PHIL - 186 - Chapter 2 - Normative Theories of Ethics

Which of the following considerations about utilitarism is correct?

Bentham was concerned with the quantity of pleasure that an action produces, not with distinctions based on the type of the pleasure.

The only accurate statement about consequentalism is:

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

A hypothetical imperative tells us to act as we would want everyone to act in that situation. T/F

False

A supererogatory act is an act that would be good not to do to, but doing it is not absolutely wrong. T/F

False

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

False

According to Immanuel Kant, moral reasoning is based on factual knowledge. True or False?

False

Adam Smith made the point that individual pursuit of self-interest (egoistic conduct), even when subject to rules and constraints, always undermines the utilitarian goal of producing the most good for all. True or False?

False

All moral rights are legal rights?

False

Egoists only do what they feel like doing. T/F

False

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

False

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

False

Nonconsequentialist theories of ethics never consider the consequences of an action or rule when making a moral judgment.. True or False

False

Richard Brandt defends a form of act utilitarianism. True or False?

False

The rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights are positive rights, not negative rights. True or False?

False

Which of the following is true regarding Immanuel Kant's beliefs?

He believed that reason by itself can reveal the basic principles of morality.

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.

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

True

According to Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, pleasure is the one thing that is intrinsically good or worthwhile. True or False?

True

According to W. D. Ross, we have immediate intuitive knowledge of the basic prima facie moral obligations/principles. True or False?

True

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

True

Immanuel Kant believed that prostitution was immoral because, by selling their sexual services, prostitutes allow themselves to be treated as only a means to an end. T/F

True

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

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. T/F

True

One feature about utilitarianism that makes it appealing as a standard for moral decisions in business and nonbusiness organizations is that it provides a clear and straightforward basis for formulating and testing policies. T/F

True

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

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 or False?

True

The view that associates morality with self-interest is egoism. True or False?

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 or False?

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.

Which of the following is true regarding utilitarian beliefs?

Utilitarians wish to maximize happiness not simply immediately, but in the long run as well.

Which of the following represents a utilitarian belief?

We should bring about the most happiness for everyone affected by our actions.

"If you want to go to law school, then you must take the LSAT exam." This statement is an example of

a hypothetical imperative.

The statement that best defines rights is

a right is an entitlement to act or to have others act in a certain way.

Supererogatory actions are

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

Utilitarians believe that

an action that leads to unhappiness is morally right if any other action that you could have performed instead would have brought about even more unhappiness.

Rule utilitarians

believe that the optimal moral code will not normally produce 100% compliance.

A practical basis for discussing moral issues involves taking account of

effects, ideals, and obligations.

According to Kant

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

For those who are trying to make moral decisions

in a moral discussion, clarifying the facts and spelling out the principles to which people are appealing can help us to reach a solution.

Kant believed that we should always act

in a way that moral beings give the moral law.

According to the text, psychological egoism

is derived from alleged fact that human beings are by nature selfish creatures

According to act utilitarianism, an action is morally right if and only if

it maximizes total, net happiness.

Nonconsequentialists like Ross believe that

morality permits each of us a sphere in which to pursue our own plans and goals.

Consequentialism

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

The case of the "deathbed promise" shows that

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

Imagine a shopkeeper who is honest because being honest is good for business. When the shopkeeper refrains from cheating a customer, Kant would say this action

was in accordance with duty, but not done from duty.

According to W. D. Ross's theory

we have various moral duties that can't be reduced to a single, overarching obligation.

A key idea of Immanuel Kant's ethical theory is that:

we should treat people as ends in themselves, never merely as means.

If you adopt egoism as your moral code, then

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