PHI 208 Week 2 Quiz

PHI 208 Week 2 Quiz Question 1 What is speciesism according to Peter Singer’s account? Allowing the interests of one’s own species to override the greater interests of members of other species. The practice of treating all animals equally regardless of their abilities. The part of science that studies species membership. The view that different species have different characteristics. Question 2 According to chapter 2 of Understanding Philosophy, utilitarianism is a form of what broader kind of ethical theory? Correct! consequentialist deontological trolly problematic. egoistical. Question 3 Which of the following statements is the strongest evidence that the person saying it is a utilitarian? Ginny: “Violations of rights are very serious, from the moral point of view.” Helen: “I agree. It is always immoral to violate someone's rights.” Ginny: “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘always’. It’s o.k. to violate rights whenever the good you can produce by doing so outweighs the harm you do by violating the person’s rights.” Kate: “I disagree with both of you. The notion of rights is just a mechanism for the lesser members of society to maintain control over those capable of greatness.” Question 4 What is a key feature of utilitarianism according to the assigned texts? Utilitarianism bases morality on the outcome of our actions. Utilitarianism depends upon belief in God. Utilitarianism denies that moral questions have a right or wrong answer. Utilitarianism holds that actions are right or wrong regardless of the circumstances. Question 5 1 / 1 pts How do we determine the difference between higher and lower pleasures, according to Mill? The preference of those who are acquainted with both. The relative duration and intensity. Their conformity to religious teaching. We can’t, since there is no difference between pleasures. Question 6 According to Tom Regan, what is fundamentally wrong with the treatment of animals in our current system? The suffering caused to animals outweighs the benefits to humans. It does not respect the fact that many people care about animals. It treats animals merely as resources to be used for our purposes. It fails to grant all of the same rights to animals that humans have, such as the right to life and the right to vote. Question 7 What is Tom Regan’s position about the use of animals in research and agriculture? Animals may be used whenever it can be proven that the human benefits outweigh the harms caused to the animals. Animals may never be used for medical research or commercial agriculture. Animals may be used in both medical research and agriculture but should be treated as humanely as possible. a & c Question 8 According to the video “Meet Your Meat”, which of the following is true of how animals are slaughtered on factory farms They are driven in extreme weather conditions without food or water They are often still conscious while being slaughtered They are often roughly handled and severely injured by the time they make it to slaughter All of the above. Question 9 Tom Regan’s view of animals is that: They are exactly the same as humans in every respect and should be treated accordingly. They seem to have experiences and to care about their lives, which gives them a right not to merely be used. Their value lies in the purpose they were created for, which is to serve as resources for humans. They have bodies but lack souls, and thus lack any dignity or value whatsoever. Question 10 According to John Stuart Mill, utilitarianism takes into account the happiness of: only the agent. only the agent and those the agent cares about. everyone, and weights everyone’s happiness equally. everyone, but weights the happiness of the agent more heavily. Question 11 According to Mill, utilitarian morality holds that: With the right social arrangements and education, individuals can come to associate their own individual happiness with the happiness of all. If each individual strives to maximize their own happiness, the happiness of all will follow. Each individual is required to sacrifice their own individual happiness for the happiness of all. Neither the happiness of the individual nor the happiness of all is worth pursuing, since neither is attainable in this life. Question 12 In what way does Peter Singer think that speciesism is similar to racism and sexism? They all can be habits of thought and action that we should be striving to overcome. They all involve favoring one group over another on the basis of morally arbitrary differences. They are all forms of unjust prejudice and discrimination. All of the above. Question 13 How does John Stuart Mill respond to the complaint that utilitarianism is a doctrine worthy of pigs? This complaint is based on prejudice against pigs and other animals. The life of pigs is far preferable to the life of humans, and we should strive to be more pig-like. It’s better to have a small amount of higher, human pleasures than a large amount of lower, animal pleasures. (a) and (b). Question 14 In what way is Peter Singer’s argument in “All Animals are Equal” utilitarian? It is based on an absolute prohibition on all forms of killing. It is based on the obligation to maximize happiness and minimize suffering, no matter who or what is experiencing it. It is based on the inherent superiority of animals to humans. It is based on the idea that animals were created to be useful to humans. Question 15 According to chapter 2 of Understanding Philosophy, which of the following makes it difficult to calculate the utility of an act, raising a potential problem for utilitarianism? the time frame of the consequences disagreements about the meaning of pleasure or happiness determining what constitutes the greatest good all of the above Question 16 What moral theory does Jeremy Bentham (with whom Singer seems to agree) endorse? Moral relativism Anarchism Utilitarianism Social Contract Theory Question 17 What is the point of Regan’s discussion about Aunt Bea and utilitarianism’s respect for human life? Utilitarianism feels that human life is sacred and not to be sacrificed under any circumstance Utilitarianism would say that God’s law that “thou shalt not kill” has no exceptions Utilitarianism might entail that one individual’s right to life can be overridden in order to save many other people’s lives Utilitarianism says that human life does not have value at all, and so a person can be killed for almost any reason Question 18 Which of the following does not describe the ways that chickens and turkeys are treated on factory farms, according to the video “Meet Your Meat” They are raised in their own excrement among corpses of other birds They are given ample space to roam and to express their own natural behavior. Some are so crippled from unnatural growth that they are unable to move They are often beaten with metal rods, which is considered legal by the industry Question 19 Which of the following describes how egg-laying hens are treated in factory farms, according to the video “Meet Your Meat”? They are allowed to scratch through dirt and grass looking for seeds and bugs in the fresh open air. They are given ample space to roam and to express their own natural behavior Correct! They are kept in such tight confinement that they cannot lift their wings All of the above Question 20 Which of the following does Tom Regan say about the utilitarian approach to animal ethics? It is wrong because it ignores ‘utility’ and therefore does not recognize the utility of animals for human happiness. It is correct because it does not base morality on the greatest overall happiness It is correct because it treats human suffering as more important than animal suffering It is inadequate because it does not give value to individuals but only to their feelings