Ethics

"Ethical relativism" holds that moral standards are?

A Relative to and dependent on particular cultures, societies, or individuals, rather than universal
B Universal and identical across all cultures
C Completely irrelevant to human behavior
D Determined solely by international law —

"Moral absolutism" holds the opposing view that certain moral principles are?

A Universally true and applicable, regardless of culture or context
B Entirely relative and variable across cultures
C Irrelevant to ethical discourse
D Only applicable to a single individual —

"Egoism," as an ethical theory, holds that individuals should act primarily in their own?

A Self-interest
B Others' interest exclusively, with no self-consideration
C No particular interest at all
D Random, arbitrary interest —

"Altruism," often contrasted with egoism, emphasizes acting for the benefit of?

A Others, sometimes even at a cost to oneself
B Only oneself, with no regard for others
C No one in particular
D Random, unrelated parties only —

Which term describes actions performed out of genuine moral conviction, rather than for external reward or fear of punishment?

A Intrinsic motivation (in ethical action)
B Purely extrinsic motivation only
C No motivation of any kind
D Coerced compliance only —

"Ethical egoism" differs from mere selfishness in that it?

A Is presented as a normative theory suggesting people ought to act in their own self-interest
B Argues people ought to always act against their own interest
C Has no theoretical basis whatsoever
D Is identical in every respect to altruism —

Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," emphasizes the importance of?

A Personal responsibility and leading by example in creating positive change
B Waiting for others to change first
C Avoiding any personal responsibility for change
D Blaming external circumstances entirely —

Aristotle's statement that "We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" emphasizes the importance of?

A Consistent practice in developing virtuous character
B One-time isolated acts of virtue with no ongoing practice needed
C Excellence being entirely innate, with no role for habit
D No relevance of habits to character —

Immanuel Kant's statement, "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law," refers to his concept of the?

A Categorical imperative
B Utilitarian calculus
C Golden mean
D Social contract —

Martin Luther King Jr.'s statement, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," emphasizes the?

A Interconnectedness of justice and the collective responsibility to oppose injustice wherever it occurs
B Idea that injustice in one place has no bearing on justice elsewhere
C Irrelevance of justice as a concept
D Idea that injustice should be ignored if it doesn't directly affect oneself —

Which term describes a decision-making approach combining careful reasoning about principles with sensitivity to the particular details of a specific situation?

A Practical wisdom/casuistry
B Blind rule-following with no consideration of context
C Random decision-making
D Complete disregard for both principles and context —

"Ethical pluralism" acknowledges that?

A Multiple, sometimes competing, ethical values or principles can be legitimately relevant in moral decision-making
B Only a single ethical principle is ever relevant
C No ethical principles are ever relevant
D Ethics is entirely subjective with no shared principles at all —

"Moral hazard" refers to a situation where?

A A party is more likely to take risks because the costs/consequences will be borne by others
B All parties bear equal responsibility for risks, with no incentive distortion
C No risk-taking behavior occurs under any circumstance
D Risks are always fully internalized by the risk-taker alone —

"Ethical fading" describes the psychological phenomenon where?

A Individuals fail to recognize the ethical dimensions of a decision because they focus on other considerations, such as business or financial factors
B Ethical considerations are always the most prominent factor in every decision
C Individuals are constantly, consciously aware of every ethical dimension of every decision
D No psychological factors influence ethical perception —

"Groupthink," a phenomenon relevant to organizational ethics, refers to a situation where?

A A group's desire for consensus/harmony leads to poor, sometimes unethical, decision-making by suppressing dissent
B Groups always make better ethical decisions than individuals
C Dissent is always encouraged and never suppressed in groups
D No relevance to organizational decision-making —

The "bystander effect," relevant to ethics of intervention, describes the phenomenon where individuals are?

A Less likely to help a victim when other people are present, due to diffusion of responsibility
B Always more likely to help when more people are present
C Unaffected by the presence of others in deciding whether to help
D No relevance to ethical behavior —

"Moral licensing" refers to the psychological tendency where?

A Past good behavior can make individuals feel justified in engaging in subsequent unethical or selfish behavior
B Past behavior has no bearing on future ethical choices
C Good behavior always leads to consistently more good behavior with no exceptions
D No psychological connection exists between past and future behavior —

Confucius, an influential Chinese philosopher, emphasized ethical concepts such as?

A Ren (benevolence), Li (proper conduct/ritual), and filial piety
B Only Western utilitarian principles
C Only strict legalistic rule-following with no emphasis on virtue
D No ethical framework of any kind —

"Utilitarian calculus," a term associated with Jeremy Bentham, attempts to systematically?

A Measure and compare the pleasure/pain outcomes of different possible actions
B Ignore all consequences of actions entirely
C Focus solely on rigid rules with no consideration of outcomes
D Measure only financial costs, with no consideration of wellbeing —

"Ethical dumping" refers to the practice of?

A Conducting activities (like clinical trials or waste disposal) in jurisdictions with weaker ethical regulations to avoid stricter standards elsewhere
B Strictly adhering to the highest ethical standards everywhere, with no variation
C No relevance to global business or research practices
D A purely domestic issue with no international dimension —

Which philosopher/economist is closely associated with the idea of the "invisible hand," describing how individual self-interest in a market can inadvertently benefit society, while also writing on moral sentiments?

A Adam Smith
B Karl Marx
C John Maynard Keynes
D Immanuel Kant —

"Ethical sensitivity" refers to an individual's capacity to?

A Recognize the ethical dimensions and implications present in a given situation
B Be completely oblivious to any ethical considerations
C Ignore the impact of decisions on others entirely
D Focus solely on legal technicalities with no moral awareness —

"Moral disengagement," a concept in psychology relevant to ethics, describes how individuals may?

A Rationalize or justify unethical behavior to reduce feelings of guilt or self-condemnation
B Always feel intense guilt for any unethical action, with no rationalization
C Never engage in any form of unethical behavior
D Have no psychological mechanisms related to justifying behavior —

Confucian ethics places significant emphasis on maintaining harmonious relationships through the concept of?

A Proper social roles and mutual obligations (e.g., between ruler and subject, parent and child)
B Complete individualism with no social obligations
C Rejection of all social hierarchy and relationships
D No ethical relevance to social relationships —

Ultimately, the study of ethics, values, and integrity in civil service preparation aims to cultivate officials who can?

A Combine sound judgment, strong character, and practical wisdom to serve the public honestly and effectively
B Merely memorize theories with no practical application
C Act with no regard for ethical considerations in their work
D Prioritize personal gain over public service entirely —