Final Exam

Question 1

Mill offers three reasons to uphold individual liberty. What are the three reasons he offers?

Answer 1

• The dissenting view might be right or partially right
• Challenging the staus quo prevents it hardening into dogma
• Societies that are told what to believe stale out, lack innovation and restrict society improvements

Question 2

John Stuart Mill says we should maximize utility, but not case by case such as Bentham, but in the long run, which he believes will lead to the greatest human happiness.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Assume that more people prefer to watch dogfights than going to view Rembrandt paintings at a museum. If that is true, which of the following two statements would be correct?

Answer 3

Bentham would recommend that society should subsidize dogfight arenas and not public museums.

Mill would claim that the higher pleasure of viewing Rembrandt paintings increases human dignity and should be preferred.

Question 4

Jeremy Bentham is said to have said, “Push-pin is as good as poetry”. What does this phrase mean?

Answer 4

Betham’s measurement of pleasure doesn’t differentiate between higher or lower pleasures.

Question 5

“Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.” Which of the following three statements are true about this quote?

Answer 5

It means people should be free to do whatever they want, provided they don’t harm others.

Mill through this quote asserts that government should not interfere with personal liberty, even if it is to protect the person from themselves

The quote is from John Stuart Mill’s book, “On Liberty”.

Question 6

Unlike Bentham’s very strict interpretation of Utilitarianism’s, “greatest good for the greatest number,” Mill would not allow the persecution of a minority religion by the majority religion because:

Answer 6

Allowing a majority to silence dissenters might maximize utility today, but makes society worse off in the long run.

Question 7

John Stuart Mill was a student of Jeremy Bentham and of utilitarianism, but he tried to recast it in a less humane and more calculated way than Bentham.

Answer 7

False

Question 8

Mill’s thoughts about Utilitarianism go beyond the simple approach offered by Jeremy Bentham. Which two statements below does Mill believe that Bentham would not?

Answer 8

Actions and consequences are not all that matters. Character also counts.

Not all pleasures are equal, it is possible to distinguish between higher and lower pleasures.

Question 9

Of the two great proponents of Utilitarianism,

Answer 9

Jeremy Bentham was the more consistent philosopher as compared to Mill

John Stuart Mill was the more humane philosopher as compared to Bentham.

Question 10

Aristotle’s virtue ethics was a far more prevalent philosophy in ancient times because it was used to explain natural phenomena like fire and stones, which are now more often explained by physics and not by teleological thinking.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

If a Stradivarius violin were up for sale and both a wealthy collector and the first chair of the New York Philharmonics’ violin section bid the same amount for the instrument, who would Aristotle say should get to purchase the violin, and more importantly, why should they get to do so?

Answer 11

The violinist should purchase the Stradivarius because the true nature of a violin is to be played.

Question 12

Aristotle says that part of understanding the purpose of a practice is to find agreement on what virtue that practice is trying to honor and reward. This was the point behind the disagreement between the parents of the cheerleaders. Some parents thought tumbling was essential to being a cheerleader, others thought it was incidental.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

According to the Sandel book, at the heart of Aristotle’s Theory of Justice are two central ideas. What are those two ideas?

Answer 13

We must agree about what virtues we are trying to honor and reward.

We must define the essential nature or purpose of the practice in question.

Question 14

Aristotle would have supported a university’s affirmative action program of accepting a multi-cultural group of less qualified students over more qualified students if:

Answer 14

the teleos of a university was to serve the civic purpose of creating leaders for a diverse society.

Question 15

Aristotle believes justice is teleological, that in order to know if we are being just, we must first determine the purpose or end of what we are trying to do.

Answer 15

True

Question 16

According to Aristotle, the best flute in a school band should go to the best flute player because it honors the audience with beautiful music

Answer 16

False

Question 17

In the Sandel explanation about Aristotle, he explains that justice for Aristotle means what? (pick two)

Answer 17

giving people their due

giving people what they deserve

Question 18

A 5 star municipal golf course wants to allocate a fixed number of available tee times on a very popular holiday weekend on a “first-come-first-served” basis. What would Aristotle say about the justice of this approach?

Answer 18

The golf course is wrong to allocate tee times this way. It should award tee times to those with the lowest handicaps, the best golfers should get the tee times.

Question 19

The story about the handicapped cheerleader Callie exposed several issues related to Aristotle’s virtue ethics. Which of the following two statements about that story are true?

