Deck 1: The Nature of Morality

Question 1

For philosophers, the most important issue is not where our moral principles came from, but:

A) whether those moral principles can be justified
B) how we acquired the beliefs we have
C) to what extent religion influences people's moral beliefs
D) the legal basis for acting morally

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The authors use the murder of Kitty Genovese to illustrate

A) ethical relativism.
B) bystander apathy.
C) groupthink.
D) the paradox of hedonism.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Choose the statement that gives the most accurate description of etiquette:

A) the rules of etiquette are a fundamental branch of morality
B) conformity with the rules of etiquette is sufficient for moral conduct
C) etiquette refers to any special code of social behavior or courtesy
D) the rules of etiquette are backed by statutory law

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The code or principles of conduct that a person accepts

A) constitute the whole of his or her morality.
B) can be distinguished from the person's morality in a broader sense that includes his or her values, ideals, and aspirations.
C) rarely guide his or her conduct in practice.

Question 5

When religion and morality are considered:

A) the moral instructions of the world's great religions are often general and imprecise.
B) most people act rightly only because their religion tells them to.
C) atheists are likely to be less moral than religious people.
D) in practice, people who share a religion will agree on all moral questions.

Question 6

Morality and self-interest

A) can sometimes conflict.
B) boil down to the same thing.
C) can never come into genuine conflict.
D) are in basic, irreconcilable conflict.

Question 7

Which of the following is one of the four broad categories of law?

A) statutes
B) constitutional law
C) common law
D) contractual law

Question 8

Which of the following characteristics distinguishes moral standards from other sorts of standards?

A) moral standards are purely optional
B) moral standards take priority over other standards, including self-interest
C) moral standards cannot be justified by reasons
D) moral standards must be set or validated by some authoritative body

Question 9

Accepting a moral principle

A) is a purely intellectual act like accepting a scientific hypothesis.
B) generally involves a desire to follow that principle for its own sake.
C) means you will never go against that principle.
D) is a religiously based act of faith.

Question 10

When ethical relativism is put into practice, it implies that

A) societies never share any moral values in common.
B) in ethics, sometimes the minority is right.
C) we cannot say that slavery is wrong if the society in question believes it is right.
D) as societies evolve, their morality improves.

Question 11

Philosophical discussion of moral issues typically involves

A) the revision and modification of arguments.
B) polished rhetoric and skill at debate.
C) circular reasoning.
D) determining what the majority thinks.

Question 12

According to divine command theory, if stealing is wrong then it is wrong because:

A) Our reason determines stealing to be wrong.
B) God forbids stealing because stealing is wrong.
C) God leaves right and wrong up to humanity.
D) Stealing is wrong only because God commands us not to steal.

Question 13

Our relationship with the law is best described by which of the following?

A) To a significant extent, law codifies a society's customs, norms, and moral values.
B) The law is a completely adequate guide to the moral standards that we should follow.
C) The law makes all immoral conduct illegal.
D) Violating the law is always immoral.

Question 14

In the essay, "Is Business Bluffing Ethical?" Albert Carr would agree with all of the following except for:

A) Business has the impersonal character of a game like poker.
B) Business demands special strategy.
C) Business requires an understanding of its special ethical standards.
D) Business should be evaluated by society's moral standards.

Question 15

Ethical relativism supports the theory that:

A) what is right is determined by what a culture or society says is right.
B) there are no moral values whatsoever.
C) morality is relative to the goal of promoting human well-being.
D) different societies have similar ideas about right and wrong.

Question 16

A tangible truth about having moral principles is

A) moral behavior always pays off in strictly selfish terms.
B) morally responsible companies are rarely among the most profitable.
C) if you do the right thing only because you think it will pay off, you're not really motivated by moral concerns.
D) business is fundamentally an amoral activity.

Question 17

The example of Huckleberry Finn shows

A) one should always obey one's conscience.
B) when in doubt, one should ignore one's conscience.
C) we shouldn't rely uncritically on what our conscience says.
D) unlike most people, Huckleberry Finn lacked a conscience.

Question 18

The famous experiments by social psychologist Solomon Asch show

A) the truth of utilitarianism.
B) the power of peer pressure has been greatly exaggerated.
C) business organizations put more pressure on individual integrity than do other kinds of organization.
D) even temporary groups can pressure people to conform.

Question 19

If an argument is valid, then

A) the argument is sound.
B) the argument's conclusion must be true.
C) the argument's premises are true.
D) its conclusion must be true, if its premises are.

Question 20

Good moral judgments should be logical and

A) based on religion.
B) beyond rational doubt.
C) based on facts and acceptable moral principles.
D) coincide with what most scientifically trained people think.

