Chapter 16: A Sense of Justice

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Rawls’ book, A Theory of Justice, is specifically intended to provide a clear alternative

to ______.

a. consequentialist or utilitarian thought

b. Aristotle’s theory of justice

c. Plato’s theory of justice

d. theories of social justice

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Rawls asserts it is the business of ______ to establish fundamental principles that

would govern a morally good society.

a. Kantianism

b. Egoism

c. Moral theory

d. Ethics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Rawls favors an emphasis on rights of ______ rather than the means.

a. criminals

b. the upper class

c. the lower class

d. individuals

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Rawls argues that moral people have two traits, a ______.

a. concern for both results and duties

b. a sincere concern for both their welfare and the welfare of others

c. a sense of justice and the capacity to pursue the “good” in a rational manner

d. an appreciation of both deontological and Kantian theories of ethics

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Rawls argues that moral persons have two distinguishing features ______.

a. they understand “the good” and have a sense of justice

b. they know right from wrong, and have a sense of justice

c. they want to do “good,” and know injustice when they see it

d. they neither believe in a “good,” nor in the concept of “justice”

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Rawls’s conception of ______ has an ancient and classical origin.

a. morals

b. virtues

c. justice

d. ignorance

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Rawls argues that moral persons possess a/an ______, as well as the capacity to

pursue a conception of “the good” in a rational manner.

a. rational mind

b. sense of justice

c. ignorance

d. appreciation of values

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. For Rawls. in order for moral persons to develop moral capabilities like knowing “the

good” and pursuing justice, they must create a society based on ______.

a. “the good” and justice

b. on teleology and deontology

c. fair procedures and conditions

d. respect for persons

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Rawls contends that we can discover the nature of a ______ society by ascertaining

the kind of society that would be chosen by those in the original position.

a. rational

b. just

c. moral

d. family

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. To ensure that no one will gain an advantage or suffer a disadvantage because of

his or her particular circumstances in society, we choose the principles of justice behind

a ______.

a. perspective of origin

b. veil of ignorance

c. difference of virtues

d. none of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. Rawls attempts to demonstrate that if the parties are ______ and act only in their

own self-interest, they will choose the two principles of justice he put forth.

a. rational

b. just

c. moral

d. family

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. Rawls’ believes that the two principles of justice that would be chosen by persons in

the original position concern ______.

a. maximizing liberties, but minimizing social inequalities

b. maximizing liberties and arranging social and economic inequalities to the advantage

of all

c. minimizing liberties and maximizing social inequalities

d. maximizing social equalities

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Application of Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. Rawls describes his principles as ______.

a. principles of social justice that provide means of assigning rights and duties in the

institutions of society

b. moral justifications

c. principles that define an appropriate distribution of benefits and burdens

d. both principles of social justice that provide means of assigning rights and duties in

the institutions of society and principles that define an appropriate distribution of

benefits and burdens

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Rawls’ theory deals primarily with ______ justice.

a. legal

b. social

c. racial

d. political

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. For Rawls, ______ is the basic structure of society, and the basis for describing how

major social institutions distribute fundamental rights and duties:

a. utility

b. “the good”

c. equality

d. justice

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Rawls does not pretend to identify the totality of ______ that would satisfy the

demands of the basic structure of society.

a. morals

b. principles

c. equality

d. justice

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. Rawls sees the inclusion of ______ as one significant way in which his first principle

of justice could be institutionalized in a given society.

a. court rules

b. prisoner rights

c. a Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution

d. morals

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. The ______ would seem to apply naturally to inequalities arising from the creation of

new jobs.

a. inequality principle

b. morality principle

c. social contract

d. difference principle

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. Rawls contends that any ______ must benefit everyone, but in particular, it must

benefit the least advantaged.

a. punishment

b. judgment

c. inequality

d. difference

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. Equality is a mark of ______ justice, and any acts promoting equality are justified,

providing they do not worsen the situation of the least advantaged.

a. institutional

b. ethical

c. social

d. moral

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. Actions that move away from ______ are justified only if they benefit the least

advantaged.

a. equality

b. morality

c. ethics

d. principles

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard

22. What Rawlsian principle reflects the Kantian principle that people are never to be

treated as means to an end but always ends in themselves?

a. Inequality principle

b. Morality principle

c. Difference principle

d. Social contract

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. The ______ is to be assessed by reference to basic benefit to individuals who would

otherwise be economically disadvantaged.

a. social contract

b. common good

c. inequality principle

d. none of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. The ______ is egalitarian in nature in the sense that it places a restriction on the

amount of inequality that is permitted.

a. difference principle

b. inequality principle

c. morality principle

d. social contract

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. As to the distribution of wealth and income under the second principle ______.

a. the distribution of these need not be equal

b. it must be to the advantage of all

c. positions of authority and offices of command must be accessible to everyone

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. One of the most controversial parts of Rawls’ theory is his treatment of inequality.

