Relationships Between Ethical Traditions Part 2

Question 1

Trudy is an environmentalist and believes that her local steel factory releases excessive pollution in her community. If she turns to a Divine Command theorist for moral guidance on this matter, she will be disappointed because the Bible is __________ on this matter.

Answer 1

Silent. There is nothing in the Bible about environmental pollution. The problem with the Divine Command theory is that is does not explicitly guide us on many ethical problems that we face.

Question 2

Scrooge is a rich, horrible, selfish man who is hated by everyone in his community, so his daughter wants to kill him and give away his riches to charity. In theory, her actions would be morally justifiable if she were an _____ _____________.

Answer 2

Act utilitarian. An act utilitarian would determine in this case that the overall well-being of the community has increased as a consequence of his death. Having said that, it can be argued that the principle against murder would override the increase in total well-being and so make it morally wrong.

Question 3

Brian has drunk 2 bottles of wine at a party and intends to drive home but Jill stops him by hiding his car keys. Jill’s actions could be construed as interfering with Brian’s right to autonomy, but many would approve of her actions on the grounds of ______________ and utilitarian morality.

Answer 3

Commonsense. Commonsense dictates that Brain may harm himself or others if he drives home in a drunken state. Jill is preventing Brian from acting irresponsibly and recklessly in trying to prevent a probable harm. A utilitarian would argue that the greater good would be to keep Brian off the roads till he is sober.

Question 4

Most people would find the murder of a 10 year old child abhorrent, but what if by murdering a particular child, we would discover the cure to cancer? A believer of a __________________ moral system may agree that the murder is justifiable as the good consequences could be said to outweigh the bad.

Answer 4

Consequentialist. Consequentialist moral systems state that the means justify the ends. So, where a reasonable premise (arguably, the murder of a child could never be right) is made and the good consequences truly outweigh the bad, then the action is objectively right.

Question 5

Gina volunteers for an hour a week in a charity shop out of the goodness of her heart, but Hermione volunteers because she thinks it will advance her political career. According to Kant, we cannot tell if is someone is doing good from the consequences of their actions but instead by examining their ____________.

Answer 5

Intentions. Kant reasons that this is the key to good will and moral behavior.

Question 6

James wants to lose weight but he cannot exert enough self-discipline to manage his eating habits. The Greek philosophers held __________ to be the ideal ruler of our emotions and desires, and if James can grasp this concept, then he may well achieve his goal.

Answer 6

Reason. The rational mind takes care of our longer term interests. In this case, James lack of self-control leads to instant gratification when he eats. If he can manage this desire and develop self-control through reason, he will probably be successful in losing weight.

Question 7

Violet’s behavior displays several vices such as irresponsibility and selfishness. According to Aristotle, the person who can change Violet’s character flaws is __________.

Answer 7

Violet. Aristotle felt that even though our character is shaped as we are growing up, that in itself does not prevent us from altering our own character in the future–if we choose to do so.

Question 8

Country A has decided to invade Country B because the former is threatened by the growing power and success of the latter country. ___________ would state that in matters of foreign policy, there is a lack of moral rules and so the stronger country can dominate the weaker one.

Answer 8

Thucydides. This is what Thucydides propounded in his observations of the Peloponnesian War.

Question 9

Martha is a single woman desperate to have a child so she has sexual relations with an acquaintance and then has the baby without informing the father. Her actions could be considered questionable from a ______ ________ perspective because she is arguably not seeking a compromise solution in the best interests of all concerned.

Answer 9

Care ethic. The care ethic focuses on building and strengthening relationships to meet the needs of all concerned. Martha’s actions show a disregard for the baby’s need for a father and the father’s potential need to know that he has a child.

Question 10

Jane wishes to buy a new car and has her sights set on a big SUV even though she is aware that it is big gas guzzler and hence environmentally unfriendly, but her husband David prefers to purchase a more environmentally friendly car. It is arguable that Jane’s behavior is _______________ from a virtue-ethics perspective as she should consider the impact her purchasing decisions is having on the environment.

Answer 10

Irresponsible. Irresponsibility is a vice and it is arguable that by meeting her own needs, she is ignoring the environmental impact her actions are having on the planet.

