Chapter 7 Self-Quiz

. Contractarianism originated as a __________ theory.

moral

social

political

psychological

. According to contractarianism, actions are morally right if and only if they are permitted by

rules that society agrees upon.

rules that don't violate anyone's rights.

optimific social rules.

rules that free, equal, and rational people would agree upon.

. Contractarians believe that we are all best off when we agree to

maximize our own self-interest.

maximize overall happiness.

treat others as ends in themselves.

limit the direct pursuit of self-interest.

.

A prisoner's dilemma is a situation where

everyone is better off if they pursue their short-term interests.

everyone is better off if they do not pursue their short-term interests.

everyone is better off if they follow the law.

every possible action makes everyone worse off.

.

The purpose of Rawls' 'veil of ignorance' is to

ensure that the contractors are impartial.

remind us of how little we know.

prevent asymmetries in knowledge.

ensure that everyone pursues self-interest.

. According to Hobbes, what is the only way to escape from the state of nature?

Everyone mutually agrees on rules for social cooperation.

Everyone mutually agrees on rules given by religious texts.

Everyone individually strives for moral betterment.

none of the above (Hobbes thought it was impossible to escape.)

. Contractarians seek to justify basic moral rules by showing that

free, equal, and rational people would agree to these rules.

these rules are optimific.

these rules are universalizable.

none of the above (Contractarians offer no justification for these rules.)

. Contractarians believe that contractors select the rules they do on the basis of

desires for revenge.

rational self-interest

altruistic desires.

utilitarianism.

. The social contract that fixes our basic moral duties is

one that we would consent to under ideal conditions.

one that we have actually consented to.

both a and b

neither a nor b

. According to the text, one might object to contractarianism on the grounds that it

is incompatible with rational self-interest.

fails to maximize happiness.

breaks down when contractors disagree about moral rules.

all of the above

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