Ethics Final

How does Martin Luther King Jr. argue against the charge that he is being a hypocrite by breaking laws when he wants others to follow the law? Explain his argument. Then, explain how his position is supported by one of the ethical principles we have considered this semester.

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In your own words, why is fast fashion relevant to or concerning within the context of thinking about our individual and collective moral obligations to address global warming?

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According to Elizabeth Blair's NPR audio piece, which of the following actions would count as authentic celebrity philanthropy?

A celebrity doing research on the most effective charitable organizations and donating their own money directly to those effective charities.

According to Richard Thaler, nudging occurs when ________.

A choice architect structures a decision to lead us towards a choice

Which of the following best describes what is meant by the concept "argument by analogy" in the context of the Alastair Norcross article against eating meat? An argument by analogy is...

A style of philosophical argument in which we identify two analogous actions or cases, and use the similarities of those cases to say that we ought to have consistent moral judgements in either situation.

True or false In Marion Hourdequin's article advocating for individual moral obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, she argues that iterm-33ndividual emissions contribute meaningfully to the harms of global warming.

False

According to Myisha Cherry, which of the following are possible functions of anger?

Anger can express the love and compassion people have for others Anger can motivate people to act to rectify the source of the anger Anger can communicate the values and principles people care about Anger can make people believe more strongly in themselves

Aubie is back on the dating scene after just getting out of a three-year relationship with Big Al, Alabama's mascot. He misses the connection and pleasure that he got out of his previous relationship, so he begins going out nightly to find different casual sex partners. Over time, Aubie begins being late to football games and events, and cancelling plans with friends, because he is so preoccupied with hooking up with other mascots in order to feel connected to other people. According to Halwani's view, why is Aubie's behavior in this situation morally wrong?

Aubie let casual sex consume his life, and is now so focused on having sex that he is unable to live a full and enriching life.

True or false Walter Sinnott-Armstrong's view that individuals do not have obligations to address global warming is a fully utilitarian claim (of the sort that Peter Singer provides) since he defends this view by saying that individuals do not cause any harm by driving gas guzzling vehicles.

False

Aubie has been selected to serve on an Auburn commission making decisions about local landmarks. One of these landmarks is the Auburn Guards Review Monument, which marks the location where President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, inspected Confederate troops. The commission is trying to decide if any changes should be made regarding this landmark. According to Travis Timmerman, which of the following best represents the action Aubie should take to help the commission make this decision?

Aubie should research into whether or not the Auburn Guards Review Monument is causing people harm by talking to people and looking at testimony regarding the monument. He should also research whether there are benefits that the monument is bringing about. He should make recommendations in light of these harms and possible benefits.

How does Halwani define casual sex?

Casual sex is any sex that occurs outside of the context of a love relationship

Which of the following is not a reason that Ilan Kapoor gives against celebrities promoting charities? Celebrities are too connected to corporate entities and marketing, which limits their ability to effectively advocate for meaningful or unpopular causes. Celebrities are mostly associating with charities to improve their own image and brands, and don't actually have an interest in solving the world's problems. Charity itself is problematic and gets in the way of real, systemic change and dealing with social inequity. Celebrity charities are too narrowly focused on the celebrities' favorite causes, and do not maximize the net utility of charitable donations.

Celebrity charities are too narrowly focused on the celebrities' favorite causes, and do not maximize the net utility of charitable donations.

Aubie learned in his Environmental Studies class that global warming is having terrible effects on the planet, which jeopardize the health and safety of his tiger friends. He calls philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong to ask what he is morally obligated to do to help address this problem and save his friends. Which of the following pieces of advice is Sinnott-Armstrong most likely to give? Follow the local Auburn city laws on pollution and recycling, which will help reduce global warming if done consistently. Stop going for joy rides in fuel inefficient cars with your mascot friends on the weekends, and opt to take Tiger Transit or public transportation instead. Throw away all of your clothing from fast fashion companies, since every shirt you have ever bought is causing direct and immediate harm to the planet. Elect Senators who can help impose new environmental regulations on companies whose businesses produce significant levels of greenhouse gases. Fill in the cracks in bridges that your government has neglected to repair so that your fellow citizens of Auburn are not in danger.

Elect Senators who can help impose new environmental regulations on companies whose businesses produce significant levels of greenhouse gases.

True or false

English argues that there is no difference between our moral duty (what we ought to do) and what we owe others.

