Deck 8: Ethics and Egoism: Why Should We Be Moral

Question 1

Glaucon's story of Gyges' ring is meant to show that

A) given the opportunity, people will always choose justice over injustice.
B) justice is a myth.
C) all people believe in their hearts that injustice is more profitable than justice.
D) if people could be invisible, they would never do any wrong.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Glaucon argues that the unjust life is

A) not as good as the just life.
B) neither better nor worse than the just life.
C) impossible.
D) better than the just life.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Glaucon says that the perfectly unjust man is one who

A) seems unjust but is just.
B) seems just but is unjust.
C) appears unjust and is unjust.
D) appears just and is just.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Glaucon tries to show that compared to the seemingly unjust but actually just man, the seemingly just but actually unjust man is

A) less happy.
B) equally happy.
C) confused.
D) happier.

Question 5

According to James Rachels, the problem with Ayn Rand's argument for ethical egoism is that it

A) relies on picturing the alternatives to egoism in an extreme way.
B) is unclear.
C) cannot be refuted.
D) relies on ad hominem attacks.

Question 6

Rachels writes that some philosophers have argued that ethical egoism is

A) anti-religious.
B) un-American.
C) logically inconsistent.
D) indecent.

Question 7

Rachels claims that ethical egoism is an arbitrary doctrine in the same way that _______ is.

A) communism
B) racism
C) utilitarianism
D) divine command theory

Question 8

Rachels says that we should care about the interests of other people for the very same reason we care about

A) ethical egoists.
B) our own tribe.
C) racism.
D) our own interests.

Question 9

According to Pojman, personal egoism is a description of

A) a moral theory.
B) a personality type.
C) human nature.
D) altruism.

Question 10

Pojman writes that Rand's argument for the virtue of selfishness seems flawed by the fallacy of

A) equivocation.
B) straw man.
C) false dilemma.
D) division.

Question 11

Pojman claims that the paradox of egoism is that to reach the goal of egoism, one must

A) give up altruism.
B) give up egoism and become an altruist.
C) follow both Rand and Hobbes.
D) embrace psychological egoism.

Question 12

Pojman maintains that the main argument for ethical egoism

A) rests on psychological egoism.
B) rests on utilitarianism.
C) rests on altruism.
D) denies self-interest.

Question 13

Pojman says that the argument from counterintuitive consequences shows that ethical egoism

A) furthers the interests of individuals.
B) is a form of moral relativism.
C) could justify seriously immoral acts.
D) could justify moral but implausible acts.

Question 14

Pojman says that ethical egoism is an overreaction to the

A) sucker altruism of the morality of self-effacement.
B) extremes of moral relativism.
C) common morality of egocentrism.
D) altruism of egoism.

Question 15

Pojman states that ethical egoism's norms are directed toward

A) totalitarianism.
B) traditional morality.
C) solipsism.
D) relativism.

Question 16

Rand holds that a person needs a code of morality for the purpose of

A) self-sacrifice.
B) altruism.
C) suffering.
D) self-preservation.

Question 17

Rand believes that under a morality of sacrifice, the first value you sacrifice is morality; the next is

A) self-esteem.
B) guilt.
C) pain.
D) the good of others.

Question 18

Critics charge that ethical egoism

A) is not consistent with religious faith.
B) does not promote altruism.
C) is not useful.
D) is not consistent with commonsense moral judgments.

Question 19

According to Rand, anyone who does not hold their own life as the motive and goal of their actions is acting on the motive and goal of

A) life.
B) death.
C) morality.
D) happiness.

Question 20

Rand states that it is never proper to help another person.

Question 21

Rand endorses the utilitarian view of pursuing the greatest good for the greatest number.

Question 22

Socrates believes that it pays for a person to be perfectly unjust as long as they appear to be just.

Question 23

Socrates thinks that people should be ruled by morality, even if it must be imposed on them from without.

Question 24

Rand says that the achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life.

Question 25

Rand declares that the highest good in life is noble suffering.

Question 26

Pojman holds that the primitive notion of reciprocity seems necessary in a world like ours.

Question 27

Socrates argues that the good is always good for you.

Question 28

In her books, Ayn Rand argues that selfishness is a virtue.

Question 29

Pojman says that the publicity argument actually supports Rand's position.

Question 30

The paradox of egoism is that to reach the goal of egoism, one must give up egoism and become an altruist.

Question 31

Mackie suggests that the real name for suckers is "atheist."

Question 32

Pojman accuses Rand of committing the fallacy of false dilemma.

Question 33

Ethical egoism requires that one avoid actions that help others.

Question 34

Ethical egoism implies that in pursuing one's interests, one ought always to do what one wants to do.

Question 35

Rand argues that altruism is a vice.

Question 36

Kurt Baier argues that ethical egoism cannot be correct because it cannot provide solutions to conflicts of interests.

Question 37

Rachels says that ethical egoism is unacceptably arbitrary.

Question 38

In Plato's dialogue, which would you choose to be, Glaucon's good but suffering person or his bad but successful person? Is there a third alternative?

Question 39

Socrates' answer to Glaucon and Adeimantus is that, despite appearances, we should choose the life of the "unsuccessful" just person because it is to our advantage to be moral. Socrates' answer depends on a notion of mental health. He contends that immorality corrupts the inner person, so that one is happy or unhappy in exact proportion to one's moral integrity. Is this a plausible reply?

Question 40

Is the good always good for you?

Question 41

Has Ayn Rand successfully defended her theory of ethical egoism? How does it relate to Socrates' idea that one ought never to harm anyone else? Could one reconcile Socrates' idea with Rand's theory? Socrates believes that one should never harm anyone else because doing so is never in one's own interest. What would be needed to get Rand's theory to agree with that conclusion?

Question 42

Can the ethical egoist make his or her views public? If you follow Rand, should you let others know where you stand? Should you persuade them to be egoists? If the egoist cannot make his theory public, does this disqualify it as a genuine ethical theory?

Question 43

Can the ethical egoist be a consistent egoist and have friends? If friendship entails loving another in such a way as to sacrifice one's own interest for the friend's, does this give the egoist difficulty?

Question 44

"Everyone is an egoist, for everyone always tries to do what will bring them satisfaction."

Question 45

What is the relationship between ethics and evolution? How does this relationship throw light on egoism? What is the significance of reciprocity for ethics?

Question 46

Go over the three arguments for ethical egoism in Rachels' article. Do you agree with Rachels' assessment that they all fail to establish the theory? Could a slight modification in any of them save the theory?

Question 47

Identify the three arguments against ethical egoism. Which of them, if any, refutes ethical egoism?