Question 21

Proper logic states

A) all valid arguments are sound arguments.
B) all sound arguments are valid arguments.
C) a sound argument may have a false conclusion.
D) a sound argument may have a false premise.

Question 22

Rules of etiquette are always moral rules.

Question 23

Which statement is true concerning moral principles and self interests?

A) Statutes are laws applied in the English-speaking world before there were any common laws.
B) Philosophers agree that morality is based on the commands of God.
C) "Groupthink" is a positive and necessary characteristic of all groups.
D) Morality serves to restrain our purely self-interested desires so that we can all live together.

Question 24

Business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong, or good and bad, human conduct in a business context.

Question 25

Ethical relativism is the theory that what is right is determined by what a culture or society says is right.

Question 26

An individual does not have to follow the code of one's profession.

Question 27

Moral attitudes are best depicted by which of the following?

A) As long as your conduct is legal, then it will be moral.
B) If you follow the rules of etiquette, your conduct will be moral.
C) Moral standards typically concern behavior that can be of serious consequence to human welfare.
D) There is no distinction between morality in a broad sense and morality in a narrow sense.

Question 28

Most people don't distinguish between a person's "morals" and his or her "ethics."

Question 29

Moral standards concern behavior that can be of serious consequence to human welfare.

Question 30

Choose the statement that is a true reflection of moral beliefs.

A) Conscience is a perfectly reliable guide for moral behavior.
B) Morality in the broad sense is the set of moral rules you obey.
C) Bystander apathy appears to result in part from diffusion of responsibility.
D) Rules of etiquette are usually moral assertions.

Question 31

If your conduct is legal, it will also be moral.

Question 32

For philosophers, the important question is not how we come to have the particular moral principles we have, but whether we can justify them.

Question 33

The benefits within moral standards are best seen in which statement?

A) There is a complete list of adequacy criteria for moral judgments that philosophers all agree on.
B) Professional codes are the rules that are supposed to govern the conduct of members of a given profession.
C) Professional codes of ethics provide a complete and reliable guide to one's moral obligations.
D) People who are exclusively concerned with their own interests tend to have happier and more satisfying lives than those whose desires extend beyond themselves.

Question 34

Organizational norms always and inevitably lead to groupthink.

Question 35

If you do the right thing only because you think it will pay off, then you are truly motivated by moral concerns.

Question 36

Enron executives acted wrongly simply because they broke the law.

Question 37

An organization is a group of people working together to achieve a common purpose.

Question 38

In business and elsewhere, your only moral obligation is to act within the law.

Question 39

"Etiquette" designates a special realm of morality.

Question 40

Bystander apathy appears to result in part from diffusion of responsibility.

Question 41

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of groupthink.

Question 42

One of the major characteristics of an organization is the shared acceptance of organizational rules by its members.

Question 43

What is meant by "diffusion of responsibility"?

Question 44

Some philosophers distinguish between morality in a broad sense and morality in a narrow sense. What is this difference?

Question 45

There are four basic kinds of law: statutes, regulations, common law, and constitutional law.

Question 46

List and explain why Robert Solomon contends ethics is good business.

Question 47

The paradox of hedonism (or the paradox of selfishness) is that people who are exclusively concerned with their own interests tend to have happier and more satisfying lives than those who are concerned about other people.

Question 48

What is the divine command theory?

Question 49

Our conscience evolved as we internalized the moral instructions of the parents or other authority figures who raised us as children.

Question 50

An argument is valid only if all its premises are true.

Question 51

In a broad sense morality is the moral code of an individual or of a society (insofar as the moral codes of the individuals making up that society overlap).

Question 52

Explain why being ethical is good business.

Question 53

How do we develop our ethics? What are the primary sources for us to develop our ethical position?

Question 54

According to divine command theory, if something is wrong, then the only reason it is wrong is that God commands us not to do it.

Question 55

Explain how good ethics can benefit an organization and business.

Question 56

Is it possible to be ethical and be successful? To many, the two do not go together.?State your position with reasons.

Question 57

What dollar value would you give to a good reputation in business? How much is a good reputation worth?

Question 58

According to Tom Regan, our considered moral beliefs are those we hold only after we have made a conscientious effort (a) to attain maximum conceptual clarity, (b) to acquire all relevant information, (c) to think about the belief and its implications rationally, (d) impartially, and with the benefit of reflection, (e) coolly.

Question 59

In theory and practice, law codifies customs, ideals, beliefs, and a society's moral values.

Question 60

An argument is a group of statements, one of which is claimed to follow from the others.