Which of the following ethical principles is Norcross most likely to endorse, based on the reading? People should have freedom to do what makes them happy Even small risks of severe harms should be avoided if possible The ability to reason should guide all moral decision making Friendship is morally valuable

Even small risks of severe harms should be avoided if possible

One of the objections Manne raises to Lukianoff and Haidt's argument is related to their claims about the value of exposure therapy. Which of the following best captures the objection Manne raises about exposure therapy in response to Lukianoff and Haidt? Exposure therapy needs to be done in a certain context, under guidance of trained psychotherapists. Trying to do this in the university classroom setting is inappropriate and ineffective. Exposure therapy is less effective than cognitive behavioral therapy. If we are going to address harmful patterns of distorted thinking, we need to use the most effective therapeutic techniques in the classroom to make the biggest difference. Exposure therapy is only appropriate in cases where one has experienced physical trauma (e.g., with spiders or elevators). Since trigger warnings are used to address emotional harm, exposure therapy will not be effective in this specific context. Exposure therapy does not work, and there is empirical data to support this. Exposure therapy merely exposes students to repeated trauma, which is cruel and unjustified.

Exposure therapy needs to be done in a certain context, under guidance of trained psychotherapists. Trying to do this in the university classroom setting is inappropriate and ineffective.

True or false According to Peter Singer's views, we do not have an individual obligation to be altruistic, since the responsibility to mitigate global poverty is shared equally among all individuals with relative wealth.

False

What is not a possible moral justification Norcross considers regarding different ethical responses to treatment of animals on factory farms and versus treatment of puppies in Fred's Basement? People who consume factory farm animals are not making an individual impact on the treatment of those animals if they stop consuming them, but if Fred stopped consuming chocolate the harm to puppies would stop. Factory farm animals provide more significant nutritional value than the chocolate the puppies allow Fred to taste, so the consequences justify the treatment. Factory farm animals are mistreated by other people, rather than the puppies which are mistreated by Fred himself, so there is only personal responsibility in Fred's case. Factory farm animals have less moral worth than puppies, so we don't have to worry about their treatment in the same way we worry about the way puppies are treated. People who consume factory farm animals may be ignorant of the conditions the animals suffer in, but Fred is aware of the conditions the puppies suffer in so should know the moral harm.

Factory farm animals provide more significant nutritional value than the chocolate the puppies allow Fred to taste, so the consequences justify the treatment.

Determine whether the following statement is true or false. Tunnel vision/ethical fading is what happens when someone acts on all relevant considerations. You Answered

False

True of false While Hugh Lafollette argues that parental licensing programs are theoretically desirable, he does not think that they can be practically established.

False

True or False According to Lukianoff and Haidt, University administrators and the federal government should remain neutral on trigger warnings since this is the only way to avoid violating academic freedom.

False

True or False According to Raja Halwani, casual sex inherently and universally involves objectifying others, which is always morally wrong since people have value and dignity.

False

true or false According to philosopher Tom Regan, if something is a subject of a life they are merely alive and conscious in a way that gives them inherent value, but they lack any sophisticated ability to reason or pursue their own goals.

False

true or false Myisha Cherry thinks that all anger should be treated as real and with concern, no matter the circumstances or evidence

False

Olivia Muenter reflects on the difficulties of supporting fast fashion brands. Which of the following most closely represents Muenter's view on fast fashion as it relates to global warming? Fast fashion does not contribute to global warming, so whether we shop from fast fashion brands is only a matter of personal preference Fast fashion is a harmful industry because they do not hire plus-size models. This lack of representation makes plus-size customers feel bad about their bodies, unlike more inclusive advertising found in sustainable fashion Fast fashion brands are worse for the environment, but they are often the only accessible option that people, including plus-size customers, have for buying clothing Fast fashion brands are exclusionary to plus-size shoppers, which forces those customers to shop only with more expensive, sustainable clothing brands We should all be shopping from sustainable fashion brands regardless of our size, since the harms of global warming outweigh any considerations of access to clothing

Fast fashion brands are worse for the environment, but they are often the only accessible option that people, including plus-size customers, have for buying clothing

This week we read two articles that are in conversation with one another, by Sinnott-Armstrong and Hourdequin. Which of the following statements is something that both philosophers would agree with or use as a starting assumption in the articles we read? Select all that apply. Global warming exists Our individual actions do not cause direct harm in the context of global warming If we have a collective obligation to address a problem, this means we also always have an individual obligation to address that problem It would be morally better if we stopped engaging in activities like wasteful driving Correct Answer We should make the government do work towards mitigating the harms of global warming Changing our personal behaviors in response to global warming is supererogatory

