Exam 1 practice questions

According to Clifford in ‘The Ethics of Belief’ what is the reason the shipowner is blameworthy for sending out an unsafe ship?

1. He made a sincere mistake about the ship’s condition

2. He did not check the ship before sending it out but felt guilty afterword

3. He ignored evidence and convinced himself the ship was safe

3. He ignored evidence and convinced himself the ship was safe

What social consequences does Clifford warn about if individuals regularly believe without evidence?

1. Society becomes unable to think critically and is easily manipulated

2. People will only make mistakes about unimportant matters

3. Everyone will eventually arrive at the same beliefs through discussion

1. Society becomes unable to think critically and is easily manipulated

For Clifford, who has the duty to only believe according to the evidence? (QUESTION ON EXAM)

1. Everyone

2. Only scientists and experts

3. Leaders and teachers, since other follow them

1. Everyone → and if you don’t have time to find the evidence, then you don’t have time to believe

What is confirmation bias?

1. Relying on the expertise of established authorities in a field

2. The tendency to seek out information that supports what you already believe

3. Judging someone’s argument based only on how it makes you feel

2. The tendency to seek out information that supports what you already believe

An appeal to an unqualified authority is fallacious because:

1. Such authorities lack relevant expertise or are biased

2. An argument is invalid if it is made by someone outside your group, even if they are an expert

3. All appeals to any authority are always fallacious regardless of their expertise

1. such authorities lack relevant expertise or are biased

According to Plato (Socrates) what sort of value does justice have?

1. Only instrumental value, as it brings social rewards

2. Both intrinsic and instrumental value

3. No value, since justice is just a word without real impact

2. Both intrinsic and instrumental value

In Glaucon’s social contract view why do people agree to justice?

1. So they can secretly act unjustly while pretending to be just maximizing their own benefit and reputation as much as possible

2. Because they are naturally just and want to do good for its own sake

3. To avoid the worst outcome and get the second-best life through compromise

3. To avoid the worst outcome and get the second-best life through compromise

What does The Ring of Gyges story intend to show?

1. Only the worst individuals would ever act unjustly regardless of power

2. It proves that people with power always choose to help others instead of themselves seeking only intrinsic goods

3. Most people would act unjustly if they could do so without consequences

3. Most people would act unjustly if they could do so without consequences

What type of government does Hobbes think is best for avoiding the state of nature?

1. A loose confederation of independent households all enforcing their own rules

2. Absolute Monarchy

3. Democracy with regular checks and balances on power

2. Absolute Monarchy

According to Hobbes when does justice exist?

1. Whenever individuals decide not to harm each other regardless of any agreement

2. Only when there is an enforceable social contract

3. At all times based on natural moral principles independent of government

2. Only when there is an enforceable social contract

For Locke what makes government legitimate?

1. Consent of the governed

2. The divine right of kings as appointed by God

3. The ability of the ruler to maintain order through any means necessary including violence and force if required by the people

1. Consent of the governed

How does private property originate according to Locke?

1. By claiming land and posting a notice for other to see

2. Through mixing one’s labor with resources

3. Through the explicit permission of the community before use begins

2. Through mixing one’s labor with resources

What is Locke’s proviso about acquiring property?

1. You can only own what you can physically guard and defend

2. You must leave enough and as good for others

3. You may claim as much as you want but only if you plant crops on it right away and never let it spoil for any reason

2. You must leave enough and as good for others

For Locke when is revolution against a government justified?

1. When the government fails to protect people’s rights and property

2. If foreign country offers better social services and you wish to switch allegiances to them as a group

3. Whenever any law is unpopular with the majority of people

1. When the government fails to protect people’s rights and property

What principle does Mill propose to determine when society or government can limit individual liberty?

1. The moral improvement principle: restrict whatever might lead to vice or folly

2. The majority principle: any action the majority dislikes may be forbidden

3. The harm principle: only to prevent harm to others

3. The harm principle: only to prevent harm to others

Which is an objection Mill considers to the harm principle?

1. The only objection is that individual freedom never leads to progress

2. No harm is purely self-regarding because in practice most actions affect others

3. All laws should be based on opinion polls instead of moral principles or consequences which Mill rejects

2. No harm is purely self-regarding because in practice most actions affect others

What is Mill’s argument for robust freedom of speech based on infallibility?

1. Censorship is necessary since some ideas are so dangerous they must not be spoken under any circumstances

2. People can always immediately recognize truth without argument or discussion

3. Suppression of speech assumes the suppressor is infallible but anyone can be wrong

3. Suppression of speech assumes the suppressor is infallible but anyone can be wrong

According to Mill what is the advantage of ‘experiments of living’?

1. They let the government decide which lifestyles are worth trying so that society always benefits

2. They cause division and prevent people from ever agreeing about anything

3. They allow society to discover new and better ways of life

3. They allow society to discover new and better ways of life

What does Mill say about ‘dead dogma’?

1. Silence dissent guarantees the survival of true beliefs since errors are eliminated

2. Traditions are always wiser than new or dissenting opinions

3. Unquestioned beliefs lose their meaning and become empty rituals unless challenged

3. Unquestioned beliefs lose their meaning and becoming empty rituals unless challenged

Why does Socrates refuse to escape from prison in the Crito?