Answer 19

The two conflicting parties are arguing about the teleos of cheerleading.

Some of the parents feel that Callie is accorded an honor by being on the cheerleading team, an honor that she doesn’t deserve

Question 20

Some like the libertarian idea of freedom from taxes, but reject some of the freedoms that libertarians make on self-ownership. Which of the following items would a libertarian not support?

Answer 20

Motorcycle helmet laws to avoid the unfair burden on society when they are injured

Question 21

In Sandel’s book Justice, he tells the story of Armin Meiwes of Rotenburg Germany advertising to find someone willing to be killed and eaten. Someone did respond and gave his consent to Meiwes. What was the end result of this story

Answer 21

Germany had no laws against cannibalism and so Meiwe’s was originally convicted of a form of manslaughter with only an eight year sentence.

Question 22

Only a minimal governmental state, one that enforces contracts, protects private property and keeps the peace is compatible with libertarian theory. There are several types of laws that libertarians reject. What are these three types?

Answer 22

Laws that enforce notions of virtue or morals of the majority. Libertarians believe we have the freedom to believe and act on our own, regardless how others believe.

Laws that require some people to help others. Libertarians believe we own ourselves and our own labor and we are not forced to help others, particularly through redistribution of income.

Laws that protect people from harming themselves. Libertarians believe we have the right to accept our own risks.

Question 23

The Libertarian says that taxation is on a par with forced labor. Which of the following are reasons they put forth to support that argument?

Answer 23

If the state can tax 25% of my income, it might of just as well require me to work for the state 25% of my time.

If the state can demand 25% of my income, it essentially asserts it has a property right in me.

Question 24

People who believe that being taxed in order to re-distribute their money to fund government entitlement programs for the less affluent is violating a fundamental right, the right to do with their money what ever they please. This is what Libertarians believe.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

A “dyed-in-the-wool” libertarian (an avid believer) would agree that we should be able to sell one of our kidneys to the highest bidder if we so chose to do so. However, they would not agree with selling the second kidney as that would violate the moral code of ethics of killing oneself.

Answer 25

False

Question 26

Those who agree with income redistribution have various objections to the logic of the Libertarian. Which of the following is NOT one of those objections?

Answer 26

The Libertarian is free to spend their money as they choose, they own themselves and the fruits of their own labor

Question 27

Laws banning assisted suicide, according to the Libertarian, are unjust. If I enter into a voluntary contract with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, says the libertarian, the state has no right to interfere.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

Immanual Kant’s emphasis on human dignity informs much of our present day notions, what we in the 21st century, call Universal Human Rights.

Answer 28

True

Question 29

Immanuel Kant argues that every person is worthy of respect because

Answer 29

we are autonomous beings, capable to act and choose on our own

we are rational beings capable of reason.

Question 30

If we get enjoyment out of helping others and do good deeds for them as a result, Kant would say that our action lacks moral worth, because it is a motive of inclination, not one of duty.

Answer 30

True

Question 31

To act autonomously, is not biologically or socially influenced, it is to act according to a law I give myself.

Answer 31

True

Question 32

If you want a good business reputation, then you should treat your customers fairly and honestly. We all agree that this is a good thing, but Kant would say that this is an instrumental reason to act honestly and would call it a hypothetical imperative, not a categorical imperative.

Answer 32

True

Question 33

Immanuel Kant, a professor at the University of Konigsberg, is best known for

Answer 33

publishing the book a “Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals” in 1785

Question 34

Kant uses a series of contrasts to try and explain his idea of the supreme principle of morality. Which of these are the dualisms he suggests?

Answer 34

duty v. inclination, to determine morality

autonomy v. heteronomy, to explain freedom

catagorical v. hypothetical imperatives, to understand the reason for action

Question 35

Kant describes a hypothetical imperative versus a categorical imperative. A categorical imperative, Kant states is

Answer 35

unconditional. It applies regardless of the circumstances.

Question 36

We have freedom to choose what we like. When we decide which type of ice cream we like, Kant explains this as exercising autonomous thought, the freedom as humans to choose.

Answer 36

False

Question 37

According to Kant, an action is moral when

Answer 37

the intention of the action is good, doing the right thing for the right reason.

