Deck 3: Justice and Economic Distribution

Question 1

Aristotle's formal principle of justice states,

A)from each according to his or her ability, to each according to his or her need.
B)similar cases must be treated alike except where there is some relevant difference.
C)all people are to be treated the same in every situation.
D)from each according to his or her ability, to each according to his or her merit.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

From John Stuart Mill's viewpoint,

A)philosophical concern with justice began in the 19th century.
B)questions of morality form a subset of questions of justice.
C)justice is a moral standard independent of the principle of utility.
D)only the utilitarian standard can best resolve conflicts between competing principles of justice.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Primary social goods include

A)poverty.
B)freedom of religion.
C)status.
D)leisure time activities.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Many utilitarians would argue that

A)increased worker participation in industrial life is beneficial.
B)social utility is irrelevant to issues of justice.
C)there is already sufficiently equal distribution of income.
D)the free trade and laissez-faire view of Adam Smith best promote the total social good.

Question 5

Who is more likely to be sympathetic with the idea of reducing the disparities of income in society?

A)Utilitarians
B)Liberals
C)Robin Hood
D)egalitarians

Question 6

According to Mill's utilitarianism

A)rights are certain moral rules, the observance of which is of the utmost importance for the long-run, overall maximization of happiness.
B)there are no moral rights.
C)the rights possessed by human beings remain unchanged for all times and places.
D)rights are those rules that a majority of the society would agree to behind the "veil of ignorance."

Question 7

The first principle of Nozick's entitlement theory concerns the original acquisition of

A)morals.
B)holdings.
C)case law.
D)the crown.

Question 8

In association with labor and capital, Mill had contrasting views of

A)freedom of speech.
B)farmers' markets profit.
C)welfare.
D)profit sharing.

Question 9

Nozick's libertarian theory proposes

A)libertarians endorse utilitarianism's concern for total social well-being.
B)pleasure takes priority over any other moral concern.
C)libertarians generally agree that liberty allows only a "night-watchman" state.
D)if a person comes into possession of a holding through a legitimate transfer, then, morally speaking, she or he deserves that holding.

Question 10

According to John Rawls,

A)people in the original position choose the principles on the basis of self-interest.
B)in the original position, people must have full and complete knowledge.
C)justice forbids any social or economic inequalities.
D)liberty is of little or no importance compared to equality.

Question 11

The veil of ignorance proposes that

A)those in the original position are supposed to choose principles on the basis of self-interest, agreement seems unlikely.
B)one group would be supportive of another group benefiting even though the rules are different.
C)people are fully knowledgeable about themselves or situation allowing them to have a partial or biased point of view.
D)agreement is difficult to attain.

Question 12

Talk of justice and injustice typically focuses on:

A)fairness, equality, desert, and rights
B)reason, reflection, deliberation, and fairness
C)feeling, sentiment, happiness, and equality
D)fairness, impartiality, duty, and rights

Question 13

According to Locke,

A)individuals are morally entitled to take other's property.
B)property is a moral right.
C)individuals are not morally entitled to the products of their labor.
D)property acquisition is a duty.

Question 14

According to libertarianism,

A)there are no natural, Lockean rights.
B)we have a basic right to assistance from others.
C)people should not attempt to coerce others.
D)happiness takes priority over other moral concerns.

Question 15

According to John Rawls, people in "the original position" choose the principles of justice solely on the basis of

A)social utility.
B)their religion.
C)self-interest.
D)their intuitive knowledge of the natural rights of all human beings.

Question 16

John Rawls' Theory of Justice lays within which type of tradition?

A)All for one and one for all.
B)Principled living.
C)Feudal society.
D)Social contract.

Question 17

In Anarchy, State and Utopia , Robert Nozick advocates

A)Libertarianism.
B)Kantianism.
C)Utilitarianism.
D)Egoism.

Question 18

The view of ignorance demands people in the original position to be

A)difficult to come to agreement.
B)impartial.
C)biased.
D)forgiving.

Question 19

In Nozick's example of Wilt Chamberlain, he argues that other theories of economic justice inevitably fail to respect people's

A)liberty.
B)power of choice.
C)skills.
D)height.

Question 20

The difference principle of Rawls includes

A)we are all created equal.
B)individuals are justified by working for the benefit of the least advantaged.
C)we all deserve the same.
D)some do deserve more than others.

Question 21

Many philosophers believe (as Aristotle did)that we are required, as a formal principle of justice, to treat similar cases alike except where there is some relevant difference.

Question 22

According to the "maximin" rule, you should select the alternative under which the worst that could happen to you is better than the worst that could happen to you under any other alternative.

