Midterm exam

Question 1

Levels (4), Approaches (3)

Answer 1

Levels:

1. International economic system
2. National
3. Corporate system
4. Individual Worker

Approaches:

1. Descriptive
2. Normative
3. Meta-ethical

Question 2

Author and subject of Wealth of Nations

Answer 2

Author: Adam Smith

Subject:
Free market system, division of labor, capitalism

Question 3

Regulation in USA that was passed after corporate scandal?

Answer 3

Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Enron

Question 4

Weber’s Protestant Work Ethic? Religious ideas involved? Relation to modern capitalism?

Answer 4

Working diligently as a sign of grace, living a self-denying, frugal lifestyle believing that these ideals display one’s salvation in the Christian faith

Question 5

Two problems with teamwork according to Sennett?

Answer 5

1. Team member ideas may be left out due to disagreement or shyness
2. Superficial, teammates may be inclined to avoid confrontation even when it is for the betterment of the group

Question 6

Why did workers at Boston Bakery not find meaning in their work?

Answer 6

The tasks were too automated and the employees had no stake in the company causing them to be disinterested with being the best employee they can be

Question 7

Two lessons to be learned from Davos business leaders

Answer 7

blank

Question 8

Three stages of laid-off IBM professionals

Answer 8

1. Betrayal
2. Self-blame
3. Acceptance

Question 9

What is the reason Sennett thinks being the author of your own life is important for new work order nowadays?

Answer 9

If you depend on a company for work then you are a pawn of theirs, the sooner you realize you don’t need them and they don’t need is the first step to establishing value

Question 10

Explanation of Taylorism and relation to dehumanization of work

Answer 10

Taylorism is a management system that attempts to analyze and synthesize work flows and production….discourages individual craftsmanship and production while encouraging mass production and making employees very replaceable

Question 11

According to Baumeister, why is working solely for money not a good source of meaning of work

Answer 11

Money being a sole motivator for working is empty and oppressive

Question 12

According to Baumeister, what attitude is involed when a person takes work as a career

Answer 12

work as a career is a way of creating, expressing, defining oneself

Question 13

Example of internal calling

Answer 13

Person has a calling to spread the word of God and becomes a priest

Question 14

Why does Baumeister believe that Protestant Work Ethic fails? (2 reasons)

Answer 14

1. In reality there is a high degree of division of labor

2. Person is constantly facing internal contradictions

Question 15

Reason Baumeister is cynical at the end of the article

Answer 15

Most people afraid to admit publicly that most aspects of work are tedious and unsatisfying and making money out of greed is not good

Question 16

Religious ground for human work according to the Compendium

Answer 16

Human work proceeds directly from person’s created in the image of God

Question 17

two of the rights of workers as listed in Compendium

Answer 17

right to pension, just wages, safe workplace, rest

Question 18

what does Compendium expect from “people in science and culture” to do regarding the new work order

Answer 18

To continue expanding and being the protagonist when it comes to work (change with the times)

Question 19

Type 1 Job and Type 2 Job

Answer 19

Type 1: every person has obligation to honor the great commandment and great commission

type 2: doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.

Question 20

Certain types of work that God cannot “call” somebody to do

Answer 20

tobacco bruh, pimping hoes, casinos, slanging drugs

Question 21

We can easily get indirectly involved with unchristian business ventures. Example?

Answer 21

invest in a company that has close ties with another company that supports child labor in third world countries

Question 22

Whats the point of having a class if ethics can’t be taught

Answer 22

class can guide us towards better ethical judements, ethical values are instilled in us as children

Question 23

Good life according to Aristotle? Three areas of excellence a person should pursue?

Answer 23

good life is a life of virtue and pleasure along with excellence in whatever you do while practicing practical wisdom and understanding

Question 24

need for ethical theories if we have moral intuitions

Answer 24

complicated situations may arise where our morals are torn and we don’t know what to do (lose-lose situation)

Question 25

best definition of utilitarianism according to shaw

Answer 25

the conduct that is objectively right is the one that produces the greatest amount of happiness on the whole taking into account all whose happiness is affected by the conduct

Question 26

difference between utilitarianism and egoism

Answer 26

utilitarianism takes into account the net happiness of everyone involved while egoism only takes into account the happiness of oneself or one’s company

Question 27

idea of moral worth in kantian ethics w/ shopkeeper example

Answer 27

action only has moral worth if done with the motivation to fulfill the duty….store clerk accidentally short changes someone and goes out to repay him the money and right the mistake…the action only has moral worth of if the clerk repaid the man for the right reasons and wasn’t motivated by something else (promoting business)

Question 28

Idea of categorical imperative in Kantian ethics with example of promise keeping

Answer 28

if you make a promise person must keep that promise no matter what based on the absolute requirement that asserts authority in all cases

Question 29

utility is impartial while ethics of care is partial? what about kantian ethics?

Answer 29

impartial since there is only one right course of action under the categorical imperative with no leeway in deciding

Question 30

objection to utility is that there is no absolute principle. example?

Answer 30

killing someone in order to save a thousand lives

Question 31

prima facie duties vs kant’s ethics

Answer 31

prima facie duties assert that there are some situations where we have a moral obligation to perform one duty over another depending on the circumstances of the situation making it a more partial theory while kants ethics is completely impartial and says to absolutely follow the categorical imperative with one right/wrong behavior

Question 32

what does it mean for a moral duty to be a prima facie duty?

Answer 32

some duties are more important than others depending on the specific circumstances of the situation

Question 33

prima facie duty of fidelity

Answer 33

to respect explicit and implicit promises

Question 34

should we identify duty of self-improvement with making money?

Answer 34

no not in call cases…person can make a lot of money in an immoral way and person can be dirt poor but live morally

Question 35

audi’s five-step is not a utilitarian calculation or cost-benefit analysis. why?

Answer 35

1. classify morally relevant duties
2. identify conflicting duties
3. assess duties
4. select ethically viable options
5. decide on course of action

Question 36

example of person who follows all laws but is still behaving unethically

Answer 36

exploiting loopholes in contracts or taxes

Question 37

concept of negative rights

Answer 37

person has a duty not to interfere with someone else’s rights

Question 38

limitation of talk about rights/duties?

Answer 38

?

Question 39

better way to avoid partiality in ethics of care?

Answer 39

?

Question 40

why is common good something common according to the compendium

Answer 40

applies to everyone and everyone needs to be aware of the common good when making moral decisions and taking action

Question 41

two of common good “social conditions” as outlined in compendium

Answer 41

1. common good applies to all members of society

2. everyone has a right to enjoy the conditions of social life that are brought about by the common good

Question 42

principle of subsidiarity

Answer 42

idea that matters should be handled by the smallest, lowest, least centralized form of authority that the situation allows for