Question 11

Some people have argued that the recycling of paper, plastics and cans is an essential activity that every person should participate in, but not everyone does. In the spirit of Rawls, persons in the Original Position behind the veil of ignorance would __________ (recycle or not recycle?).

Answer 11

Recycle. This is because the consequences of not doing so would probably cause environmental degradation to their community and this is not what impartial persons would want.

Question 12

Over the years, there have been several notable cases of severe police brutality meted out to suspects. This kind of behavior is not only illegal but is heinous because police officers are in a position of power and trust, hence any ________ of that position can be considered morally wrong.

Answer 12

Abuse. Police officers are in a position of trust and power. They wield guns and have the right to arrest and interrogate us. The abuse of such power is immoral.

Question 13

Derek has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a teenage girl. He has admitted to the crime but refuses to tell the police officers where the girl is as he wants her to die. The officers debate whether they should beat the information out of him when Henry, a Kantian says that they should ________ (do it or not do it?).

Answer 13

Not do it. As a Kantian, Henry could possibly will a universal law permitting harm to someone in these circumstances but it will most certainly fail the respect for persons formulation.

Question 14

Trevor, a US citizen, lives in Country A and has been convicted of theft and sentenced to 20 strokes of the cane. A follower of Rousseau would say that the punishment is ______.

Answer 14

Just. Rousseau believed that a social contract existed between the government and the people. Trevor had chosen to live in Country A and so must be subject to its laws in exchange for protection from the state.

Question 15

Justin earns $500,000 a year but refuses to give any of it to charity on the grounds that he does not owe distant strangers anything and that he has worked hard for his money. Plato would argue that Justin has not achieved _____________.

Answer 15

Happiness. The Greek word for this is “arete.” Happiness is the goal of all humans and this is achieved through living a moral existence. The cardinal virtue of justice is essential for the psychic harmony of the soul and can only be achieved through acts of charity and kindness.

Question 16

Arianne is having dinner at a restaurant. When a man at the next table starts choking, Arianne gets up and performs the Heimlich Maneuver on the stranger, thereby saving his life. The virtues shown by Arianne include compassion, _______________ and kindness.

Answer 16

Unselfishness. Arianne could have just left the man to choke to death, but appreciating the stranger’s right to life, she saved him as it cost her nothing or very little to do so.

Question 17

Fran has been sexually harassed by a senior fellow employee at work who is the company’s best salesman. She makes a complaint to her superior Tom, but he fires her on the grounds that her work performance has been unsatisfactory. Many people would argue that this behavior is morally unacceptable and a breach of the right to __________.

Answer 17

Justice. Fran has been fired, apparently to cover up her sexual harassment complaint against the best earner for the company. She has a legal recourse in the courts for sexual harassment.

Question 18

ABC Inc has discovered that one of their employees, John, has contracted AIDS and fires him because of this. This would be an unjust and immoral action under ______ labor practices under the rules of Business Ethics.

Answer 18

Fair. Workers have the right not to suffer discriminatory practices in the workplace.

Question 19

Imagine that the US has made a new policy to clamp down on abuse of drugs by its citizens when they go abroad on vacation, so they randomly drug test their returning citizens at the ports of entry. It is arguable that such an act breaches the citizens’ right to ___________.

Answer 19

Privacy. Many people would contend that these acts are a breach of personal freedom and privacy. Any alleged drug use was carried out while in a foreign country and hence is not within the remit of local law enforcement.

Question 20

Jemima is a computer programmer who wants to exact revenge on her colleague Tina, who embarrassed her by revealing private information about her love life to her workmates. So, Jemima intercepts Tina’s email messages and pretending to be Tina sends nasty replies back to the senders of those messages. This a breach of Tina’s privacy but a _________ ____________ theorist could be confused about the moral legitimacy of Jemima’s action.

Answer 20

Divine command. It has been argued by some philosophers that the Bible is conflicting when it comes to revenge. On the one hand, it says ‘an eye for an eye’, but it also says that one should turn one’s cheek when being smote.