Question 23

The Supreme Court gave decision making power for Eminent domain to the

A)feds.
B)states and local communities
C)townships.
D)parents.

Question 24

The United States leads the world in executive pay.

Question 25

According to Robert Nozick, property rights exist prior to any social arrangements and are morally antecedent to any legislative decisions that a society might make.

Question 26

Rawls rejects utilitarianism because

A)he saw it as a threat.
B)it might permit an unfair distribution of burdens and benefits.
C)governments wanted it.
D)it values moral purity.

Question 27

Thanks to changes in the tax system, in recent years income in the United States has become more equal.

Question 28

According to Robert Nozick, the basic moral rights possessed by all human beings are both negative and natural.

Question 29

Libertarians reject inheritance as a legitimate means of acquiring wealth.

Question 30

The phrase "the declining marginal utility of money" means that successive additions to one's income produce, on average, less happiness or welfare than did earlier additions.

Question 31

Rawls's theory of distributive justice is a form of utilitarianism.

Question 32

To the libertarians, their concept of liberty includes a commitment to

A)freedom of ideas.
B)freedom of speech.
C)private property.
D)happiness.

Question 33

Justice is frequently held to require that our treatment of people reflect their fundamental moral equality.

Question 34

Distributive justice concerns the morally proper distribution of social benefits and burdens.

Question 35

Eminent domain is the ancient right of government to take what from an individual?

A)food
B)clothing
C)liberties
D)property

Question 36

What utilitarian identifies as rights are really

A)creative alternatives.
B)positive rationalizations.
C)certain moral rules.
D)ethical violations.

Question 37

Utilitarians are likely to be sympathetic to the argument that steps should be taken to reduce the great disparities of income that characterize our society.

Question 38

Robert Nozick uses the Wilt Chamberlain story to show the importance of economic re-distribution.

Question 39

According to John Rawls, people in the original position do not know what social position or status they hold in society.

Question 40

The distribution of income in Germany and Japan is far more unequal than that in the United States.

Question 41

John Isbister in "Income Distribution" argues that pay differentials are necessary to acknowledge capability, work and talent differences. Is he right?

Question 42

John Rawls's second principle of justice states that insofar as inequalities are permitted -- that is, insofar as it is compatible with justice for some jobs or positions to bring greater rewards than others -- these positions must be open to all.

Question 43

D.W. Haslett argues that inheritance is inconsistent with capitalism.

Question 44

Define "Lockean rights" in your own words.

Question 45

The main point of the "Battle Over Bottled Water" is that water is the lifeblood of the earth.

Question 46

If the market is left without regulation, will it eventually reward those that deserve it?

Question 47

In his Principles of Political Economy , J.S. Mill argued for the desirability of breaking down the sharp and hostile division between the producers or workers, on the one hand, and the capitalists or owners, on the other hand.

Question 48

For utilitarians, justice is an independent moral standard distinct from their general principle.

Question 49

According to John Stuart Mill, what does it mean to say that a person has a right to something?

Question 50

What do economists mean by "the declining marginal utility of money" and how does Brandt use the concept to argue for greater economic equality?

Question 51

What does Rawls mean by the original position and the veil of ignorance?

Question 52

Explain the relationship between justice and fairness.

Question 53

According to Mill, to say that I have a right to something is to say that I have a valid claim on society to protect me in the possession of that thing, either by force of law or through education and opinion.

Question 54

It is clear that women in the United States have no problem living the American Dream.

Question 55

According to libertarianism, liberty is the prime value, and justice consists in permitting each to live as he or she pleases, free from the interference of others.

Question 56

Briefly explain the basic principles of Nozick's entitlement theory.

Question 57

What is the "maximin" rule for making decisions and what role does it play in Rawls's argument?

Question 58

Libertarianism involves a commitment to leaving market relations-buying, selling, and other exchanges-totally unrestricted.

Question 59

Libertarians would find it immoral and unjust to coerce people to give food or money to the starving.

Question 60

Talk of justice and injustice typically focuses on several related moral ideas. Explain what they are.

Question 61

How would Rawls view an inheritance from a family member?

Question 62

Explain what Robert Nozick say to Bill Gates concerning his accumulation of wealth.  Apply his proponents to the situation.

Question 63

Can wealth legitimately be spread equally among the people of a nation based on the philosophers you have been introduced to?

Question 64

Apply the Libertarian view to the poverty in America to justify or expose its value.

Question 65

Based on the nature of justice, choose a proposed political viewpoint and explain how just it is.