Global Warming Exist Our individual actions do not cause direct harm in the context of global warming It would be morally better if we stopped engaging in activities like wasteful driving We should make the government do work towards mitigating the harms of global warming

In the NPR episode, Ann Tenbrunsel, Lamar Pierce, and Francesca Gino explain some of the reasons why Groves failed to act ethically despite his previously held/expressed beliefs and commitments. Which of the following is not a true explanation (according to the explanations given by psychologists in the episode) of Groves' wrongdoing? Groves was focused on the real people in front of him rather than abstract ethical consequences. The decision may have been framed in a way that made Groves unable to see the ethical dimension of his decision People are frequently blind to or ignorant of the ethics of a situation before/when acting. Groves was using a business frame rather than an ethics frame in making his decisions. Groves was fully aware that what he was doing was wrong in the moment, but chose to do the wrong thing anyways.

Groves was fully aware that what he was doing was wrong in the moment, but chose to do the wrong thing anyways.

Which of the following best explains how the Singer Solution to world poverty utilizes utilitarian logic to motivate donating excess income to charities? He is arguing that we must bring about not just good consequences, but the BEST consequences we possibly can. This demands that we donate the majority of our excess income to charities rather than spending it on unnecessary luxury goods. He is prioritizing the happiness of those who deserve it most, who are innocent children with little control over their current financial situations. Donating to effective charities will help protect those children from the poor financial decisions their parents made. He is concerned with balancing the happiness we get from luxury goods with the happiness others get from having basic needs met through charitable donations. Singer's argument is not reflective of utilitarian thinking, and instead relies on an egoistic account of morality. He is arguing that good people are concerned with the happiness and wellbeing of all people, since this reflects virtues of compassion and generosity. Because living in poverty can drastically reduce one's happiness, generous and compassionate people will do everything they can to eliminate global poverty.

He is concerned with balancing the happiness we get from luxury goods with the happiness others get from having basic needs met through charitable donations.

One of the practical objections raised in response to Lafollette's view is that it is not possible to discover adequate criteria of "a good parent." How does Lafollette respond to this objection?

He says that while we cannot establish this criteria, this is not required for parental licensing. Parental licensing is designed to exclude very bad parents, and we do have established criteria to determine who is a bad parent (e.g., because they abuse or neglect their children).

Which of the following philosophical concepts or views is able to support or strengthen the "cultural norms" defense of eating meat?

If normative cultural relativism is true, then we have good reason to believe morality is defined by our cultures. Thus, if a culture says eating meat is morally permissible, NCR can help justify this defense.

Which of the following best describes the difference between applied ethics and normative ethics? In applied ethics we apply ethical theories to specific cases. In normative ethics we theorize about what is normal or accepted in a society. In applied ethics we investigate specific ethical issues and questions. In normative ethics we investigate the nature of morality itself. In applied ethics we investigate specific ethical issues and questions, whereas in normative ethics we examine more abstract and generalized theories regarding what is morally right or wrong. In applied ethics we never appeal to ethical theories, and instead ONLY use moral values to support our arguments. In normative ethics we only appeal to ethical theories to support our arguments.

In applied ethics we investigate specific ethical issues and questions, whereas in normative ethics we examine more abstract and generalized theories regarding what is morally right or wrong.

Imagine Aubie works at Meat Makers International, a leading supplier of bacon in the southern US. Their company asks its employees to offer suggestions about ways to improve their industrial agriculture Aubie asks you what suggestions they should make to Meat Makers. You endorse the animal activist position highlighted in the article on compromise by Fischer and McWilliams. Based on the animal activist position from that article, what suggestions should you tell Aubie to make to their employer in industrial agriculture?

Industrial agriculture, or factory farming, is an unjust industry. Rather than seeking to change and improve the company, Meat Makers International needs to dissolve the business because we should not reform unjust institutions.

Based on Martha Nussbaum's classification of different modes of objectification, how do instrumentality and fungibility differ?

Instrumentality involves treating someone merely as a tool, whereas fungibility involves treating someone as interchangeable with other objects or people.

Which of these is not one of the values/virtues that Hourdequin identifies with integrity? Integrity will allow you to be the kind of person you want to be, even in the face of suffering Integrity will make you honest and have strong moral principles Integrity will help influence others to take your cause more seriously Integrity will bring one's beliefs, words, and actions into line with one another, which has psychological benefits

Integrity will make you honest and have strong moral principles

which of the following is true of moral psychology?

