Deck 2: Ethical Theory

Question 1

Aristotle developed the concept of:

A) virtue ethics.
B) utilitarianism.
C) deontology.
D) rationalism.

Answer 1

virtue ethics.

Question 2

During a hurricane, there is no electricity in a hospital where floodwater is rapidly rising. An ICU nurse manually ventilates a patient with an ambu bag for 6 hours before she makes the difficult decision to leave her patient and help the solitary remaining nurse carry 12 newborns to safety. The nurse's decision is most clearly supported by which of the following?

A) Deontology
B) Virtue ethics
C) Rationalism
D) Utilitarianism

Answer 2

Utilitarianism

Question 3

The intense and critical examination of beliefs and assumptions is:

A) theory.
B) ethics.
C) philosophy.
D) religion.

Answer 3

philosophy.

Question 4

A form of moral theory that embraces the uniqueness of cases, the culturally significant ethical features, and ethical judgement in each particular case is called:

A) virtue ethics.
B) naturalism.
C) moral particularism.
D) utilitarianism.

Question 5

Who is considered to be the father of modern utilitarianism?

A) Immaneul Kant
B) Jeremy Bentham
C) Plato
D) John Stuart Mill

Question 6

Beauchamp and Childress propose focal virtues that are more pivotal than others in characterizing a virtuous person. These focal virtues include (select all that apply):

A) compassion.
B) discernment.
C) temperance.
D) trustworthiness.
E) integrity.

Question 7

The belief that people can figure out absolute moral rules that derive from the universe or a supreme being is the basis for which moral perspective?

A) Moral belief
B) Rationalism
C) Deontology
D) Naturalism

Question 8

Ethics is:

A) a formal process of making illogical and consistent decisions based upon one's beliefs.
B) a formal process of making logical and random decisions based upon moral beliefs.
C) a formal process of making logical and consistent decisions based upon moral beliefs.
D) a formal process of making logical and consistent decisions based upon religious beliefs.

Question 9

The Kantian maxim requiring that one treat others always as ends and never as a means is known as:

A) the categorical imperative.
B) the practical imperative.
C) deontology.
D) utilitarianism.

Question 10

Which of the following statements accurately describes ethics? Select all that apply.

A) Ethics is concerned with the study of social morality and philosophical reflection about society's norms and practices.
B) Ethics furnishes us with the practical application of moral philosophy.
C) Ethics offers structured guidelines that tell us what we ought to do.
D) The study of ethics gives us a groundwork for making logical and consistent decisions.
E) Professional codes of ethics are tools that offer a formal process for applying moral philosophy.

Question 11

The Kantian maxim requiring that no action be judged as right, which cannot reasonably become a law by which every person should always abide, is known as:

A) the categorical imperative.
B) the practical imperative.
C) deontology.
D) utilitarianism.

Question 12

Abortion, even to save the life of the mother, would most likely be considered morally wrong by a person rigidly applying which type of moral theory?

A) Deontology
B) Virtue ethics
C) Naturalism
D) Utilitarianism

Question 13

What theory is based on the rationalist view that the rightness or wrongness of an act depends upon the nature of the act, rather than its consequence?

A) Deontology
B) Formalism
C) Kantianism
D) Act utilitarianism

Question 14

____ attributes differences in moral codes to social conditions, while proposing that most people have underlying psychological tendencies that lead to similar moral judgments.

A) Rationalism
B) Naturalism
C) Virtue ethics
D) Deontology

Question 15

The nurse maintained confidentiality regarding a patient's terminal illness even though family members would have provided emotional and financial support to the patient had they known of the diagnosis. Adhering to this principle regardless of outcome is an example of the application of which ethical theory?

A) Deontology
B) Naturalism
C) Rationalism
D) Utilitarianism