1. He is more afraid of dying outside Athens than dying in prison

2. He believes keeping his agreement to obey Athens’ laws is a matter of virtue and justice

3. He thinks his children would have a better life without him

2. He believes keeping his agreements to obey Athens’ laws is a matter of virtue and justice

Who has the duty to believe according to evidence? (QUESTION ON EXAM)

• Everyone

When does justice exist? (QUESTION ON EXAM)

• When there is a social contract that can be enforced with power

Why is Locke against Absolute Monarchy? ***

• Gives all the power to one person

• People become their own judges

What is the purpose/aim of government? (QUESTION ON EXAM)

• Protect property rights

What does Hobbes say is sources of conflict?

• Defense

• Competition

• Glory

What leads to the dissolution of government?

• when they don’t protect our property rights

According to Mill what does an individual good life look like?

• Growing

• developing the talents of critical thinking and independent choices

According to Mill what are the benefits of experiments of living?

• allow society to discover new and better ways of life

What are Mill’s arguments for freedom of speech?

1. Missing the Truth → probably miss out on the truth if we shut everyone up our group could be wrong and then live in the wrong

2. Dead Dogma → believing something because everyone does, don’t express your feelings leads to forgetting what you believe

3. Critical Scrutiny Necessary for Knowledge → we are rational creatures we use reason to know

4. Complementary Truths → combine 2 peoples thoughts/ideas, someone who is right isn’t right about everything

What is the deeper reason for Clifford that believing without evidence is wrong?

1. Believing without evidence undermines our duty to humanity and corrupts our critical thinking

2. Believing without evidence is only wrong if it directly causes harm on that occasion

3. It is only a personal matter and does not affect others

1. Believing without evidence undermines our duty to humanity and corrupts our critical thinking

According to Clifford when is it acceptable to feel pleasure in having a sense of certainty?

1. Whenever the belief produces good social consequences regardless of its truth

2. Whenever one feels personally convinced regardless of evidence

3. Only when one’s belief is based on sufficient evidence

3. Only when one’s belief is based on sufficient evidence

Why does Clifford think widespread careless belief formation is dangerous for society?

1. It weakens critical thinking and makes people manipulable and sheep-like

2. It only leads to occasional personal mistakes with no broader impact

3. Society becomes more violent as a result of careless beliefs

1. It weakens critical thinking and makes people manipulable and sheep-like

For Glaucon (in Plato’s Republic) what kind of value does justice have according to the common view?

1. Justice is valuable only instrumentally for its consequences

2. Justice has no value at all according to the common view

3. Justice is valuable only intrinsically regardless of consequences

1. Justice is valuable only instrumentally for its consequences

How does Locke’s state of nature differ from Hobbes’s?

1. Locke sees the state of nature as governed by divine natural law not as a state of war

2. Locke believes the state of nature is more violent and dangerous than Hobbes does

3. Locke denies any kind of law or morality exists in the state of nature

1. Locke sees the state of nature as governed by divine natural law not as a state of war

What limitation does Locke put on the amount of property one can appropriate in the state of nature?

1. You may take as much as you want if on one objects at the moment

2. You must leave ‘enough and as good’ for the others and avoid spoilage

3. Property rights have no limits in natural law regardless of the needs of others

2. You must leave ‘enough and as good’ for the others and avoid spoilage

According to Locke what is required for a government to be legitimate?

1. Absolute power exercised benevolently for the benefit of all subjects regardless of their wishes

2. Consent of the governed either tacitly or expressly

3. Divine right is inherited from previous rulers and maintained by tradition

2. Consent of the governed either tacitly or expressly

Why does Locke think an absolute monarch is worse than the state of nature?

1. Because an absolute monarch has unchecked power to do greater harm than anyone in the state of nature

2. Because the state of nature offers perfect equality and harmony according to Locke

3. Because absolute monarchy is efficient but unpopular with the majority not for moral reasons

1. Because an absolute monarch has unchecked power to do greater harm than anyone in the state of nature

What does Mill’s harm principle state about when society or government may limit someone’s actions?

1. People should be restrained whenever they act differently from the majority’s preference

2. Coercion is justified only to prevent harm to others not for the person’s own good

3. Government should intervene whenever anyone disrupts social norms even if nobody is harmed

2. Coercion is justified only to prevent harm to others not for the person’s own good

What is Mill’s main reason for advocating robust freedom of speech?

1. It helps discover the truth and avoids assuming anyone is infallible

2. It ensures each person can only be exposed to views they already accept preventing offense

3. It guarantees everyone will agree on moral issues after hearing all views

1. It helps discover the truth and avoids assuming anyone is infallible

According to Mill what is ‘dead dogma’?

1. A truth that remains unchallenged because it is obviously and eternally valid for all societies

2. A doctrine that leads directly to immoral behavior when enacted by government

3. A belief held without understanding or reflection repeated by custom

3. A belief held without understanding or reflection repeated by custom

Why does Hobbes think justice does not exist in the state of nature?

1. Justice is only a matter of individual conscience not social agreement

2. Justice is natural to people and arises spontaneously in all human groups

3. Without a contract or enforcement there are no binding rules of justice

3. Without a contract or enforcement there are no binding rules of justice