It allows us to understand how our psychology interacts with and influences our moral decision making It allows us to think about how we can use what we know about our psychology to make better choices

What is the main ethical value or principle that Lafollette uses to support his argument that we should require parental licenses?

It is legitimate to limit freedom in circumstances where an activity may be potentially harmful to others.

According to Brand, which of the following is a negative aspect of having university athletic departments be self-supported?

Lack of oversight through the normal university budgeting process has led to unproductive spending on facilities.

Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt are concerned about trigger warnings in part because they think trigger warnings make it more likely for students to magnify Which of the following most closely matches Lukianoff and Haidt's definition of microaggressions?

Microaggressions are minor comments or behaviors that are seen as violent, despite seeming to have no malicious intent

According to Jane English, grown children owe their parents ___________________?

Nothing

According to Myisha Cherry, which of the following is not an effect of treating people's anger as not real.

People whose anger is ignored may tend to get angrier and have difficulty acting virtuously as a result.

In reflecting on individual moral obligations in the context of colleges and universities, which of the following moral obligations would Lukianoff and Haidt most likely agree that professors have towards their students? Professors should teach students to avoid unintentionally offending others, but should also teach students how to navigate a world in which they may be offended by others. Professors should be encouraged, but not required, to use trigger warnings, because trigger warnings can help those who are especially sensitive avoid being offended by others in class. Professors should focus their energy only on teaching students how to cope with being offended, since they cannot change that students may be offended in the real world. Professors should not have to teach students how to navigate harm and offense, since doing so detracts from their ability to do research and administrative tasks. Instead, it is the obligation of therapists and parents to teach students to cope with offense.

Professors should teach students to avoid unintentionally offending others, but should also teach students how to navigate a world in which they may be offended by others.

Why are Fischer and McWilliams concerned about having "purity of principle"?

Purity of principle often gets in the way of our other moral duties. By focusing on following one moral principle too strictly, we may unintentionally violate other, competing moral principles.

What is the difference between relationships of reciprocity and relationships of mutuality?

Relationships of reciprocity are ones where people owe one another for favors, and any owing ends once one has repaid this debt. Relationships of mutuality are built off of shared love and care, and any ethical obligations in this context continue as long as the relationship continues.

Lafollette argues that there are three conditions under which we typically find it legitimate to regulate behavior through licensing Which of the following is not part of the rationale we ordinarily provide to defend licensing? Restricting one's ability to perform the activity in question would not severely inconvenience them or restrict their freedoms. The activity in question is potentially harmful to others. Safe performance of the activity requires a certain competence. We have a moderately reliable procedure for determining proficiency to perform the activity in question.

Restricting one's ability to perform the activity in question would not severely inconvenience them or restrict their freedoms.

According to Daniel Kahneman, the complex and effortful reasoning used to answer a difficult math problem is known as _____________.

System 2 thinking

Which of the following best characterizes Martin Luther King Jr.'s feelings about tension in the "Letter From Birmingham Jail"? Tension has led to violence against the Black community so should be minimized as much as possible. Tension is an unavoidable side effect of the fight for justice but is inherently neutral. Tension can be a creative force that motivates people to negotiate when they would otherwise delay. Tension will lead directly to the political change being sought so should be increased through direct action.

Tension can be a creative force that motivates people to negotiate when they would otherwise delay.

Why timmerman believes we should preserve confederate monuments

The monuments production process makes it unlikely that many individual monuments have significant aesthetic or historical value. Some people are much more well-known for their positive accomplishments so memorials to them will not harm people by bringing up painful facts. It may be worth failing to honor worthy accomplishments if that means limiting greater harms. It is possible to maintain historical knowledge even when removing historical monuments from public locations.

Which of the following is not an ethical principle that Sinnott-Armstrong considers (and rejects) as a possible justification for individual moral obligations to reduce global warming? The harm principle The supererogatory principle The virtue principle The means principle

The supererogatory principle

ethical fading and motivated blindness are concerning because of the effects they have on people. Which of the following is not a reason why we should be concerned about ethical fading and motivated blindness? They are a sign that a person has completely bad/corrupt ethical values They make people unable to be objective They make us fail to realize when they are acting unethically They cause people to overlook our own values They make us more likely to overlook others' unethical behavior

They are a sign that a person has completely bad/corrupt ethical values

Imagine that Aubie has just been offered a job to teach a new course at Auburn: "Mascot 101: How to Be the Best Mascot You Can Be." Aubie wants to protect the wellbeing of his students, while also preparing them for the brutal world of being a college mascot. He writes to college professor Kate Manne for advice on how to design his class to accomplish these goals. Based on her views on trigger warnings, which of the following pieces of advice would Manne most likely offer to Aubie as he plans his new college course?

