Question 1. Utilitarianism is a form of what broader kind of ethical theory?
deontological
consequentialist
trolly problematic
egoistical
Question 2. What does Tom Regan say is the source of inherent value in an individual?
Individuals have equal inherent value by virtue of being experiencing subjects of a life, i.e. conscious beings whose lives matter to them
We have equal inherent value if we are able to experience pain and pleasure, suffering and misery
We do not all have inherent value; only those that live and abide by moral principles have inherent worth
Different societies have different views about what is right and wrong, so the ‘inherent value' of individuals is relative
Question 3. What does Singer say about other philosophers' attempts to argue that only humans have moral worth?
That they give a good way to determine who has rights in a way that includes all humans and no animals
That they all say that animals should have rights too
That they come up with unjustified methods to include all humans while excluding all animals from moral consideration
That animals do not have rights because they are not as smart as humans are
Question 4. 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 5. What is Tom Regan's main criticism of the contractarian approach to ethical duties?
It works fine for humans without problems, but it has not yet been applied to animals
It ignores the importance of pain and suffering when it comes to ethics
It would allow all kinds of human injustice if a stronger group is able to oppress the members of a weaker group of people
He does not criticize it; he things that contractarianism, if properly understood, represents the most rational approach to ethical problems
Question 6. Which of the following makes it difficult to calculate the utility of an act
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 7. Which of the following does Peter Singer assert about the principle of equality?
People should have equal rights because they are factually equal.
People with higher abilities, it stands to reason, should have greater rights.
Different groups of humans should have equal rights if scientific investigation proves that there are no genetic differences in their abilities.
It is a prescription that we should treat people equally regardless of their differing abilities.
Question 8. Which of the following does not happen to pigs on today's factory farms in the "Meet Your Meat" video?
They are raised in extreme confinement so dense that they can't turn around
They are castrated and have tails chopped without pain killers
They are slaughtered quickly and painlessly
Many are quite conscious while being slaughtered
Question 9. Which of the following does not describe how egg-laying hens are treated in factory farms?
They are allowed to scratch through dirt and grass looking for seeds and bugs in the fresh open air.
They are kept in such tight confinement that they cannot lift their wings
They are starved into a period of ‘forced molting'
They have their beaks painfully seared off
Question 10. According to Mill, utilitarian morality holds that:
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.
With the right social arrangements and education, individuals can come to associate their own individual happiness with 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 11. What does Tom Regan say about the cruelty/kindness approach to animal ethics?
The best way to explain animal ethics is in terms of our obligation to be kind and not cruel to animals
It is inadequate because it is possible to do wrong while being kind, and it is possible to do wrong without being deliberately cruel
It has no relevance to animal ethics because animals are cruel to each other
You have to be cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Question 12. Which of the following does not happen in the "Meet Your Meat" to animals with diseases or injuries on modern factory farms:
The meat is allowed to be "USDA pure"
They are killed for growing too slowly
They are generally given immediate veterinary attention
They are taken to slaughter anyway
Question 13. 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, but weights the happiness of the agent more heavily.
everyone, and weights everyone's happiness equally.
Question 14. 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
Some are so crippled from unnatural growth that they are unable to move
They are given ample space to roam and to express their own natural behavior.
They are often beaten with metal rods, which is considered legal by the industry
Question 15. The philosopher John Stuart Mill recognized the following as a potential problem for utilitarianism
It holds people to standards that are too high.
It may lead to increased liberty and justice.
It may result in a tyranny of the majority
It may lead people to think independently of religious authority.
Question 16. Which of the following does Tom Regan say about the utilitarian approach to animal ethics?
It is inadequate because it does not give value to individuals but only to their feelings
It is perfect because it does not allow for discrimination based upon morally irrelevant attributes like race or species
It is wrong because it treats human suffering as more important than animal suffering
It ignores everything that does not have enough ‘utility' and therefore does not take into account important things that it does not consider ‘useful'
Question 17. Peter Singer's "basic principles of equality" applied to animals means:
Animals should be given all the same rights as human beings.
Animals are not entitled to not all the same rights but to an equal consideration of interests.
Animals should not be given the same moral consideration because they are do not have the same power to reason as humans.
Animals do not have rights unless they can demonstrate the same abilities as humans.
Question 18. When faced with the complaint that utilitarianism is a doctrine worthy of pigs, Mill responds that pleasures differ in:
purity.
quality.
species.
weight.
Question 19. What moral theory does Jeremy Bentham (with whom Singer seems to agree) endorse?
Moral relativism
Anarchism
Utilitarianism
Social Contract Theory
Question 20. What is Tom Regan's position about the use of animals in research and agriculture?
Animals should be used whenever it can be proven that the human benefits outweigh the harms caused to the animals
Animals should never be used for medical research or commercial agriculture
Animals should only be used for medical research shown to be beneficial to humanity, never for agriculture
Animals should be used in both medical research and agriculture but should be treated as humanely as possible