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Exercise #3 (Normative ethics / Professionalization)

Answer all questions using scantrons distributed in class. Pleased use pencils. Exactly one answer to each question is best and thus correct. Due TBA. Please keep a copy for your file.

1. According to utilitarians the consequences of a right action
A) can include some negative utility.
B) can include some positive utility
C) both A) and B)

7. The "injustice objection" discussed in class is
a common objection to
A) Utilitarian ethical theory.
B) Kant's ethical theory
C) A) and B)
D) none of the above

2. According to utilitarians the consequences of a right action
A) can include short run utility.
B) can include long run positive utility
C) both A) and B)

8 A negative duty is a duty not to interfere with the actions or decisions of others.
A) TRUE B) FALSE

3. The categorical imperative asserts that
A) one must always maximize benefits for the client or patient.
B) one must always minimize harms for the client or patient.
C) one must always maximize benefits and minimize harms for the client or patient.
D) One must not treat any person merely as a means
E) none of the above

9. A main problem for Kant's ethical theory discussed in class is that this theory
A) is not very clear about what it means to treat someone merely as a means
B) allows someone to be treated as a means
C) allows someone to be treated merely as a means
D) does not allow anyone to be treated merely as a means
E) none of the above.

4. The following is not a consequentialist theory
A) ethical egoism
B) utilitarianism
C) (radical) ethical altruism
D) Ross's system of prima facie duties
E) they are all versions of consequentialism

10 A right to free speech is frequently understood to imply that people who have this right ought not to be interfered with; on this interpretation it is

A) a negative right

B) a positive right

C) both A) and B)

D) none of the above

5. The following is not a deontological theory
A) utilitarianism
B) Kant's system of categorical imperatives
C) theories of rights
D) Ross's system of prima facie duties
E) they are all versions of deontology

11. In class we discussed examples which involve using (sacrificing) one person to help other people. Such examples were used to show that
A) deontological theories are flawed
B) consequentialist theories may be flawed
C) hospitals must never use triage procedures
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

6. According to the class lectures, a plausible
interpretation of the claim that "one is not used
merely as a means" is this:
A) one is not harmed
B) one has explicitly consented to some treatment
C) (hypothetically) one would rationally consent to some form of treatment if one were well informed
D) the action is best for all

12. Some examples of positive rights discussed in class and/or by Shaw are the following
A) the right to free speech and the right to free assembly
B) the right to health service and legal protection
C) all of the above
D) none of the above

13. Universalism implies that
A) Some basic moral norms apply to all similarly situated people in all cultures at all times
B) Correct moral norms are extremely simple and admit to hardly any exception
C) A) and B)

18. According to Mill and Bentham
A) Pleasure is the only intrinsic good while pain is the only thing intrinsically bad
B) there are many different things which are intrinsically valuable (good or bad)
C) neither A) nor B)

14. Universalism is incompatible with
A) Belief relativism
B) Cultural / ethical relativism
C) both
D) none of the above

19. We may find what is intrinsically valuable by
A) finding out that something is a necessary means to a valuable end
B) trying various things and finding out whether they are pleasant or not
C) performing a "mental experiment" in which we conceive of something in isolation from its results and causes
D) none of the above.

15. Suppose that an action has a positive balance of utility (it brings about more positive utility than negative utility)
A) this action must be morally right, according to utilitarians
B) this action may be morally wrong, according to utilitarians
C) neither A) nor B)

20. The articles by Bayles, Barber, Hughes focus on
A) the notion of a profession in a very broad sense
B) the notion of a profession in the narrow sense
C) professional obligations of business people
D) all of the above

16. Suppose that some action harms someone significantly, and yet this person gave explicit consent to be so treated; according to a plausible interpretation of Kant's ethics explained in class:
A) this action must be morally right (because it involves an elements of consent)
B) this action must be morally wrong (because it harms someone significantly)
C) this action may be wrong, because explicit consent alone is neither enough nor necessary to justify the action
D) none of the above

21. The main reason for trying to elucidate (define) the concept of a profession is this:
A) philosophers are obsessed with precision, they try to define everything
B) it's simply good to have a precise understanding of everything
C) if we elucidate this concept, we may understand better the nature of professional morality
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

17. Pluralism was introduced in class as s a view implying that
A) many different ethical norms are all equally valid
B) both consequentialist and deontological ethical theories are morally correct
C) many different things have intrinsic value
D) correct moral decisions fulfill plural standards

22. The broadest sense of a profession (discussed in class) may be characterized as follows:
A) any paid occupation
B) any occupation that requires extensive training which includes an intellectual component
C) any occupation that has a professional code
D) B and C
E) all of the above

ANSWERS
1c, 2c; 3d; 4d; 5a; 6c, 7a; 8a; 9a; 10a; 11b (these examples illustrate the "(in)justice objection to utilitarianism and some other versions of consequentialism"; 12b; 13a; 14b; 15b (because there may be an alternative to this action that has even better balance of utility, e.g., it causes even more pleasure, or even less pain, or both more pleasure and less pain); 16c (according to a plausible interpretation of Kant's imperative the consent must be given rationally and a person who gives this consent must have relevant factual information); 17c; 18a (classical utilitarians were hedonists, Mill was a qualitative hedonist while Bentham was a quantitative hedonist); 19c; 20b; 21c; 22a.

Professional Ethics


13. Universalism implies that A) Some basic moral norms apply to all similarly situated people in all cultures at all times B) Correct moral norms are extremely simple and admit to hardly any exception C) A) and B)	18. According to Mill and Bentham A) Pleasure is the only intrinsic good while pain is the only thing intrinsically bad B) there are many different things which are intrinsically valuable (good or bad) C) neither A) nor B)
14. Universalism is incompatible with A) Belief relativism B) Cultural / ethical relativism C) both D) none of the above	19. We may find what is intrinsically valuable by A) finding out that something is a necessary means to a valuable end B) trying various things and finding out whether they are pleasant or not C) performing a "mental experiment" in which we conceive of something in isolation from its results and causes D) none of the above.
15. Suppose that an action has a positive balance of utility (it brings about more positive utility than negative utility) A) this action must be morally right, according to utilitarians B) this action may be morally wrong, according to utilitarians C) neither A) nor B)	20. The articles by Bayles, Barber, Hughes focus on A) the notion of a profession in a very broad sense B) the notion of a profession in the narrow sense C) professional obligations of business people D) all of the above
16. Suppose that some action harms someone significantly, and yet this person gave explicit consent to be so treated; according to a plausible interpretation of Kant's ethics explained in class: A) this action must be morally right (because it involves an elements of consent) B) this action must be morally wrong (because it harms someone significantly) C) this action may be wrong, because explicit consent alone is neither enough nor necessary to justify the action D) none of the above	21. The main reason for trying to elucidate (define) the concept of a profession is this: A) philosophers are obsessed with precision, they try to define everything B) it's simply good to have a precise understanding of everything C) if we elucidate this concept, we may understand better the nature of professional morality D) all of the above E) none of the above
17. Pluralism was introduced in class as s a view implying that A) many different ethical norms are all equally valid B) both consequentialist and deontological ethical theories are morally correct C) many different things have intrinsic value D) correct moral decisions fulfill plural standards	22. The broadest sense of a profession (discussed in class) may be characterized as follows: A) any paid occupation B) any occupation that requires extensive training which includes an intellectual component C) any occupation that has a professional code D) B and C E) all of the above