Question 1

If you were a species nonegalitarian,you would likely believe that:&#10;A)a potato has greater moral status than an elk.&#10;B)an elk has greater moral status than a potato.&#10;C)elks and potatoes have equal moral status.&#10;D)elks and potatoes have no moral status.

Accepted Answer

A species nonegalitarian would believe that certain species are inherently more valuable than others. In this case, they would believe that the elk has greater moral status than the potato.

Question 2

Suppose you are the last human on a dead planet.Only one other living thing exists-a maple tree.You are preparing to leave the planet for good,and you are debating with yourself about whether you should kill the tree before departing.In the end,you decide it would be morally impermissible to kill the tree.Your reluctance to kill the tree shows that:

A)the tree has no moral status.
B)the tree is useful.
C)the tree has moral status.
D)humans are less important than a tree.

C

Accepted Answer

The fact that the person is debating with themselves about whether it is morally permissible to kill the tree shows an understanding that the tree has moral status. If the tree had no moral status, there would be no ethical dilemmas about killing it. The person's reluctance to kill the tree suggests they believe it is wrong to harm a living thing with moral value, even if they are the only human left on the planet.

Question 3

Those who believe that nature possesses instrumental value only are likely to believe that a forest has value only because:&#10;A)of its intrinsic beauty.&#10;B)of its economic worth.&#10;C)it is valued for its own sake by at least one person.&#10;D)of moral value.

Accepted Answer

Those who believe that nature possesses instrumental value only consider it valuable because it has some use or benefit to humans. Therefore, the forest would only have value if it can be exploited for economic worth, such as for logging or tourism. This perspective may prioritize human needs over the intrinsic value of nature itself.

Question 4

In both zoocentrism and biocentrism,the fundamental unit of moral consideration is:&#10;A)primates.&#10;B)the entire biosphere.&#10;C)the individual animal or plant.&#10;D)animals only.

Accepted Answer

Both zoocentrism and biocentrism recognize the moral consideration of individual living beings, whether they are animals or plants. This means that the well-being and interests of individual organisms are valued and taken into account in moral decision-making, rather than just considering them as part of a larger group or ecosystem. Primates or the entire biosphere are not necessarily the fundamental unit of moral consideration in these ethical frameworks. Animals only is also too narrow, as biocentrism recognizes value in all living things, not just animals.

Question 5

Which philosopher maintains that we must include the interests of all sentient creatures and give their interests equal weight when calculating which action will produce the greatest overall satisfaction of interests?

A)David Hume
B)Aldo Leopold
C)Thomas Aquinas
D)Peter Singer

Accepted Answer

Peter Singer is a utilitarian philosopher who advocates for the concept of "animal liberation" and argues that the interests of all sentient beings, regardless of species, should be given equal consideration in ethical decision-making. This is known as the principle of equal consideration of interests. Singer's work has had a significant influence on the animal rights movement.

Question 6

One who believes that some living things have greater moral status than others is known as a(n):&#10;A)ecological individualist.&#10;B)species nonegalitarian.&#10;C)ecological individualist.&#10;D)ecological holist.

Accepted Answer

The belief that some living things have greater moral value or status than others is known as species nonegalitarianism. It is the opposite of ecological holism, which suggests that all living things have equal moral standing. Ecological individualism, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of individual organisms rather than the overall ecosystem.

Question 7

The questions of whether an ape has the same moral status as a domestic cow and if animals (human and nonhuman)deserve the same level of moral concern as plants concern the issue of:&#10;A)centrism or noncentrism.&#10;B)ecological individualism.&#10;C)holism.&#10;D)species egalitarianism or nonegalitarianism.

Accepted Answer

The questions of whether apes have the same moral status as domestic cows and whether animals deserve the same level of moral concern as plants are related to the issue of species egalitarianism or nonegalitarianism. Species egalitarianism holds that all species are equal in terms of moral status and deserve equal moral consideration, while nonegalitarianism holds that some species (usually humans) are more morally important than others.

Question 8

Which anthropocentric philosopher said,&#34;Animals ...are there merely as means to an end.That end is man&#34;?&#10;A)Immanuel Kant&#10;B)Thomas Aquinas&#10;C)Paul Taylor&#10;D)Tom Regan

Accepted Answer

This quote comes from Immanuel Kant's writings on ethics, specifically his idea that animals are not ends in themselves, but rather a means to achieve human ends. This view is known as anthropocentrism, which places human beings at the center of ethical concerns and diminishes the moral value of non-human animals.

Question 9

The notion that only humans have moral status is called:&#10;A)anthropocentrism.&#10;B)zoocentrism.&#10;C)biocentrism.&#10;D)species egalitarianism.

Accepted Answer

Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the center or most important entities in the world and therefore have a higher moral status than other living beings. This view is often criticized for being narrow-minded and ignoring the value and rights of non-human beings. Zoocentrism, on the other hand, is the view that animals have moral status equal to that of humans, while biocentrism is the belief that all living organisms have inherent value and should be respected regardless of their usefulness to humans. Species egalitarianism is the view that all species have an equal moral status, which also includes non-living entities such as ecosystems and rocks. However, the most appropriate answer to the question is A, as it directly refers to the idea that only humans have moral status.

Question 10

If Kant's anthropocentric view is correct,then using animals in horrifically painful medical experiments would be:&#10;A)permissible even if the experiments were done for no good reason.&#10;B)permissible even if the experiments were not useful.&#10;C)impermissible under any circumstances.&#10;D)permissible as long as the experiments served human needs.

