Reparations and the Problem of Agency Exam Prep Chapter.31 - Exploring Ethics 6e | Test Bank Cahn by Steven M. Cahn. DOCX document preview.
to accompany
Exploring Ethics, Sixth Edition
Cahn
Chapter 31
Reparations and the Problem of Agency
Chandran Kukathas
[NOTE: Questions marked with “*” also appear in the student self quizzes on Learning Link.]
Multiple Choice
1. Kukathas’s main contention is that making reparation for past wrongs is almost always
a. morally required.
b. morally unjustified.
c. morally permissible.
d. None of the above
2. In order for reparation to be defensible, Kukathas claims that it must be possible to identify who is*
a. entitled to compensation.
b. liable to pay.
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b
3. According to Kukathas, the problem of identifying the agents relevant to establishing claims for restitution is made difficult by
a. the passage of time.
b. racial resentments.
c. government inaction.
d. All of the above
4. According to Kukathas, the general problem in distinguishing descendants of past injustice is that*
a. it is easy to reach a point at which too many people can be identified as descendants.
b. it is difficult to trace the ancestry of individuals.
c. many individuals refuse to identify as victims.
d. All of the above
5. According to Kukathas, the Seminole Indians
a. were dispossessed of their lands.
b. practiced slavery.
c. worked for the US army.
d. All of the above
6. Kukathas discusses the case of the Seminole Indians to show that*
a. it can be difficult to determine the descendants of victimized groups.
b. groups can be both victims and perpetrators of injustice.
c. many different groups are owed reparation.
d. All of the above
7. According to Kukathas, identifying groups that are descended from victims of past injustice has an advantage over identifying individuals because
a. groups persist over a greater length of time.
b. the ancestry of groups can be traced without a problem.
c. the most serious injustices of the past were committed against groups.
d. All of the above
8. Kukathas argues that determining who should be held liable for restitution is difficult because of*
a. the number of groups and countries involved in past injustices.
b. generations of immigration.
c. intermarriage.
d. All of the above
9. Kukathas claims that a government can be held responsible for rectifying past injustices
a. as a last resort when society has been unable to remedy an injustice.
b. when the government itself committed the injustice.
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b
10. Kukathas allows that governments may compensate descendants of victims of past injustice in order to repair the*
a. fabric of a society that has been torn by serious injustices in its history.
b. wrongs done to people in the past.
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b
True or False
11. According to Kukathas, making reparations for past wrongs is morally justifiable, except in some special cases.*
a. True
b. False
12. According to Kukathas, the argument for holding descendants of perpetrators of past injustice liable for making reparations is weakened by the fact that people’s identities are complex mixtures of different inheritances.
a. True
b. False
13. According to Kukathas, it is impossible to be both a victim and perpetrator of injustice.*
a. True
b. False
14. Kukathas argues that in order for reparations to be defensible it must be possible to identity who is liable to pay and precisely how much must be paid.
a. True
b. False
15. Kukathas argues that governments should never be held responsible for rectifying past injustices.*
a. True
b. False
Essay
16. Kukathas claims that making reparations for past injustices is almost never morally justified. How does Kukathas defend this claim? Is his defense convincing in your view? Why or why not?
17. Kukathas claims that there are difficulties in holding groups such as companies and private organizations like churches responsible for restitution for past injustice. What are these difficulties? Can these difficulties be overcome, or do they undermine any attempt to hold groups liable for the costs of restitution?
18. Kukathas claims that governments should not step in to rectify injustices that societies have been unable to remedy. What is Kukathas’s argument for this claim? Is his argument convincing?