Question 38

In the end, the moral theory of Ethical Egoism requires us to divide the world into two groups, ourselves and everyone else. It tell us to treat one group (ourselves) differently than the other group for no rational or logical reason. We are not better than anyone else, just different. In the end, Rachel argues, we must reject Ethical Egoism because it violates the Principle of Equal Treatment.

Answer 38

True

Question 39

Which of the following statements are true about Ayn Rand?

Answer 39

She compared those who promoted the ethics of altruism to be beneath contempt, she compared them to parasites.

She believed that altruism, the selfless concern for others, was a totally destructive idea

She was a charismatic figure whose ideas about the moral superiority of capitalism and the absolute respect for the rights of individuals was developed more after her death in 1982 than during her lifetime.

Question 40

Which of the following statements are true about the Principle of Equal Treatment?

Answer 40

Racists have used the principle of equal treatment to justify their actions. They put forth false accusations that the races are different and therefore should be treated differently.

We should treat people in the same way unless there is a good reason not to.

Like cases should be treated alike, and only unlike cases may be treated differently.

Question 41

Ethical Egoism is the doctrine that each person ought to exclusively pursue their self-interest. Rachels gives three reasons that he says justifies this theory. What are the three arguments he makes?

Answer 41

Altruism is self-defeating because we can’t know what is best for others, only for ourselves. Looking out for others is an intrusion into other people’s privacy and can be viewed as charity and degrading to that person.

If we use our common sense applying morality to our lives, we know that we have a duty to not harm others, a duty not to lie, and a duty to keep our promises. Ethical Egoism leads us to applying the Golden Rule to do the right thing to others as it is in our interest for them to do right thing to us.

Altruism, according to Ayn Rand, is a destructive idea because it doesn’t acknowledge the value of a person’s life, but suggests that a person sacrifice their own life for others. As we only have one life to live, and altruism says we must sacrifice our life for others. Ethical Egoism says our own life is the ultimate value we should protect, not the life of others.

Question 42

Ethical Egoism is often confused with Psychological Egoism. Psychological Egoism asserts that each person does in fact pursue their own best interests exclusively. Psychological Egoism is not a theory of ethics, but a psychological theory of human behavior.

Answer 42

True

Question 43

The difference between Ethical Egoism and Psychological Egoism is that Psychological Egoism tells us we ought to be exclusively self-interested and Ethical Egoism tells us that people are actually self-interested based on their real activities.

Answer 43

False

Question 44

Ethical Egoism tells us our only duty is that we ought to act in ways that are best for ourselves. What does Ethical Egoism tell us about helping others?

Answer 44

It is “ok” to help others as long as their interests coincide with yours. That is, if by helping them you are also helping yourself, then that would be in alignment with Ethical Egoism principles.

Question 45

According to the self-help author Dale Carnegie, people only and always perform acts because they want something. Carnegie would explain that the actions of Rauol Wallenberg saving thousands of Jews in WWII

Answer 45

was done because this is what he wanted to do. He shouldn’t be praised for being altruistic, he did what he did because that is what he wanted to do most.

Question 46

When people can be harmed or helped by our actions, we have a moral duty to do this action. It is a common sense assumption that other people’s interests count, at least from a moral point of view which is why we should help feed the starving. This is the essence of Ethical Egoism.

Answer 46

False

Question 47

Ethical Egoism, as a theory, has its antagonists. There are several arguments made that would invalidate Ethical Egoism. What are the three arguments Rachels gives to dismiss Ethical Egoism as a valid moral theory?

Answer 47

Kurt Baier makes the argument that Ethical Egoism is inconsistent and that the theory can lead to contradictions. He gives an example involving politics where an action is both wrong and right at the same time.

Ethical Egoism divides the world into two categories, ourselves and everyone else. The Principle of Equal Treatment states that we should treat people in the same way unless we have a justifiable reason not to treat them equally. This principle is violated when we use Ethical Egoism. When we treat ourselves better than others for no other reason than it is ourselves, it is as arbitrary as racism.

Doing very bad things against others would be justified via Ethical Egoism as long as it was in the best interest of the person doing the action. Any theory which sanctions atrocious behavior must be discredited as a moral doctrine.

Question 48

Why do social movements arise when they do? What makes a social system receptive to change? Intrapreneurs must map and analyze two things to see if the innovation will be well received. What are the two things?

Answer 48

Timing

Terrain

Question 49

The social movement framework, the process by which social innovation is made effective and possible, is organized around a number of questions. What were those questions?

Answer 49

How?
Why?
Who?
When?

Question 50

The author points out that introducing social change to an organization requires understanding the terrain of the company. Which is these is NOT one of the three things the author is referring to when he uses the word terrain?

Answer 50

The way the company measures itself and how it evaluates their progress. This is called the control within the company. This is perhaps the most critical element the author points out to understand about the company before social change can occur

Question 51

The author borrows some terms to describe the types of people who are especially useful in getting an innovation widely accepted. Which is these is NOT one of those terms?

Answer 51

Decision Makers

Question 52

Mayer Zald pointed out that social movements happen inside businesses and corporations much as they do in society overall. Some businesses even have coups d’etat, insurgencies, and mass revolts. Many times these large corporations look like nations with leaders, hierarchies, and borders.

Answer 52

True

Question 53

The author points out that the success of a new social innovation at a company can be the timing of the change. What are the three things he says might signal opportunities for change?

Answer 53

Recognizing where you are in your own career within the company. Freshly minted college graduates will likely need extensive support from allies with greater seniority at the company.

Very recent changes in leadership, such as at the CEO level

Monitoring and reacting to significant changes your competitors are making.

Question 54

When reviewing the terrain of an organization in preparing whether to launch a social change initiative, the intrapreneur must be familiar with the organization’s strategy. The author says a multi-year strategy addresses a set of essential questions. Which are the 5 questions a strategy is supposed to address?

Answer 54

Why does this organization exist?

How do we measure our performance?

Using Porter’s 5 forces, what is our industry like?

What are we good at and what are our tactics to serve our markets?

What are the constituencies we aim to serve?

Question 55

The author of chapter 4 discusses a “shoe-thrower’s index” related to unrest in the middle east. He later tries to apply that index to a business organization. Which of the following is NOT one of the factors he would include in the “Shoe-Thrower’s Index for Organizations?”

Answer 55

The organization’s commitment to social media as a change agent is an important factor in initiating social change.

Question 56

The author has several pragmatic suggestions for getting to know the people to approach in an organization in order to initiate social change. What are 6 of the many suggestions provided in order to get to know the proper people to help or initiate social change in your organization?

Answer 56

Print the “About Us” section of the company web page to ensure you know the basics of the mission, vision, and values of the organization

If you have an option of where to locate your desk, place it near the printer (and not the window) as you’ll get to know everyone in the organization.

Make a point to introduce yourself to key decision makers, and if appropriate, offer to help with causes you know are important to them (volunteer on literacy council).

Study your company’s organization chart and associated list of responsibiltiies

Use the organization’s intranet to find like-minded colleagues around your local office or around the world to join forces.

Question 57

Understanding the culture of the organization is critical if you are to understand the priorities of the founders and/or top executives. The author offers 5 visible aspects that help an intrapreneur understand the culture. What are the 5 things he mentions?

Answer 57

Stories and jargon

The way employees dress or the uniform they wear.

The language used to communicate assumptions, values and ideologies.

Physical artifacts or props

The physical setting of the office or work environment.

Question 58

Klaus Weber compiled a helpful dictionary of terms associated with various kinds of corporate culture. He suggests that by analyzing the frequency of words used in internal and external documents, you can determine which of the basic 7 generic corporate cultures a business possesses.

Answer 58

True

Question 59

There are better or worse times to attempt a social change initiative inside a company. Which of the following are the four broad categories of opportunity the author discusses?

Answer 59

Are there people around you who share the values of the idea you are promoting? Do you have some allies that might be considered “elite” in the organization who can help with your work?

Are there some discrete signals of opportunity, like the values of the company and their actions are visibly out of alignment? Has the company launched a new division or product line? Did the company recently experience some very bad publicity and is seeking to restore its reputation?

Is there friction at the top of the executive chain and can you pick the “winners” versus the “losers” in the struggle? Divergent views mean that there are alternative possibilities for the future of the firm, making space for new initiatives.

How open is the corporate political environment to change? Does the CEO welcome challenges and new ideas? Do the exec’s welcome free speech? Or does the organization see social change as “extracurricular activity?”

Question 60

When trying to “frame” the argument to a decision maker, the most effective way to convince them is very the “tried and true” formal corporate presentation methods afforded by PowerPoint. Executives are most familiar with this format and you stand the greatest likelihood of capturing their attention.

Answer 60

False