According to Rawls, all social values, including rights, income and wealth, and the basis

of self-respect, are to be distributed equally unless ______.

a. the person can show they have earned these advantages honestly

b. an unequal distribution of these is to everyone’s benefit or advantage

c. the inequality benefits only the least advantaged

d. the inequality is based on inherited wealth

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. Rawls’ theory and its underlying principles apply to ______, not the actions of

individuals.

a. institutions

b. communities

c. countries

d. government

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard

28. Which term is defined as a public system of rules which defines offices and

positions with their rights and duties, powers and immunities?

a. institution

b. law

c. regulation

d. rule

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. The principles and the ______ concern hypothetical people in a hypothetical

situation.

a. veil of ignorance

b. perspective of origin

c. original position

d. difference of virtues

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard

30. It can be argued that Rawls’s model ensures that at least the ______ are impartial

and that this is a desirable feature of moral principles.

a. ethics

b. principles

c. institutions

d. governments

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard

31. Benn (1998) suggests that it is unrealistic to discount talents and abilities, as Rawls

proposes in the ______.

a. veil of ignorance

b. perspective of origin

c. original position

d. difference of virtues

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. Rawls explains that his intention is to present a ______ that is abstract in nature.

a. perspective of origin

b. model of justice

c. difference of virtues

d. veil of ignorance

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Justice as Fairness

Difficulty Level: Medium

33. In defining justice, Rawls concentrates primarily on equality and ______.

a. finding the truth

b. fairness

c. due process

d. tradition

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Justice as Fairness

Difficulty Level: Medium

34. Which of the following is NOT one of the three stages of moral development

according to Rawls?

a. morality of authority

b. morality of principles

c. morality of reducing injustice

d. morality of associations

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. Rawls discusses moral development particularly in the context of ______.

a. the state

b. schools

c. morals

d. the family

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Rawls believes that children develop a sense of justice and morality in two stages,

based primarily on their ______.

a. education

b. family life

c. social life

d. heritage

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

37. He assumes that the well-ordered society includes the ______.

a. family unit

b. veil of ignorance

c. morality of principles

d. morality of authority

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. According to Rawls the first stage of moral development occurs in the family and is

called ______.

a. morality of principles

b. morality of association

c. morality of authority

d. morality of common interests

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

39. Similar associations arise through the school and the neighborhood, and through

these institutions, the child learns ______.

a. equality

b. morality

c. ethics

d. principles

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

40. In Rawls’ theory, the highest or final period in the development of morals is morality

of ______.

a. principles

b. association

c. authority

d. common interests

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

41. The child complies with ______ largely because of bonds of friendship and feeling

for others and because he or she wishes to gain the approval of the wider society.

a. the veil of ignorance

b. the perspective of origin

c. moral positions

d. the difference of virtues

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

42. In reality, the ______ of labor has been a fundamental part of the marriage contract.

a. economic division

b. moral division

c. sexual division

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

43. Rawls’s model places considerable emphasis on the ______.

a. state

b. inequality

c. morals

d. family

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

44. According to Rawls, the government should ______.

a. abolish all inequalities.

b. regulate inequality through fair bargaining processes.

c. abolish private property.

d. seek to end all forms of personal discrimination.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

45. As Alejandro (1998) states, “Rawlsian fairness is ______ power”.

a. moral

b. constrained

c. justified

d. meaningful

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

46. Rawls wants a society where ______.

a. wealth is distributed widely

b. people engage in meaningful work

c. citizens have the opportunity to participate in the political process and political parties

advance the vision of the public good

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

47. As a theory to achieve social justice, Rawls’ model cannot be applied to individual ______.

a. ethical dilemmas

b. social injustice

c. political inequality

d. moral stages

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Applying Rawlsian Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

48. Rawls’ theory cannot be used to ______.

a. guide government action.

b. create a better society

c. help the least fortunate in society

d. solve individual particular ethical dilemmas

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Applying Rawlsian Theory:

Difficulty Level: Medium

49. Rawls’s theory is directed at ______, at achieving social justice, and at the question

of how to construct a well-ordered society.

a. institutions

b. social institutions

c. laws

d. morals

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Applying Rawlsian Theory

Difficulty Level: Medium

50. While Rawls’ theory is abstract and he did not apply it to any concrete issues, it

could be applied to issues in criminal justice concerning ______.

a. intermediate sanctions

b. criminology

c. poverty

d. discrimination

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Social Justice

Difficulty Level: Hard

True/False

1. Rawls believes that government power/public institutions can assist in overcoming

inequality and create a stable, well-ordered society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. According to Rawls, the family plays a key early role in the development of individual

morality.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Rawls theory of justice is a utilitarian or consequentialist theory.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension | Application

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Piaget concluded that even young children have a sense of justice and injustice.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. According to Rawls, government should play no role in creating an ethical society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Justice as Fairness

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Rawls argued that people are not capable of rational, goal-oriented behavior.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. For Rawls, the second stage of moral development is morality of association.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. According to at least one critic, Rawls ignores the operation of gender in the family.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. If we make judgments in accordance with those principles, we will be acting morally.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Any departure from equal liberty may be justified by greater social and economic

advantages.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. Two famous Greek philosophers, ______ and ______ were also concerned with the

concept of “justice.”

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. In Rawls’s model, the persons who must decide and conclude the agreement from

what is called the ______ are men and women of ordinary talents and tastes.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. People who choose the principles do so under a ______?

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Rawls’ basic principle of equality/inequality is called the ______ principle.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. According to Rawls, the first institution where people begin to learn morality is the ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Like Kant, Rawls favors establishing ______ or principles to govern our sense of

justice.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Summary

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Rawls contends that any inequality must benefit everyone but in particular it must

benefit the ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Rawls intends to formulate a set of ______ that would help us to make judgments

about institutions and actions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The difference principle states that although primary goods and services are to be

distributed ______, there is nevertheless a way in which certain inequalities can be

considered just.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. ______ transmits the idea that the principles of justice are agreed to in an initial

situation that is considered fair.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Justice as Fairness

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Provide an example of how decisions are made behind a veil of ignorance.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Explain Rawls’ “difference principle” and provide an example.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Explain Rawls’ theory stages of moral development. Please provide an example of moral development at each stage.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Moral Development

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Fully discuss Rawls’s original position theory.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Chapter Introduction

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. How does Rawls’s veil of ignorance impact the original position?

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: A Sense of Justice | Application of the Principles

Difficulty Level: Hard