as more important than those of other races. Correct b. The significant ethical question to ask when considering animal rights is not 'can animals reason?' but 'can animals suffer'? Correct

Peter Singer argues that it is illogical to justify the eating of animals by citing the fact that some animals eat one another. Which of the following is a reason that he gives for rejecting this justification? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. Non-human animals are not capable of reflecting on their diet and considering ethical alternatives available to them. Correct b. Animals do not have language, because they are incapable of thoughts. c. It is inconsistent to view animal behavior as "beastly" but then use an argument that implies that we should look to animal behavior for moral guidance. Correct d. Most animals that kill for food would not be able to survive if they didn't, whereas humans can survive without eating meat. correct

Which of the following agree with the definition of "oppression"? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. Oppression reinforces the power of the "ups" to keep the "downs" down. Correct d. Oppression can refer to institutional structures, strategies, and processes. Correct e. Some groups are limited, inhibited, coerced, or prevented from mobilizing resources for self-determined goals by limiting their choices and options. Correct

Which of the following does Naddaf name as an interpretation of "phusis", the Ancient Greek word for nature? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one right answer.

Select one or more: a. Result Correct c. Process Correct d. Origin Correct

Which of the following are rationales for the discipline of Ecofeminism? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. The paradigm of domination and mastery has been extended over both the natural world and the bodies of women. Correct b. Many of the same attitudes that cause the environmental crisis are responsible for the oppression of women. Correct c. Women have historically been placed in the category of 'Nature' (such as 'Mother Nature'). Correct d. Women have been historically considered to be inferior because they are tied to the body and nature, while men represent the mind and culture. Correct

Which of the following are solutions that Hughes proposes for combating the ecological crisis? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

Select one or more: a. We have to accept freely certain limitations on our actions which affect the earth Correct c. Each human community must seek viable relation with the natural environment at the level made possible by the technology available to it. Correct d. Concentrated study of nature must happen. Correct Rekindle respect for nature, even if not animism, but stewardship, harmony, balance. Correct

Which of the following statements would Edward O. Wilson, author of "The Little Things that Run the World" endorse? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: a. We should devote more research to the study of invertebrates. Correct b. Human life depends on the continued existence of invertebrates. Correct c. Anthropocentrism is responsible for the belief that vertebrates are more valuable and significant than invertebrates. Correct

Which of the following is part of Descartes' argument in 'Animals are Machines'? Choose all that are correct.

Select one or more: b. Reason and emotion ('passions') are separate from one another and can be distinguished. Correct c. Human beings have a different kind of soul than animals. Correct e. All behavior of animals is mechanical; they work just like a clock with gears. correct

Which of the following is the BEST summary of Godfrey-Smith's conclusions in evaluating the intelligence tests done in 1959 on three octopus (Albert, Bertram, and Charles)? Choose the BEST answer (one only).

Select one: 1. Godfrey-Smith uses this example to argue that perhaps the intelligence of octopus is best gauged by their ability to adapt to new and unusual circumstances, such as confinement in a lab.

Which of the following best describes the position "nature as self" as it is characterized by Evernden?

Select one: a. Nature is a collection of objects with which human beings identify. Nature is to be used for the interests of humans. b. Human beings are separate from nature. c. Human beings are superior over nature, and the only species that has the power to influence it. d. Nature is like an extended self; human beings are not separate from nature. Correct e. Nature is uncanny, mysterious, and unpredictable.

Which of the following statements would Frederick Turner, author of "The Invented Landscape" support? Choose all that are correct.

a. Invention and restoration are more practical goals than preservation. c. We may be able to bring extinct species back to life.

Which of the following best describes the attitude of Ancient Greeks towards nature?

a. They believed that nature is alive and everything has a share in awareness; panpsychism or animism. Correct

Which of the following statements would Frederick Turner, author of "The Invented Landscape" support? Choose all that are correct.

b. God is the process of increasing technology. Correct d. Human beings are the nervous system of God, and superior to other species. Correct e. An organism's body is its technology. correct

Which of the following does Hughes name as an important part of a community's attitude towards nature? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

b. The technology that is available to use Correct d. The degree of understanding they have attained regarding nature correct

Which of the following are arguments given by Hughes about religious attitudes towards nature? Choose all that are correct; there may be more than one answer.

c. Hughes argues that we should return to an attitude of respect for nature, if not animism. Correct d. Hughes describes how ancient cultures believed in animism, the idea that nature is alive. Correct e. Hughes argues that Transcendent Monotheism introduced the idea that nature is a lower order of creation. Correct

Which of the following best describes the position "nature as miracle" as it is characterized by Evernden?

c. Nature is uncanny, unpredictable, and mysterious. We cannot ever fully comprehend nature. Correct

Which of the following statements would Mies and Shiva (authors of "Introduction to EcoFeminism") defend? Choose all that are correct.

c. The Western rational paradigm thinks that being dependent on the earth is an outrage and a mockery of man's right to freedom. e. The witch hunts may be emblematic of the attempt to destroy this natural connection between women and the earth in order to supplant it with science. Correct

Which of the following best describes the position "nature as object" as it is characterized by Evernden?

e. Nature as object refers to the instrumental point of view that regards nature as an inanimate collection of objects for humans to use and manipulate. Correct

Which is the best answer to describe what 'the nature of a thing' is, such as the moly plant in Homer?

e. The thing and all of its characteristics at once, including its activity correct

Which of the following best describes the subject of study for the 'phusikoi', the Ancient philosophers that Naddaf describes?

e. They studied all disciplines at once, including cosmogony, anthropogony, and politogony. correct

Biocentrists believe that human interests ought to be privileged.

false biocentrists do not

Descartes believes that some animals can learn to use reason, such as monkeys and crows.

false descartes does not believe animals reason

Leopold believes that economic self-interest is the only way to judge value.

false leopold does not believe

Turner thinks that stasis (not changing) is the normal state of nature.

false turner doesn't

Warren argues that superiority DOES justify domination.

false warren does not

Anthropocentrism only considers the value of natural objects in relation to their usefulness to human beings.

true antrhopocentrsits only consider

Biocentrism is the opposite of anthropocentrism, since anthropocentrism means that human interests are privileged and biocentrism means the interests of the entire biosphere must be considered.

true biocentrism is the opposite

Descartes believes that even the stupidest child is smarter than a bird.

true descartes does

Descartes is an anthropocentrist.

true descartes is

Patriarchy is an example of an oppressive conceptual framework.

true for patriarchy

Frederick Turner is an anthropocentrist.

true frederick turner is

Hughes compares us to the Romans, since we both treat the natural environment as though it were a conquered land.

true hughes did

Mies and Shiva argue that the "global" in the global order just means the global domination of local and particular interests.

true mies and shiva

Patriarchy is the systematic domination of women by men through institutions (policies, practices, offices, positions, roles), behaviors, and ways of thinking (conceptual frameworks), which assigns higher value, privilege, and power to men.

true patriarchy is the systematic

Shallow ecology is more anthropocentric than deep ecology.

true shallow ecology is

The concept of emancipation from nature has caused a lot of pollution and other negative environmental effects.

true the concept of emancipation