Multiple choice
Question 1
Which of the following is NOT a correct statement?
One advantage to a Natural Rights theory of ethics is that it can provide very specific and precise moral rules to guide conduct.
One problem with Rousseau’s Social Contract theory of ethics is that it is very difficult to determine with any exactitude what constitutes the General Will of the people.
According to Machiavelli, Fate or Fortune rules a good part of a person’s actions, and thus a shrewd and smart person should be prepared to adapt one’s actions to circumstances imposed by Fate.
“Soft” Determinism implies that one can make a true choice between good and bad moral alternatives.
Question 2
Consumer Products, Inc., asks its employees, many of whom are unionized, to apply the Utilitarian theory of ethics. This theory does NOT require
A choice among alternatives that will produce maximum social utility
A determination of what individuals will be affected by an action
An assessment of the positive and negative consequences of alternative actions on individuals affected
The acquiring of the means of production and distribution by the workers.
Question 3
Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement?
According to Locke, people’s rights to freedom and equality exist naturally in the state of nature even before any civil government is created.
Natural rights exist, according to Locke, but only if the rights are granted by the government to its citizens and legal residents.
Kant would condemn Utilitarianism as an immoral ethical theory because he maintains that “the ends do not justify the means.”
According to Locke, people have the natural right to own private property.
.0.5 points
Question 4
Which course of action would the aggregationist view of Utilitarianism require to be taken:
The one that provides at least some good to the greatest number of people.
The one that provides the greatest overall good to society, even if the benefit of that alternative only flows to a few people.
The one that harms the smallest number of people.
The one that places the greatest number of people in a better position than they were previously.
