Quiz 2

A  some moral importance but not as much as my own interests.

B  more moral importance than my own interests.

C  no moral importance.

D  just as much moral importance as my own interests.

A  has the right to be free from the interference of others when pursuing self-interest.

B  is entitled to one’s own property, is allowed to pursue self-interest and has the right to be free from the interference of others when pursuing self-interest.

C  is allowed to pursue self-interest.

D  is entitled to one’s own property.

A  violates many widely shared moral beliefs and arbitrarily elevates the interests of some people over those of others.

B  violates many widely shared moral beliefs, cannot allow for the existence of genuine moral rights, and arbitrarily elevates the interests of some people over those of others.

C  cannot allow for the existence of genuine moral rights.

D  arbitrarily elevates the interests of some people over those of others.

A  no one is capable of behaving altruistically.

B  if doing something makes you better off, then there is good reason to do it.

C  egoism makes everyone better off.

D  if there is good reason to do something, then doing it must make you better off.

A  impossible.

B  widespread.

C  rare but should always be resolved in favor of self-interest.

D  rare but should always be resolved in favor of morality.

A  Psychological egoism has no implications for ethics.

B  The truth of psychological egoism would have a few minor implications for ethics.

C  The truth of psychological egoism would mean that most of what we take for granted about morality would be mistaken.

D  Psychological egoism aims to provide a comprehensive guide to our moral obligations.

A  a political theory about how society ought to be organized.

B  a character trait that certain people have.

C  a descriptive theory of human motivation.

D  an ethical theory about how we ought to act.

A  a desire to benefit others in order to further our own ends.

B  any action that benefits others.

C  a direct desire to benefit others for their own sake.

D  any action that benefits others, a direct desire to benefit others for their own sake, and a desire to benefit others in order to further our own ends.

A  the mind is composed of the id, the superego, and the ego.

B  acting solely out of self-interest is psychologically unhealthy.

C  everything people do is fundamentally motivated by self-interest.

D  people morally ought to pursue their self-interest at all times.

A  in ways that are spontaneous and creative and more kindly and less competitively.

B  more kindly and less competitively.

C  in ways that are spontaneous and creative.

D  selfishly.

A  are real, whereas laws of nature are imaginary.

B  tell us what we will do as opposed to what we ought to do.

C  tell us what we ought to do as opposed to what we will do.

D  are imaginary, whereas laws of nature are real.

A  fulfilling his or her true nature

B  doing whatever maximizes happiness

C  obeying God’s commands

D  obeying the laws of the land

A  selfish; cooperative

B  cooperative; selfish

C  selfish; neither good nor bad

D  neither good nor bad; selfish

A  empirical truths.

B  self-evident.

C  conceptual truths.

D  unknowable.

A  consistently does the morally right thing. and represents another person in a legal context.

B  represents another person in a legal context.

C  is morally responsible for his or her actions.

D  consistently does the morally right thing.

A  is in accordance with human nature.

B  is permitted by the laws of the government.

C  maximizes happiness.

D  is in accordance with God’s commands.

A  “How do we determine what the gods command us to do?”

B  “Why would someone who does not believe in the gods act justly?”

C  “What reasons do we have for believing in the gods?”

D  “Do the gods love actions because they are pious, or are actions pious because the gods love them?

A  acts are morally required just because they are commanded by God.

B  God did not create morality but always accurately reports it.

C  God’s commands are always based on good reasons.

D  God’s commands are always based on good reasons, God did not create morality but always accurately reports it, and acts are morally required just because they are commanded by God.

A  humans author some laws.

B  humans author some laws, the moral law requires a lawmaker, and if God is the author of the moral law, then humans cannot be

C  if God is the author of the moral law, then humans cannot be.

D  the moral law requires a lawmaker.

A  morality to exist at all.

B  us to know the difference between right and wrong.

C  us to be motivated to act morally, to know the difference between right and wrong, and morality to exist at all.

D  us to be motivated to act morally and morality to exist at all.