Accepted Answer

Kant's anthropocentric view places humans at the center of moral consideration, suggesting that the use of animals is permissible if it serves human needs, as humans are considered to have intrinsic value.

Question 11

The property of being a suitable candidate for direct moral concern or respect is known as:&#10;A)biocentrism.&#10;B)anthropocentrism.&#10;C)moral status.&#10;D)species nonegalitarianism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The property of being a suitable candidate...

Question 12

If Tom Regan's zoocentrist view is correct,then the practice of ________ would be impermissible.&#10;A)pet ownership&#10;B)zoo keeping&#10;C)factory farming&#10;D)animal conservation

Accepted Answer

The answer of If Tom Regan's zoocentrist view is correct,then...

Question 13

The utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer maintains that in calculating which action will produce the greatest overall satisfaction of interests,we must:&#10;A)include the interests of all sentient creatures but give their interests different weights by species.&#10;B)include the interests of all primates and give their interests equal weight.&#10;C)include the interests of all sentient creatures but give the interests of humans the greater weight.&#10;D)include the interests of all sentient creatures and give their interests equal weight.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer maintains that...

Question 14

The view that all living entities have moral status,whether sentient or not,is known as:&#10;A)holism.&#10;B)bioholism.&#10;C)biocentrism.&#10;D)zoocentrism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The view that all living entities have...

Question 15

An anthropocentrist sees animals,plants,and ecosystems as:&#10;A)moral equals along with humans.&#10;B)more natural than human beings.&#10;C)a means to unifying all life.&#10;D)a means to serve the ends of human beings.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An anthropocentrist sees animals,plants,and ecosystems as:&#10;A)moral equals...

Question 16

According to Peter Singer,the pain suffered by a human is ________ important than that experienced by a nonhuman animal.&#10;A)no more&#10;B)less&#10;C)more&#10;D)slightly less

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Peter Singer,the pain suffered by...

Question 17

Something with instrumental (or extrinsic)value is valuable as a means to something else;something with intrinsic value is valuable:&#10;A)for someone else's sake.&#10;B)for the sake of the environment.&#10;C)as a means to something more valuable.&#10;D)for its own sake.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Something with instrumental (or extrinsic)value is valuable...

Question 18

Someone who believes that all living things have equal moral status is a(n):&#10;A)species nonegalitarian.&#10;B)ecological holist.&#10;C)zoocentric.&#10;D)species egalitarian.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Someone who believes that all living things...

Question 19

In serious disputes about environmental issues,often there is substantial agreement on the nonmoral facts and serious divergence on:&#10;A)nonmoral principles.&#10;B)nonmoral issues or judgments.&#10;C)technical issues.&#10;D)moral principles or judgments.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In serious disputes about environmental issues,often there...

Question 20

The anthropocentrist necessarily has:&#10;A)a tendency to treat the environment carelessly.&#10;B)an overriding regard for humans.&#10;C)no regard for the environment.&#10;D)overriding regard for all species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The anthropocentrist necessarily has:&#10;A)a tendency to treat...

Question 21

A utilitarian solution to the problem of disappearing tigers in India's game preserves would take ________ into account.&#10;A)the welfare of the tigers,the villagers,people who care about the tigers,and tiger tourists&#10;B)the welfare of the tigers,the villagers,people who care about the tigers,tiger tourists,and every living organism (including plants)affected&#10;C)the welfare of just the people affected by the issue&#10;D)the welfare of all affected ecosystems

Accepted Answer

The answer of A utilitarian solution to the problem of...

Question 22

The controversy over the ivory-billed woodpecker has pitted those who want to build a massive irrigation project against environmentalists who want to stop the project to protect the woodpecker and other species.A biocentric species egalitarian would probably insist that the:

A)project be completed but with rigid safeguards to protect all sentient beings.
B)project be completed to maximize the welfare of humans.
C)project be curtailed (but not stopped)to promote the interests of humans and the ivory-billed woodpecker only.
D)project be stopped to protect the ivory-billed woodpecker and all the other species of plants and animals.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The controversy over the ivory-billed woodpecker has...

Question 23

To some,the fact that we value the beauty of Niagara Falls shows that we:&#10;A)value the natural over the artificial.&#10;B)sometimes value the artificial over the natural.&#10;C)don't really value nature.&#10;D)think unnatural things are worthless.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To some,the fact that we value the...

Question 24

Suppose environmentalists want to prevent the disappearance of glaciers in Glacier National Park,which are melting away at an alarming rate.One plausible justification for their view is that:&#10;A)glaciers should be regarded as living things that need protection.&#10;B)the glaciers and all other features of the earth's surface should be preserved at all costs.&#10;C)the glaciers have enormous aesthetic value.&#10;D)the glaciers are as important as millions of people.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose environmentalists want to prevent the disappearance...

Question 25

Biocentric egalitarianism asserts that all living things possess equal moral status-no being is superior to any other in moral considerability.A counterexample to this view is that we:&#10;A)know that killing a cow is no worse than killing a carrot.&#10;B)think that killing a cow is no worse and no better than killing a carrot.&#10;C)assume vegetables have the same moral status as primates.&#10;D)tend to believe that killing a cow is worse than killing a carrot.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Biocentric egalitarianism asserts that all living things...

Deck 15: Environmental Ethics