CARS CARS Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CARS passage presents an ethical dilemma where a doctor must choose between patient autonomy and preventing harm. Which ethical principle directly supports respecting a patient's right to refuse treatment?
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Justice
Correct answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the ethical principle that individuals have the right to make informed decisions about their own lives and medical care.
Question 2: In a CARS passage, an author argues that lying is always wrong regardless of consequences. This position most closely reflects which ethical framework?
- Deontology (Correct answer)
- Utilitarianism
- Virtue ethics
- Moral relativism
Correct answer: Deontology
Deontological ethics holds that certain actions are inherently right or wrong based on rules or duties, regardless of their outcomes.
Question 3: A CARS passage describes a utilitarian argument for a public health policy. What is the core principle of utilitarian reasoning?
- Actions should maximize overall well-being or happiness for the greatest number of people (Correct answer)
- Actions are right if they follow established moral duties and rules
- Actions should reflect virtuous character traits in the decision-maker
- Actions are justified if they preserve individual rights above all else
Correct answer: Actions should maximize overall well-being or happiness for the greatest number of people
Utilitarianism evaluates the morality of an action based on its consequences, specifically whether it produces the greatest good for the greatest number.
Question 4: A CARS passage describes a situation where a journalist withholds a source's identity to prevent harm. Which ethical value is the journalist prioritizing?
- Confidentiality and protection of vulnerable individuals (Correct answer)
- Freedom of the press above all other values
- Maximizing the amount of information disclosed to the public
- Compliance with government reporting requirements
Correct answer: Confidentiality and protection of vulnerable individuals
The journalist is prioritizing the ethical duty to protect a source from potential harm by maintaining confidentiality.
Question 5: In a CARS passage, two characters disagree about whether whistleblowing on a corporation is ethical. Which consideration MOST strengthens the case for whistleblowing?
- The corporation's actions cause significant harm to public health and safety (Correct answer)
- The whistleblower will receive financial compensation for coming forward
- The whistleblower personally dislikes the corporation's leadership
- The action will generate significant media attention for the whistleblower
Correct answer: The corporation's actions cause significant harm to public health and safety
Whistleblowing is most ethically justified when it prevents serious harm to the public, aligning with principles of beneficence and justice.
Question 6: A CARS passage presents a moral dilemma in which saving five lives requires actively harming one person. This scenario is most commonly used to illustrate which type of ethical conflict?
- The conflict between utilitarian and deontological moral reasoning (Correct answer)
- The distinction between medical and legal ethics
- The difference between individual and collective rights in contract law
- The tension between religious and secular approaches to morality
Correct answer: The conflict between utilitarian and deontological moral reasoning
This classic trolley-problem type scenario illustrates how utilitarian reasoning (maximize lives saved) conflicts with deontological reasoning (do not actively harm an innocent person).
CARS CARS Ethical Reasoning and Decision Making 1
A CARS passage presents an ethical dilemma where a doctor must choose between patient autonomy and preventing harm.
Which ethical principle directly supports respecting a patient's right to refuse treatment?