DSST Ethics in America 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Aristotle's concept of 'eudaimonia' is best translated as:
- Pleasure
- Duty
- Flourishing or well-being (Correct answer)
- Obedience to law
Correct answer: Flourishing or well-being
Eudaimonia, central to Aristotle's ethics, is best translated as flourishing or well-being, achieved through virtuous activity.
Question 2: Which ethical principle underlies informed consent in medical practice?
- Beneficence
- Non-maleficence
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Justice
Correct answer: Autonomy
Informed consent is grounded in respect for patient autonomy—the right of individuals to make decisions about their own bodies.
Question 3: Peter Singer's argument for global poverty relief is primarily based on:
- Deontological duties to distant strangers
- The utilitarian principle of reducing suffering regardless of proximity (Correct answer)
- Virtue ethics and character development
- Social contract obligations
Correct answer: The utilitarian principle of reducing suffering regardless of proximity
Singer argues from a utilitarian perspective that if we can prevent suffering without sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we are obligated to do so.
Question 4: The 'naturalistic fallacy,' as described by G.E. Moore, refers to:
- Deriving moral claims from natural science alone (Correct answer)
- Confusing 'is' with 'ought'
- Believing nature is always morally good
- Applying evolutionary theory to ethics
Correct answer: Deriving moral claims from natural science alone
Moore argued it is fallacious to define 'good' in terms of natural properties, such as equating goodness with pleasure or evolutionary fitness.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of an 'act utilitarian' approach?
- Always follow a rule that produces the best overall outcomes
- Evaluate each individual action by whether it maximizes happiness in that specific situation (Correct answer)
- Follow duty regardless of consequences
- Act according to the virtues of a good person
Correct answer: Evaluate each individual action by whether it maximizes happiness in that specific situation
Act utilitarianism evaluates each individual act by calculating whether it produces the greatest happiness in that particular situation.
Question 6: In business ethics, 'stakeholder theory' argues that corporations are responsible to:
- Shareholders only
- Government regulators exclusively
- All parties affected by corporate decisions (Correct answer)
- Employees only
Correct answer: All parties affected by corporate decisions
Stakeholder theory, associated with R. Edward Freeman, holds that corporations have obligations to all groups affected by their actions, not just shareholders.
Question 7: The ethical concept of 'moral luck' refers to:
- The idea that luck plays no role in moral judgment
- Cases where factors beyond a person's control affect moral judgments made about them (Correct answer)
- A utilitarian calculation involving probability
- Luck as a virtue in Aristotelian ethics
Correct answer: Cases where factors beyond a person's control affect moral judgments made about them
Moral luck, explored by Thomas Nagel and Bernard Williams, describes how factors outside a person's control influence the moral judgments others make about them.
DSST Ethics in America 3
Aristotle's concept of 'eudaimonia' is best translated as: