Chapter 13: Considering the Consequences

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What is an important and widely discussed theory of ethical action and establishes that what makes an act morally right or wrong is its consequences and nothing more?

a. egoism

b. virtue

c. pluralism

d. consequentialism

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The motives for the act or the nature of the act itself are not important considerations for ______.

a. pluralists

b. consequentialists

c. egoists

d. relativists

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Consequentialist theorists are also known as ______.

a. egoists

b. utilitarians

c. pluralists

d. moralists

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Two early consequentialist or utilitarian theorists were Jeremy Bentham and ______.

a. Emanuel Kant

b. Thomas Kent

c. John Stuart Mill

d. Karl Sondheim

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. Which famous philosopher is considered to have originated the doctrine of consequentialism?

a. Jeremy Bentham

b. Thomas Kent

c. John Stuart Mill

d. Aristotle

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Which famous philosopher is said to have provided a more refined version of the doctrine of consequentialism?

a. Jeremy Bentham

b. John Stuart Mill

c. Thomas Kent

d. Aristotle

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Mill referred to the principle of utility as the greatest ______ principle.

a. ethical

b. moral

c. happiness

d. hypothetical

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. ______ reject the idea that actions are right because God says they are or because they are inherently moral in their own right.

a. Egoists

b. Moralists

c. Ethicalists

d. Utilitarians

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. For consequentialists, the ultimate goal of morality is to ______.

a. make the world a better place for all

b. maximize self-interest

c. create a perfect world

d. create a Nirvana

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Bentham and Mill associated pleasure with ______.

a. work ethic

b. morality

c. happiness

d. cost

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. For utilitarians, morality is nothing more than ______.

a. an attempt to bring about as much happiness as possible

b. weighing the cost and benefits of each action

c. sorting out good and evil intentions

d. examining motives of actors

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. The theory of hedonism contends that ______.

a. the ultimate intrinsic good is pleasure

b. Beccaria was accurate in his definition of deterrence

c. Bentham was responsible for creating a new class of offenders

d. intrinsic pleasure from avoiding pain is the basis for ethical decision making

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Mill was criticized for which aspect of his doctrine which was categorized by many as being “worthy of swine”?

a. Pain

b. Hedonistic

c. Brutality

d. Deterrence

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. John Stuart Mill equated pleasure and ______.

a. pain

b. happiness

c. duty

d. public policy

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. What emphasizes the effects of an action, and if an action produces more beneficial effects than harmful effects, it is considered an ethical action?

a. hedonism

b. utilitarianism

c. ethicalism

d. morality

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Bentham developed a method for calculating pleasure versus pain, known as the ______ calculus.

a. hedonistic

b. pleasure

c. swine

d. satisfaction

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. The hedonistic calculus has ______ elements.

a. Two

b. Five

c. Seven

d. Ten

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. With regard to what may be good for ourselves, ______.

a. does not require the actor to totally ignore it

b. always requires selfless action

c. condemns even unintended self-benefit

d. requires that it be the center of moral decision-making

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Because utilitarianism is a/an ______ doctrine, they want to make the world a better place for all and increase the extent of well-being throughout the world.

a. benevolent moral

b. pleasure

c. ethical

d. hedonistic

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. Mill argued ______ that the only ultimate value is pleasure or happiness, and he appears to equate the two.

a. methodologically

b. egoistically

c. hedonistically

d. pleasurably

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Pleasure and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. ______ is generally linked to a particular activity or feeling in contrast to happiness, which is more a state of mind.

a. Morality

b. Pleasure

c. Resilience

d. Benevolence

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Pleasure and Happiness

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Which of the following is not one of the arguments of act consequentialists?

a. whether or not an act promotes the greatest good

b. links acts to whether or not they subscribe to moral rules

c. acts should be considered on a case-by-case basis

d. neglects moral rules

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge | Comprehension | Analysis

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Act Consequentialism rejects general rules and ______.

a. relies instead on long-term planning

b. requires decisions on a case-by-case basis.

