Ethics test 1 (chapters 1-3)

Ethical egoism says that human beings are, as a matter of fact, so constructed that they must behave selfishly.

False

If your conduct is legal, it will also be moral.

False

Immanuel Kant believed that it is only when we act out of feeling or sentiment that our actions have moral worth.

False

In a broad sense morality is the moral code of an individual or of a society (insofar as the moral codes of the individuals making up that society overlap).

False

In business and elsewhere, your only moral obligation is to act within the law.

False

Richard Brandt defends a form of act utilitarianism.

False

Robert Nozick uses the Wilt Chamberlain story to show the importance of economic re-distribution.

False

Rules of etiquette are always moral rules.

False

The distribution of income in Germany and Japan is far more unequal than that in the United States.

False

Which of the following statements is true regarding human rights?

Human rights are equal rights; if X is a human right, then everyone has this right.

Founders of Utalitarianism

Jeremy Benthem and John Stuart Mill (the modern version is him)

Moral attitudes are best depicted by which of the following?

Moral standards typically concern behavior that can be of serious consequence to human welfare.

Which statement is true concerning moral principles and self interests?

Morality serves to restrain our purely self-interested desires so that we can all live together.

Difference between morality and etiquette:

Observing the rules of etiquette does not make one moral.

Adam Smith's view of capitalism

The paradox of self-interest: the more you get, the less value something has

Organizational norms:

The shared conscious or unconscious acceptance of a company's rules by its members; includes the individual commitment to those rules in order to further the organization's goals, often at the expense of some personal freedom.

A prima facie obligation is an obligation that can be overridden by a more important obligation.

True

An argument is a group of statements, one of which is claimed to follow from the others.

True

Business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong, or good and bad, human conduct in a business context.

True

By "maxim," Immanuel Kant meant the subjective principle of an action, the principle that people in effect formulate in determining their conduct.

True

For philosophers, the important question is not how we come to have the particular moral principles we have, but whether we can justify them.

True

In ethics, normative theories propose some principle or principles for distinguishing right actions from wrong actions.

True

Jeremy Bentham thought that a community is no more than the individuals who compose it and that the interests of the community are simply the sum of the interests of its members.

True

One of the major characteristics of an organization is the shared acceptance of organizational rules by its members.

True

Rule utilitarianism applies the utilitarian standard, not to individual actions, but to moral codes as a whole.

True

The connection between rights and duties is that, generally speaking, if you have a right to do something, then someone else has a correlative duty to act in a certain way.

True

There are four basic kinds of law: statutes, regulations, common law, and constitutional law.

True

Utilitarians are likely to be sympathetic to the argument that steps should be taken to reduce the great disparities of income that characterize our society.

True

When a utilitarian like Jeremy Bentham advocates "the greatest happiness for the greatest number," we must consider unhappiness or pain as well as happiness.

True

Utilitarianism is appealing as a standard for moral decision making in business. Which of the following provides a reason for this?

Utilitarianism provides an objective way of resolving conflicts of self-interest.

Morality and self-interest

can sometimes conflict.

What utilitarian identifies as rights are really

certain moral rules.

moral standards

concern behavior that is of serious consequence to human welfare, that can profoundly injure or benefit people

nonconsequentialist theory

contend that right and wrong are determined by more than the likely consequences of an action

Which of the following is NOT one of the four broad categories of law?

contractual law

Contract Law

the body of law that governs contract enforcement

universalism

the ethical system stating that all people should uphold certain values that society needs to function

Groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

consequentialist theory

the moral rightness of an action is determined solely by its results

Paradox of Self-Interest

the more you have, the less value something has

Ethics

the principles of right and wrong that guide an individual in making decisions

Philosophical discussion of moral issues typically involves

the revision and modification of arguments.

Business Ethics

the study of what constitues right and wrong or good and bad

For philosophers, the most important issue is not where our moral principles came from, but:

whether those moral principles can be justified

If you adopt egoism as your moral code, then

you believe that it is morally right to do whatever promotes your best interest.

Psychological egoism:

you can't help but be selfish, humans are constructed so that they must behave selfishly (all actions are selfishly motivated)

psychological egoist

you can't help but be selfish, humans are constructed so that they must behave selfishly (all actions are selfishly motivated)

According to Adam Smith, if business is left to pursue its self-interest, the good of society will be compromised and harmed.

False

According to the text, if an act is deemed fair, it will also be just.

False

Egoists only do what they feel like doing.

False

The authors use the murder of Kitty Genovese to illustrate

bystander apathy.