Think about what material in the course reading schedule might be especially difficult or harmful to students. If appropriate, the class before you are talking about those topics, give the class a brief verbal reminder that they will be discussing sensitive content in the next class session.

According to Marielle Elizabeth, how can we most effectively convince consumers to switch from fast fashion to supporting more ethical and sustainable clothing brands?

Think of ways to make those brands more inclusive and inviting so that people want to make more ethical choices

Confucianism offers a different way of understanding relationships between parent and child beyond the two frameworks (reciprocity and mutuality) found in English's account. Which of the following best describes the parent/child relationship in Confucianism?

This relationship is based on filial piety, and requires that children (including grown children) show respect for their elders.

Which of the following is not a reason why Lukianoff and Haidt are opposed to trigger warnings? Trigger warnings teach students to be unable to engage with difficult and uncomfortable topics, which poses a threat to democracy and free speech Trigger warnings ask too much of professors, since they require professors to spend countless hours that could be spent on other work helping students manage their own emotions instead Trigger warnings encourage students with a past experience of trauma to engage in harmful patterns of distorted thinking Trigger warnings may induce patterns of distorted thinking in students who otherwise have not experienced trauma and are not prone to those methods of thinking

Trigger warnings ask too much of professors, since they require professors to spend countless hours that could be spent on other work helping students manage their own emotions instead

True or False Lafollette argues that the restrictions we place on those seeking to adopt a child are stricter or more rigorous than the licensing program he proposes. Because of this, if we find the restrictions on adoption to be morally justifiable, then we should also accept the less strict licensing proposal as morally justifiable.

True

True or false Good choice architects should offer choices to people that the person making the choice would think are good choices, rather than offering choices that just/only the choice architect decides are good or worthwhile

True

True or false Mark Wheeler's position is that celebrity promotion of charities can be a more effective means of foreign policy than some government interventions because people connect to celebrities in a way that they no longer do to politicians.

True

Which of the following is not a reason Myles Brand focuses on in explaining why the academy undervalues the role of intercollegiate athletics? University faculty and administrators think that the people who teach intercollegiate athletics have meaningfully different credentials than other teachers. University faculty and administrators treat the content of what athletics teaches, knowledge "how" and skills, as less important than academic knowledge "that." University faculty and administrators are following in a long tradition of treating intellectual development as more valuable than physical development. University faculty and administrators believe that they are underpaid and if less money was spent on athletics they would recieve higher salaries

University faculty and administrators believe that they are underpaid and if less money was spent on athletics they would receive higher salaries.

Which of the following best describes the Singer Solution to World Poverty proposed by Peter Singer?

We ought to donate all or most of our excess income to effective charities rather than spending that money on luxuries, since these donations can help those in need.

"I love the way meat tastes. I will not deprive myself of this pleasant sensation. Therefore, I should be able to eat meat." Imagine we used utilitarianism to help strengthen this defense of eating meat. Which of the following questions would a utilitarian most likely need to ask in order to determine whether eating meat maximizes pleasure?

What is the moral status of animals? Is their pain (e.g., from factory farming, or being killed) morally relevant?

True or false Alastair Norcross thinks, like Sinnott-Armstrong, that individual actions do not have a meaningful impact on large scale problems and that an individual's only moral responsibility is to petition governments for change.

false

True or False According to the Plato's Chariot metaphor discussed in class, emotions are necessary for proper human functioning, but must be controlled by reason.

true

True or False Both Manne and Lukianoff & Haidt believe that at one of the purposes of higher education is to prepare students for the world outside of the classroom, in which they might encounter difficult and upsetting situations and conversations.

true

True or Flase Lukianoff and Haidt argue that when deciding whether to use trigger warnings in the classroom, we must balance the ethical values of freedom of speech with a need to make all students feel welcome. We should care about diversity and tolerance, but should not enforce restrictive speech codes in order to promote student wellbeing.

true

true or false Fischer and McWilliams believe that animals have rights, and that we should work towards eliminating industrial agriculture by taking small, incremental steps to improve (and eventually get rid of) the industry over time.

true