c. rejects rational evaluation of consequences

d. requires self-sacrifice in every act

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. ______ consequentialists believe that if more pleasure is produced, the act will be considered morally right.

a. Rule

b. Ego

c. Act

d. Pleasure

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. In contrast to Act Consequentialism, Rule Consequentialism ______.

a. relies on direction from the King or Ruler

b. allows use of general rules or principles

c. focuses on the origin of the rule of behavior

d. rejects general rules or principles

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. ______ consequentialists do not advocate obedience to rules just because they are rules.

a. Rule

b. Ego

c. Act

d. Pleasure

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

27. ______ consequentialists are subject to criticism for the argument that if they take rules to be absolute and without exception, then they will have abandoned consequentialism.

a. Ego

b. Act

c. Pleasure

d. Rule

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

28. John Stuart Mill argued that ethical questions could be settled only by ______ the results.

a. thoughtful consideration of

b. empirical investigation of

c. public opinion polls on

d. intuitive evaluations of

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Public Policy and Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. In considering public policy about punishment, a utilitarian would argue that punishment is justified if ______.

a. the pain and suffering to those who are punished is outweighed by the benefits of punishment

b. those benefits cannot be achieved with less suffering

c. those benefits cannot be achieved at a lower cost to those who are being punished

d. all of these

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Public Policy and Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

30. In theory, critics argue, a utilitarian would ______ in order to prevent a race riot.

a. commit perjury

b. join the national guard

c. call the police

d. threaten others

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

31. Critics of consequentialism or utilitarianism argue that such theories ______.

a. fail to consider the effects of behavior

b. do not use empirical evaluations

c. provide no guidance for public policy

d. are inconsistent with the notion that people have rights

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

32. ______ would argue that their actions can be defended if they produce a greater balance of happiness over unhappiness.

a. Rule utilitarianism

b. Act utilitarianism

c. Ego utilitarianism

d. Moral utilitarianism

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

33. Utilitarianism is mistaken in claiming that only consequences matter, and this can be illustrated by reference to ______.

a. backward-looking reasons

b. moral dilemmas

c. act consequentialism

d. moral utilitarianism

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

34. Utilitarianism is also criticized because it does not take ______ into account.

a. rules

b. desires

c. promises

d. intentions

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

35. Utilitarianism emphasizes that the rightness of an act has to do with the ______, that is, it has to do with what will happen as the result of our actions.

a. consequences

b. rules

c. imperatives

d. future

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

36. Supererogatory actions ______.

a. are not strictly required, but are praiseworthy

b. are the same as Kant’s categorical imperatives

c. require action by the individual in certain circumstances

d. are not at all a consideration for utilitarians

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

37. Critics also argue that a true utilitarian, concerned with the problem of poverty in society, would ______.

a. give away all of his assets

b. make regular donations to the poor

c. run for office to reduce poverty

d. support food stamp policies

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

38. A ______ that requires us to subordinate everything to promote the general welfare would have the effect of causing us to give no priority to our own interests.

a. moral dilemma

b. utilitarian ethic

c. moral ethic

d. consequentialist ethic

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

39. According to critics of utilitarian or consequentialist theory, in these theories ______.

a. the interests of friends and family may be given extra weight in decision-making

b. children and the poor are entitled to special treatment

c. every person is ranked equally

d. the actor is entitled to give him/herself extra weight in decision-making

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

40. Another criticism of utilitarianism is that, to assume that people are all of equal worth and should to the maximum extent be benefited by any act, would be to ______.

a. ignore the underclass of society

b. ignore the government’s limited resources

c. ignore the higher value of one’s family

d. attempt the impossible

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

41. It is argued that ______ is a guide for making decisions in the real world and for situations we actually face

a. hedonism

b. moralism

c. ethicalism

d. utilitarianism

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

42. In the case of a race riot, a/an ______ utilitarian would ask which general rules of conduct would promote the greatest happiness.

a. rule

b. act

c. hedonistic

d. moral

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

43. A/An ______ utilitarian faced with the situation of giving false testimony would likely do so because the consequences of that particular act would be good.