Question 21

Kelly earns $250,000 a year and after buying the necessities, spends the rest on luxury items. She is desperate for a raise and so pushes herself harder at work to secure a promotion. An ____________ would conclude that Kelly’s desires are so great that she is becoming a slave to her work and hence not achieving happiness.

Answer 21

Epicurean. Epicurus believed that work is a source of pain rather than pleasure and we should only do what is necessary to meet our essential needs.

Question 22

According to Carl Marx, the bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a ________________ character to production and consumption in every country.

Answer 22

Cosmopolitan. Marx stated this in his Communist Manifesto of 1848.

“Cosmopolitan” means “of the world”–in other words, not provincial or limited to one country. To try to figure out what Marx meant by this statement, it is helpful to read the next sentence of this quote: “In place of old wants, satisfied by the productions of the country, we find new wants, requiring for their satisfaction the products of distant lands.”

Question 23

Greta is a kind, compassionate, responsible, and humble person and she has a high level of self-awareness gained from reading Hobbes, so her behavior is motivated by her ______-__________.

Answer 23

Self-interest. Hobbes believed that virtuous behavior stems from our own self-interest and if we had these virtues, then it would be to our own benefit.

Question 24

Drew is perched atop a building from which he intends to jump off to demonstrate the effectiveness of a pair of wings that he has constructed, but a policeman manages to wrestle him to the ground, thereby preventing him from taking flight. The state is justified in ______________ preventing him from conducting his test until they determine his mental competence.

Answer 24

Temporarily. Some philosophers, particularly Feinberg, believe that hard paternalism is generally to be avoided unless the person is incompetent. However, soft paternalism, such as the government intervention in this case, is legitimate to determine Drew’s competence. If he is competent, then the government should not stand in the way of his test unless there is serious risk that it would harm others.

Question 25

It has been argued by many that the greatest flaw in the utilitarian theory is that there is no consistent method of ______________ and comparing rises or falls in people’s well-being.

Answer 25

Measuring. There is no reliable way. One could use an arbitrary points system but it would be arbitrary.

Question 26

A government body has to decide whether to permit logging in a virgin forest. The two competing interests are the preservation of the biodiversity in that forest and the needs of the local people to secure jobs to reduce unemployment and poverty. In order to come to a just decision, the body must weigh up the benefits and harms, bearing in mind the _______-_______ interests of the community.

Answer 26

Long-term. Logging will likely have a negative impact on the biodiversity of the forest, not just for the short-term but for many decades to come. Contrast this with the benefits of the people having work and an income to provide themselves with economic necessities. It is arguable that the latter is a shorter term benefit compared to the long-term impact of logging.

Question 27

In the situation where balancing harms and benefits may nonetheless produce an inequitable solution where both options are undesirable, a person who subscribes to the care ethic may offer an _____________ solution.

Answer 27

Alternative. The follower of the care ethic tradition may present a solution that is not even on the agenda, since the goal is to come up with the solution that would be satisfactory for all concerned. So, using the logging example from the previous question, the alternative solution would be to preserve the forest but offer other forms of employment to the locals.

Question 28

A hypothetical country has no regard for environmental sustainability and contributes to 30% of the planet’s carbon dioxide production. A Kantian would argue that a universal law cannot be willed to pollute the world to benefit one nation and that the country is being disrespectful because pollution ________ people.

Answer 28

Harms. The effects of pollution is a depletion in natural resources which in turn harms people, hence the country’s actions are breaching the respect for persons formulation of the categorical imperative.

Question 29

ABC Chemical Plant has decided to move its operations from the US to China because of public pressure to reduce emissions. China welcomes industry as they are trying to increase foreign investment so they will not complain about the pollution. Given the moral requirement of ______________, this move would be unjust.

Answer 29

Impartiality. The moral law of impartiality requires us to stand back and make a moral judgment that would remove or at least minimize bias. If it is immoral to pollute a community in the US, it is immoral in any community in the world.

Question 30

In many cases, under federal rules, inmates released from prison do not qualify for housing subsidies until they get a job, and many have difficulty finding work because of their criminal record. It can be argued that such a policy breaches the principle of ___________.

