Chapter 8 Self Quiz

. Contractarianism originated as a __________ theory.

moral

psychological

political

Philosophical

. Contractarianism states that actions are morally right if and only if

everyone agrees that they are right.

they do not violate any agreements.

they do not violate anyone’s rights.

they are permitted by rules that free, equal, and rational people would agree to live by.

. According to contractarianism, we are best off when we agree to

pursue our own self-interest.

limit the direct pursuit of self-interest.

act only for the sake of others.

seek to maximize well-being.

. A prisoner’s dilemma is a situation in which

everyone is better off is everyone refrains from pursuing their short-term interests.

everyone is better off if everyone pursues their short-term interests.

every possible course of action ends up harming everyone.

there is no possible action that does not break the law.

. The purpose of Rawls’s “veil of ignorance” is to

ensure that the choices of the contractors are fair.

remind us of how much we don’t know.

prevent people from invading one another’s privacy.

prevent the immoral behavior that often results from higher education.

. What did Hobbes think is the only way to escape from the state of nature?

for each person, individually, to strive to morally improve himself

for people to accept a religious faith

to mutually agree on a set of rules for social cooperation

none of the above (Hobbes did not think such a state could be truly escaped.)

. Contractarians seek to justify basic moral rules by showing that

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

they maximize utility.

such rules are universalizable.

none of the above (Contractarians claim that basic moral rules cannot be justified.)

. According to contractarianism, what motivates the contractors to select the rules they do?

a desire for revenge

rational self-interest

impartial benevolence

selfless altruism

. The social contract that fixes our basic moral duties is

one that we have actually consented to.

one we would consent to under ideal conditions.

both a and b

neither a nor b

. Which of the following is a problem for contractarianism discussed in the text?

Contractarianism is incompatible with following rational self-interest.

Contractarianism fails to maximize happiness.

Contractarianism breaks down when contractors disagree about moral rules.

all of the above

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