Chapter 3 Self Quiz

. Which of the following is a central claim of the desire satisfaction theory?

The satisfaction of a desire always directly contributes to one's welfare.

The satisfaction of desires is the only thing that directly contributes to one's welfare.

The only reason for which anything can directly contribute to one's welfare is because it satisfies a desire.

All of the above

. Which of the following would the desire satisfaction theorist accept?

Knowledge is always intrinsically good for people.

Knowledge is always instrumentally good for people.

Knowledge can be intrinsically good for people, but only when it helps satisfies a desire.

Knowledge can be instrumentally good for people, but only when it helps satisfies a desire.

. Which of the following types of life is guaranteed to go well, according to the desire satisfaction theory?

A life filled with pleasure

A life spent satisfying the desires of others

A life spent pursuing knowledge

None of the above

. What is an objective theory of welfare?

A theory that claims that objects, not happiness or relationships, are the key to happiness

A theory according to which there are facts about welfare, not merely opinions

A theory according to which some things contribute to our welfare independently of our desires and beliefs

All of the above

. Which of the following is a common complaint about objective theories of welfare?

They can't account for the fact that knowledge is good for us.

They can't explain the relationship between well-being and motivation.

They falsely claim that happiness is not good for us.

They can't explain why wealth is instrumentally good for us.

. Which of the following is widely considered an attraction of the desire satisfaction theory?

It makes what is good for us "up to us."

It explains why happiness is always good for us.

It explains why some things are good for us even if they don't satisfy any or our desires.

All of the above

. What is the desire satisfaction theorist's explanation of why we are motivated to benefit ourselves?

Our beliefs about welfare motivate us.

Our desires motivate us.

We are socialized into the habit of benefiting ourselves.

Benefiting ourselves makes us happy, and the prospect of happiness motivates us.

. Which of the following is a premise in the desire satisfaction theorist's argument for self-interest?

If something satisfies our desires, then we have reason to obtain it.

People always morally ought to do whatever is in their self-interest.

No one is capable of acting unselfishly.

If everyone acted self-interestedly, everyone would be happier in the long run.

. Which of the following would the desire satisfaction theorist not endorse?

We can know what is good for us by figuring out what we want and how to get it.

We always have reason to obtain whatever makes us better off.

Happiness is always good for people.

Sometimes it is difficult to know whether something is good for us.

. Which of the following would the desire satisfaction theorist endorse?

The satisfaction of any of your desires is intrinsically good for you.

The satisfaction of many (but not all) of your desires is intrinsically good for you.

The satisfaction of any of your desires is good for you, but only instrumentally.

The satisfaction of many (but not all) of your desires is good for you, but only instrumentally.

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