Quiz #1

Question 1

What is Ethics?

Answer 1

1) The reasoned study of rules of right and wrong
2) The study of obligations to others, concerned with obligations beyond yourself and how they arise

Question 2

Why study Ethics?

Answer 2

The decision does not always have an obvious solution ex. The Golden Rule “do one to others as you would have them do to you”

Question 3

What is business ethics?

Answer 3

The reasoned study of rules of right and wrong pertaining to the realm of business, which includes individuals, firms and markets

Question 4

What is a moral dilemma?

Answer 4

1) arises when you have to chose between actions, and someone’s welfare will be significantly harmed no matter what action you take

Question 5

What is Prudence?

Answer 5

Making thoughtful, wise choices, implicitly ones that improve personal welfare, (ex. Focuses on self-interest) sometimes prudence and ethics are in alignment.

Question 6

What is the difference between Moral, Immoral and Amoral Actions?

Answer 6

Moral - “right” actions in accordance with the decision rule of some defensible ethical approach
Inmoral - “wrong” actions that violate ethical view point
Amoral - neither right or wrong (outside realm of given decision rule)

Question 7

What are the steps in the generic decision making model? Which apply to moral rules?

Answer 7

1. Define problem **
2. Determine criteria for solution **
3. Generate potential actions **
4. Evaluate potential actions **
5. Choose Solution **
6. Implement solution
7. Monitor solution
8. Reassess problem

Question 8

What is John Stuart Mill’s approach to ethics?

Answer 8

Utilitarism/Common Morality
1) That it is widely known conceptualization of morality
2. That its proponents mean for it to be commonly applied potentially providing insight to any moral dilemma

Question 9

What is mills rule?

Answer 9

The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, utility or the greatest happiness principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to reverse happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privatization of pleasure.

Question 10

What is the greatest happiness principle?

Answer 10

“Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote the reverse of happiness.

Question 11

Explain the three vocabulary words from Mill’s Rule. (Creed, utility and privation)

Answer 11

Creed - code of behaviour or a set of beliefs
Utility - anything that makes you happy has utility (measure of pleasure)
Privation - not having pleasurable experiences

Question 12

How does Mill speak of Happiness and Pleasure? What questions did this lead to? What did Critics accuse Mill of being?

Answer 12

Mill equates happiness with pleasure
This leads to two questions:
1. Aren’t happiness and pleasure synonyms?
2. Lots of animals seek pleasure - “the swine objections”
This lead critics to accuse Mill of being a hedonist (idea developed by a greek philosopher Epicurus that humans were created to seek gratification of sensual desires such as food, drink, sex, drugs and music.)

Question 13

What three points did Mill bring forward to the swine objection? What exactly is the swine objection?

Answer 13

The swine objection is the allegation that utilitarism is a form of hedonism

Mill believed this was a false accusation because:
1. There are two types of pleasure - Physical pleasure (which satisfies the five sense, food drink and sex, this describes the part that would refer to as hedonist behaviour or “animal appetites”) and Psychological pleasure (mental pleasure, intellectual, imagination, satisfaction, pride, the human capacity for mental pleasure outdistances animals)
2. One type is of higher quality than the other - mental pleasures are superior to physical pleasures “no intelligent human would trade lives with a fool” ex. Trade life with someone of lower IQ
3. Human happiness involves the higher one - because psychological pleasures are superior to physical human happiness relise heavily on them

Question 14

Does happiness mean you are always happy and nothing bad happens?

Answer 14

Happiness is not like a coke commercial - happiness is made up of few and transitioning pains, many and various pleasures

Question 15

Whose happiness and pleasure is John Stuart Mill referring to?

Answer 15

“Actions should promote the happiness of society not the individual taking action” (the greatest amount of happiness together)
Why everyone?
1) Utter selfishness could not possibly by adopted by all rational beings (personal happiness would never get anyone else to accept)
2) Living in society’s is natural for us - utilitarianism analysis considers everyone equally in its moral rule

We must think of everyone who may be significantly affected by our action, make sure happiness is going to improve overall.

Question 16

What other words have been used to describe happiness?

Answer 16

Happiness (archaic - ancient Greeks) = utility (technical - economists) = welfare (modern)

Happiness almost seems childish, eudaemonia, utilitarism gives certain gravitas (serious weight) - final word is welfare now the summum bonum best for a modern audience

Question 17

How do we apply Mill’s rule?

Answer 17

In any moral dilemma there will be winners and losers - try to weigh the gains and loses like one a scale, actions should only be chosen if the gains outweigh the loses

Question 18

Draw out the utilitarian table for the nutrition store case

Answer 18

see notes

Question 19

Draw out the utilitarian table for the toxic waste case

Answer 19

See notes

Question 20

What are the five “holes” in Mill’s thinking that critics have given rise to?

Answer 20

Five objections
1. “This is never going to work”
2. “whiny”
3. “It’s so subjective”
4. “But the many can benefit at the expense of a few”
5. “It lacks mathematical rigour”

Question 21

Explain the:
1. “This is never going to work”
Objection

Answer 21

People say the table is too complicated and confusing, but Mill argues that people should be capable of basic rational thought, dilemmas are complex and then so should their analysis.

Question 22

Explain the:
2. “whiny”
Objection

Answer 22

“It takes so much time!” Real people are effected by these decisions, the time should be taken to approach a dilemma in a systematic way.

Question 23

Explain the:
3. “It’s so subjective”
Objection

Answer 23

People will have different tables yes, but the goal of the table is to prompt you to identify all the people who are affected and how, in a real situation you will more facts and less assumptions as well. The purpose of the course is to personally become better at t=making moral decisions, the table is a tool.

Question 24

Explain the:
4. “But the many can benefit at the expense of a few”
Objection

Answer 24

Yes, the scale tips in favour of the most gains (least losses). A small group will be screwed for the benefit of society. It is a tragedy but in the grand scheme people will be better off.

Question 25

Explain the:
5. “It lacks mathematical rigour”
Objection

Answer 25

It shouldn’t be mathematical, quantifying the intangibles is simply misleading.

Question 26

What is the difference between reasoning and rationalizing?

Answer 26

Reasoning: is a forward looking process
Rationalizing: a backward-looking process

In order for moral decision to be made you must
1) not decided first what you are going to do
2) Fill in the table sincerely and impartially
3) whatever the table shows you, you must do morally speaking.