Answer 30

Justice. Ex-offenders are not entitled to housing subsidies whereas other people are entitled to them. This is arguably unjust. For the benefit of assisting ex-offenders to get back on their feet, to not re-offend and to work again, it may be a good idea to assist them with housing, at least for a short duration until they get used to being back in society again.

Question 31

Harriett has deliberately broken a law in her country. According to King, this action can be morally right if the law is __________.

Answer 31

Unjust. If the law is unjust, then you are justified in disobeying it. A law can be morally wrong and hence disobedience to it is justifiable. An example would be the laws prohibiting the harboring of slaves prior to the Civil War.

Question 32

Jenny is walking home when she notices an elderly blind lady looking lost, so she offers to help and then guides the lady 5 blocks to her destination. Jenny has sacrificed 20 minutes of her time in doing this. A follower of Rand would ______ (have or not have?) done the same thing.

Answer 32

Not have. Rand believed that one should not sacrifice oneself to others and must exist solely for his or herself.

Question 33

Mary notices that an elderly man appears to be lost but she is late meeting friends and wonders whether she should stop and assist the man or walk on and meet up with her friends as soon as possible. If she was a follower of ______’s philosophy, she would estimate the pleasure and pain produced by the two alternative courses of action to determine what to do.

Answer 33

Hume. Hume believed that the ethical course of action was guided by our feelings. So Mary should take the course of action that produces more pleasure and pleasure is induced by virtuous acts.

Question 34

Jefferson propounded that all men were equal, but many people have pointed out the gender bias in that statement and the fact that ___________ was still legal and even practiced by Jefferson himself.

Answer 34

Slavery. Slavery was still permitted at the time that the Declaration of Independence was created. It has been argued that Jefferson meant those self-evident rights to be possessed only by those educated men of “merit” who would lead the nation.

Question 35

Since February 2004, San Francisco city officials have been issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples even though State law forbids gay marriage on the grounds that the right to __________ overrides the provisions of the State law.

Answer 35

Equality. Mayor Newsom has argued that the equal protection clause in the state constitution is morally stronger than the ban on gay marriages. As a consequence, President George W Bush has called for a constitutional amendment to allow only marriages between a man and a woman.

Question 36

Gay activists who are fighting for gay marriage rights could argue that they are subject to excessive social control by the government. A person who subscribes to ________’s ideal of liberty would argue that these limitations placed on the gay community would only be ethical if they are reasonable, rational and necessary.

Answer 36

Plato. This is what Plato believed. Social controls were necessary but permitted only if the people had a say in its creation or enforcement. This is true to a degree in a democracy but the gay community would have objected to rules prohibiting same-sex marriage. So the question turns on the reasonableness, necessity and rationality of such a control.

Question 37

For 10 years, the US military has operated by a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy whereby gay persons would be allowed to serve as long as they kept their sexual orientation a secret. It has been argued that such a policy was formed as a compromise to pacify both those who objected to gay persons serving in the military and those who felt that they should not be denied the right to serve their country. Such a solution could be said to have incorporated the _______ ethic.

Answer 37

Care. In a moral dilemma, the process of compromise to satisfy all parties has commonly been attributed as a female trait and hence the care ethic.

Question 38

A hospital is suspicious of a mother’s claims that her son is sick and suspect her of deliberately harming her child; so, they move the child to a room which is installed with hidden cameras to determine if their suspicions are correct. It is arguable that the hospital is acting in the best interests of the child but on the other hand they are committing a breach of privacy and ________.

Answer 38

Trust. We trust our medical professionals, so when they take these type of actions without telling us, they are breaching the trust element of a doctor-patient relationship.

Question 39

Ryan robbed and stabbed Jenny, who is recovering from her ordeal in hospital. Jenny’s husband has found out that Ryan was responsible for his wife’s condition and intends to beat Ryan up but Jenny persuades him to act in the spirit of ___________ and never commit a crime, even when wronged.

Answer 39

Socrates. Socrates believed strongly that one should never commit a crime, even in circumstances such as those given in the question. The laws are made by the State and should be adhered to.