Personal Egoism

my way (benefits me)

Personal egoist:

my way (benefits me)

Impersonal egoists

my way should be your way (better for you and me)

impersonal egoism

my way should be your way (better for you and me)

Problems with egoism:

- Not a sound theory (psychological egoism) - Not a moral principle at all - It condones blatant wrongdoing

Requirements for moral judgement

- logical - based on facts - based on acceptable moral principles

critisisms of egoism

- not a sound theory -condones blatant wrongdoing -not really a moral principle

consequentialism theories:

- utilitarian - egoism

Utlitarianism

-jeremy bentham and john stuart mill

6 Points of Utilitarianism

1. Both happiness and pain 2. actions affect people to different agrees 3. could be morally right in a particular situation 4. Maximize happiness in the short and long run 5. We do not know for certain about the future results of our actions 6. We dont have to disregard our own pleasure (one of many)

Two types of normative theories

1. Consequentialist theories 2. Nonconsequentialist theories

ethical relativism unsatisfactory implications

1. undermines moral critisims of the practices of other societies 2. no such thing as ethical progress 3. makes no sense for people to critisize principlese accepted by their own society

professional code of ethics

A set of guidelines describing how members of a particular profession will pursue their common ideal so that each does his or her best to serve clients or patients, contribute to the good reputation of the field, and avoid pressures to engage in unethical behavior.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Boeings cheif competitor

Airbus

Divine Command Theory

An act is morally required just because it is commanded by God, and immoral just because God forbids it.

Choose the statement that is a true reflection of moral beliefs.

Bystander apathy appears to result in part from diffusion of responsibility.

Act Utilitariansim

Ask yourself what the consequences of a particular act in a particular situation will be for all of those affected (just one of many)

Albert Carr

Business ethics are different from personal ethics. If is is legal, and it makes a profit, its ethically fine. Ethical relativism

In the essay, "Is Business Bluffing Ethical?" Albert Carr would agree with all of the following except for:

Business should be evaluated by society's moral standards.

How did Airbus successfully challenge Boeing in the commercial air transport market?

Larger engine which made the plane more fuel efficient

Statutory Law

Law passed by the U.S. Congress or state legislatures

Statues

Laws enacted by the legislative branch of a government

Constitutional Law

Laws relating to the interpretation of the Constitution

In Anarchy, State and Utopia, Robert Nozick advocates

Libertarianism.

How did boeing work around the side effect?

MCAST system

Bernie Madoff

Operated largest ponzi scheme in American history., famous for the Ponzi Scheme in which he took billions from his investors ; responsible for largest criminal conspiracy in history; Sentenced to a life sentence.

Being a member of an organization affects individual morality

Our environment can shape and even damage our personal morality.

John Rawls' Theory of Justice lays within which type of tradition?

Social contract.

Unexpected side effect from the update to the 737 Max?

The nose of the plane would go up at too high of an angle

Difference between morality and law

actions can be legal but morally wrong

Supererogatory actions are

actions that it would be good to do but not immoral not to do.

Categorical Imperative

an act is morally right if and only if we can will it as a universal law of conduct - one set of rules for everyone (Jerry Falwell - former president of Liberty University)

Diffustion of responsibility

an explanation of the failure of bystander intervention stating that when several bystanders are present, no one person assumes responsibility for helping

Prima Facie Obligations

an obligation that can be overridden by a more important obligation (W.D. Ross)

Albert Caar

argued that business has its own moral standards and business actions should only be evaluated by the business

Rule Utilitarianism

asks what moral code a society should adopt to maximize happiness (for all of those affected)

Immanuel Kant

believed moral rules can be known by reason alone, moral rules are discovered not made (universalism)

constituonal law

court rulings on requirements of the constitution

immoral

does/is

A practical basis for discussing moral issues involves taking account of

effects, ideals, and obligations.

adam smith-- capitalism as a blend of

egoism and utlitarianism ( Self interest and utility play an important role in organizational decision.)

egoism

equates morality with self-interest

According to Kant

good will is the only thing that is good in itself.

Utilitarianism Weakness

guessing the outcome / predicting the results

If an argument is valid, then

its conclusion must be true, if its premises are.

Common Law

judge made law

Act Utilitarianism

must ask ourselves what the consequences of the situation will be for all those affected (rule comes later)

good will

nothing is good except good intention, good acts mean nothing without proper motives (does not have moral values)

In association with labor and capital, Mill had contrasting views of

profit sharing.

normative theories

propose some principle or principles for distinguishing right actions from wrong actions

etiquette

refers to the norms of correct conduct in a polite society

administrative regulations

rules made by government agencies to implement specific public policies in areas such as public health, environmental protection, and workplace safety

According to John Rawls, people in "the original position" choose the principles of justice solely on the basis of

self-interest.

Morality

seriously affects the well being of humans (lying/stealing/killing)

moral

should

Aristotle's formal principle of justice states,

similar cases must be treated alike except where there is some relevant difference.

Consequentialism

states that the moral rightness of an action is determined solely by its results.

Adam Smiths view on capitalism

twist on the golden rule: do unto others so that they will do unto you

The case of the "death-bed promise" shows that

utilitarianism may lead to conclusions that conflict with our ordinary ideas of right and wrong.

Utilitarianism

we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone

Ethical Relativism

what is right in one place may be wrong in another

Ethical relativism supports the theory that:

what is right is determined by what a culture or society says is right.