Quiz: Kantian Ethics And Engineering Ethics!
The quiz below has questions on Kantian ethics and engineering ethics. Every line of work has a code of ethics that people are expected to follow, and the quiz below is perfect to see how the knowledge you are when it comes to what is right or wrong. Do give it a try and see how engineering ethics are similar to the Kantian one. All the best this year!
- 1.Which of the following is true about the formulation of virtue ethics expressed by Thomas Aquinas?
- A.
It features an updated understanding of what it means to be human, which is informed by medieval technology
- B.
It is revolutionary because it is almost completely contrary to Aristotle's theory
- C.
It is more expansive than Aristotle's theory because Thomas thought that human flourishing must have a spiritual or religious dimension
- D.
The central concept of eudaimonia (happiness) is defined as suffering
- 2.Immanuel Kant believed that moral laws are...
- A.
Descriptions of how great people behave in moral situations
- B.
"Imperatives" because they are commanded by God, even though God gives individuals free will
- C.
"Imperatives" originating in the structure of reason that an individual can disobey
- D.
Derivable from the moral intuitions of ordinary people
- 3.Johnny is two years old and will die from an incurable kidney disease if he does not receive a donated liver, but there is no genetically appropriate donor available. Therefore, the parents decide, with the help of new reproductive technologies and pre-implantation genetic selection, to "create" a sibling that can serve as an organ donor (and still survive with one healthy kidney). A Kantian analysis of this case would lead to the following result.
- A.
The plan of the parents is morally right since it will lead to the maximum happiness of the whole family
- B.
The plan of the parents is morally wrong if it involves using the new sibling as a mere means to an end
- C.
The plan of the parents is morally right provided that the law allows the new sibling to donate a kidney
- D.
The plan of the parents is morally wrong because most siblings would not consent to donating a kidney
- 4.Which of the following is the best description of the difference between utilitarianism and consequentialism?
- A.
Consequentialists seek to maximize equality, whereas utilitarians seek to maximize the sum total of happiness
- B.
Consequentialism and utilitarianism are two different names of the same ethical theory
- C.
Consequentialism is a family of ethical theories that evaluate our actions solely according to their consequences. Utilitarianism is one of several examples of consequentialist theories
- D.
None of the above
- 5.Kantian ethics (understood as respect for persons) and utilitarianism can explain most of common morality, i.e., the system by which most people determine right from wrong, but they each have certain defects that keep them from giving complete accounts of common morality. Which of the following is one of these defects?
- A.
Kantianism cannot account for the aspirational aspect of common morality, which advocates promoting well-being and the benefit of others
- B.
Utilitarianism cannot account for the importance that happiness and well-being plays in common morality, because of it's focus on consequences
- C.
Kantianism cannot account for the importance of equal treatment in common morality, because of its emphasis on duty
- D.
None of the above
- 6.What kind of organizational culture did investigations of NASA after the Columbia disaster discover?
- A.
No such investigations were made because of political concerns
- B.
NASA had an established program through which engineers and other employees could register dissent to policies with which they disagree
- C.
The culture was one in which the organization could be considered at least part of the "cause" of the accident
- D.
It was one in which a "culture of dissent" was firmly established
- 7.Which of the following best explains the difference between uncertainty and risk?
- A.
A risk is an unwanted event that occurs with a known probability, whereas an uncertain event occurs with a probability that is unknown or undefined
- B.
There is no difference between risk and uncertainty
- C.
A risk is an unwanted event that occurs with a probability of at least 1%; an uncertain event occurs with a probability of less than 1%
- D.
An uncertain event occurs with a known probability, whereas a risk occurs with a probability that is unknown or undefined.
- 8."Normalization of deviance" means...
- A.
We become so accustomed to deviant behavior in a technological system that we decide to implement new rules that makes this behavior normal
- B.
We become so accustomed to deviant behavior in a technological system that we no longer consider it deviant, despite the fact that we have exceeded the applicable safety rules
- C.
We become so accustomed to deviant behavior in a technological system that we no longer consider it as deviant, and therefore revise the applicable safety rules to reflect the new practice
- D.
None of the above
- 9.Qin is an engineer who works for SmallTime Industries. Earlier in his career, he had co-founded Old Army Industries, which became the world's largest producer of electro-widgets, but he no longer has ties with any workers and has long since sold his financial interests in the company. Qin has recently taken on a new responsibility at SmallTime that may require him to buy electro-widgets. Which of the following best describes Qin's situation?
- A.
He is in a potential conflict of interest situation
- B.
He is an actual conflict of interest situation
- C.
He is in an apparent conflict of interest situation
- D.
He is in a kinetic conflict of interest situation
- 10.The Texas Engineering Practices Act states that "If engineers' judgement is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or property, they shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be appropriate." Which of the following best describes the instruction in the italicized clause?
- A.
Preventive and supererogatory
- B.
Preventive and obligatory
- C.
Prohibitive and permissible
- D.
Prohibitive and obligatory
- 11.Terry, an engineer for a company that does oil and gas exploration and production, is asked to make a recommendation on where to drill a well that will be located in an area in which his family owns a considerable amount of land. What should Terry do?
- A.
Use his best professional judgment because doing so allows him to escape the conflict of interest situation
- B.
Notify his family of the possibility and ask them if he should choose their property
- C.