a. rule

b. act

c. hedonistic

d. moral

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

44. It is sometimes suggested that consequentialism is a less than efficient way of living and deliberating on issues because it requires long and complicated calculations of ______ that tend to make a person overly hesitant and ineffectual.

a. morality

b. ethics

c. utility

d. hedonism

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

45. Under utilitarian theory, euthanasia of a terminally ill, suffering person who asks to be killed ______.

a. can never be justified by Act Utilitarianism.

b. can never be justified by Rule Utilitarianism

c. can be justified in some circumstances.

d. cannot be evaluated by that theory

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: A Case of Euthanasia

Difficulty Level: Medium

46. Which of the following would a utilitarian oppose?

a. Medical research

b. Public aid

c. Prisons

d. Experimentation on animals

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: The Treatment of Animals

Difficulty Level: Medium

47. Which of the following is not one of the steps in the process for resolving an ethical dilemma from a utilitarian perspective?

a. Identify all the options.

b. Identify all those affected by the decision.

c. Describe the harms and benefits to all those affected under each option.

d. Choose the option that provides the most benefits for the individual person concerned.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge, Comprehension

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

48. In conducting a utilitarian analysis, one must consider the rights of the ______.

a. individual

b. poor

c. majority

d. all of the above

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

49. One important early step in application of utilitarian theory is to ______.

a. evaluate the long-term results

b. conduct empirical research on the effects

c. consider various options

d. decide which persons need help the most

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

50. If a police officer with a distinguished record is found to have given false testimony about a minor fact, such as where he states he put a recovered weapon into a police vehicle after arresting an offender when his partner in fact did so, the utilitarian prosecutor considering a perjury prosecution should give great weight to the ______.

a. community

b. police department

c. officer who gave the testimony

d. offender

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. Utilitarian/Consequentialist theory can never justify euthanasia.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: A Case of Euthanasia

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. In utilitarian theory, every person’s life and interests are ranked equally.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Under utilitarian theory, some commonly held moral feelings may be mistaken.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Utilitarian theory can include the interests of animals.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: The Treatment of Animals

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. One of the first steps in applying Utilitarian/Consequentialist theory is to identify the various options.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Utilitarianism requires that people ignore their own self-interest.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. One problem in using Utilitarian theory is that it may be difficult to predict outcomes accurately.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Consequentialism is an important and widely discussed theory of ethical action.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Utilitarians embrace the idea that actions are right because God says they are.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. If an action does not produce more beneficial effects than harmful effects, it is considered an ethical action.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. Name two classical utilitarian theorists.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The two basic forms of consequential theory are ______ consequentialism.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism | Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. In considering public policy about punishment, a utilitarian would argue that punishment is justified if what two conditions exist?

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Public Policy and Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. The first step in Utilitarian decision analysis is to identify all the ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Mill referred to the Utilitarian principle of utility as the Greatest ______ Principle.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Act Consequentialists make decisions on a ______ basis.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Mill contended that ethical questions could be settled only by ______ investigation.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Public Policy and Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Bentham and Mill associated pleasure with ______.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. ______ emphasizes the effects of an action, and if an action produces more beneficial effects than harmful effects, it is considered an ethical action.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. An objection to ______ consequentialism includes the fact that it is extremely time-consuming to calculate the consequences of every individual action.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. Identify and describe the three propositions of utilitarian theory.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Considering the Consequences

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Discuss, define, compare and contrast Rule and Act Consequentialism. Please give an example of each. Which of two do you think is best? Please explain your position.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism | Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Discuss and evaluate two criticisms of Consequentialism. Please provide an example of each.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Act Consequentialism | Rule Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Describe the first three steps on the Utilitarian evaluation of an ethical dilemma. Select and ethical dilemma and provide a specific example of each of these three steps.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: A Closer Look: Applying Utilitarianism

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Two of the criticisms of Consequentialism are that it can lead to injustice and ignores individual rights. Please provide an example of each situation.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Arguments Criticizing Consequentialism

Difficulty Level: Medium