"Blow the whistle" and let state regulators know about his ethical predicament
- D.
Notify his manager about this situation and offer to leave this task to other employees
- 12.Which of the following is the best characterization of a proper engineering decision?
- A.
A decision that may affect the health, safety or well-being of others
- B.
A decision that may only be taken by licensed engineers
- C.
A decision that may affect the health, safety or well-being of others, or involves technical matters that require engineering expertise
- D.
A decision for which engineers can be held responsible according to the NSPE code even if the actual decision was taken by the engineer's manager
- 13.Could an engineer in Roger Boisjoly's shoes use the line-drawing technique to determine if he should whistleblow?
- A.
Yes, because this determination primarily depends on resolving a conceptual issue
- B.
Yes, because this determination primarily depends on resolving a moral issue
- C.
No, because this determination primarily depends on resolving a factual issue
- D.
No, because this determination primarily depends on resolving an application issue
- 14.How do (contemporary) Kantians reason about risk?
- A.
When imposing a risk on others, we are not permitted to treat people as a means to an end
- B.
When imposing a risk on others, we are not permitted to violate the hypothetical imperative
- C.
When imposing a risk on others, we are not permitted to withhold any information to them
- D.
When imposing a risk on others, we are not permitted to treat people in a way that they would not consent to, or that rational people could not consent to
- 15.Suppose it is unknown that the probability of a single accident caused by a piece of equipment in a given year is .0001 and that the consequence of such an accident is -10000 units of utility. If that single accident does not occur, then the outcome is 10 positive units of utility. What is the expected utility outcome for a given year?
- A.
About -10000 units of utility
- B.
About 0 units of utility
- C.
About 9 units of utility
- D.
About 10 units of utility
- 16.Roger Boisjoly's actions the night before the catastrophic Challenger launch are normally considered...
- A.
External whistleblowing, because he used a toll-free phone line set up for government contractors to report improper actions by government employees
- B.
Anonymous whistleblowing, because he expressed his concerns to management through an unsigned, typed letter to avoid confrontation
- C.
Insubordination, because he directly contacted NASA personnel over his manager's objections
- D.
None of the above
- 17."Moral claims are made at a communal level and are only valid in that setting." This is an example of:
- A.
Cultural nihilism
- B.
Ethical subjectivism
- C.
Cultural relativism
- D.
Cultural realism
- 18."In many situations it is impossible to know which alternative act would bring about the best consequences, because it is impossible to know for sure what the consequences of an act will be before it is performed."
- A.
This objection shows that all versions of utilitarianism are false
- B.
The best response utilitarians can give to this objection is to question the assumption that we are always able to know in advance whether an act is right or wrong
- C.
Since some utilitarians evaluate acts according to their expected consequences and the expected consequences are often easier to determine in advance than the actual ones, the objection is not as forceful for all utilitarians
- D.
Both (b) and (c)
- 19.How would an act utilitarian assess the morality of an engineer who accepts a bribe from a subcontractor?
- A.
By asking whether an individual engineer's utility would be maximized if he or she accepted the bribe
- B.
By asking whether utility would be maximized if engineers generally accepted bribes
- C.
By asking what the total consequences of that act would be for everyone concerned
- D.
By asking whether a rational and impartial person would conclude that utility is maximized for himself if engineers in general accepted bribes
- 20.Which of the following is the best definition of eudaimonia (happiness) as it is used in Aristotle's ethics?
- A.
The ability to work against one's inclinations, which are the only condition that allows acts to be called "virtuous"
- B.
Maximizing the pleasure and minimizing the pain that will likely result from a particular action
- C.
Fulfilling one's potential, which results from the cultivation of one's virtues
- D.
A central term in virtue ethics, which is equivalent to what utilitarians mean by "happiness" or "pleasure."
- 21."The Ford F-150 is a large truck" is...
- A.
A factual claim
- B.
A conceptual claim
- C.
An application issue
- D.
A moral issue
- 22."The paramountcy clause states that engineers shall hold paramount the health, safety and welfare of the public." The question of what is meant by the term "welfare" in this statement is...
- A.
A factual issue
- B.
A conceptual issue
- C.
An application issue
- D.
A moral issue
- 23.In the line-drawing technique...
- A.
The features selected should describe the negative paradigm and not the positive paradigm
- B.
The features selected should describe the test case as closely as possible
- C.
The features selected should help to determine whether the test case resembles the positive or negative paradigm more closely
- D.
The features selected should be irrelevant to the paradigms
- 24.In the 1930's, engineers working for GE developed the sealed beam headlight working on their own time, which prevented many accidents caused by night driving. This is an example of...
- A.
Preventive ethics
- B.
Hedonistic ethics
- C.
Aspirational ethics
- D.
Prohibitive ethics
- 25.What is the best description of moral nihilism?
- A.
Moral judgments such as "That is wrong" are just expressions of one's own moral views and have no binding force on others
- B.
Moral judgments such as "That is wrong" are just expressions of moral views within a culture and have no binding force on people in other cultures
- C.
Statements such as "That is wrong" do not have any moral content - because moral content does not exist - and are just a way of getting people to do what we want them to do
- D.
Moral judgments such as "That is wrong" are derived from a moral theory and have no validity or meaning for people who do not accept that theory
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