Consider the statement A “The price of housing in Brussels amounts to about 6000 euros per square- meter” and the statement B “Housing prices should be regulated in large towns”.
Both statements A and B are judgements of value
Statement A is a judgement of value, and statement B is a judgement of fact
Statement A is a judgement of fact, and statement B is a judgement of value
Both statements A and B are judgements of fact
Consider the statement A “It is not fair that nurses are so badly paid” and the statement B “The State should increase the minimum wage”.
The statement “In order to increase fiscal revenues, the State should increase the tax rate on wealth” is:
A judgement of fact taking the form of a hypothetical imperative
A judgement of fact not taking the form of a hypothetical imperative
A judgement of value taking the form of a categorical imperative
A judgement of value not taking the form of a categorical imperative
The statement “it is not fair that 90 % of the price of that dress goes to intermediaries and not to the producer” is:
A judgement of fact that expresses objective features of the situation
A judgement of fact that can be corroborated by empirical material
A judgement of value that expresses an ethical view about the value of the dress
A judgement of value that expresses an ethical view about how sales revenues should be distributed
The statement “you should treat other persons always as an end and not as a means” is:
A cake is to be divided between Sally and Harry, who have the same preferences (same utility function) and both regard the cake as a desirable good. Under utilitarianism, the optimal allocation of cake involves equal distribution of cake for Sally and Harry:
Because utilitarianism recommends to equalize utility levels across individuals
Because utilitarianism recommends to maximize the sum of individual utilities
Because utilitarianism recommends to maximize the utility level of the worst-off individual
Because utilitarianism always recommends an equal distribution of resources
Consider the following ranking of alternative situations A, B and C for two persons Albert and Lucie: Albert: A > B > C and Lucie: B > A > C (where > denotes strict preference).
Situations A, B and C are Pareto-optimal
Situations A and B are Pareto-optimal, but not situation C
Situations A, B and C are not Pareto-optimal
None of those answers
From a utilitarian perspective, a tax on wealth:
Is not justified, since it goes against property rights
Is justified, because wealth accumulation is related to labor exploitation
Is justified or not, depending on its consequences on social welfare
Is justified or not, depending on its consequences on the satisfaction of needs of the poor
Suppose that a resource is to be divided among a population. Dependent elderly persons have, ceteris paribus, a lower marginal utility of consumption than healthy adults. Hence, from a utilitarian perspective,
It is fair that dependent elderly persons consume more resources than healthy adults
It is fair that dependent elderly persons consume the same amount of resources as healthy adults
It is fair that dependent elderly persons consume less resources than healthy adults
Consider a population composed of N normal individuals, and one single utility monster (i.e. an individual who has an infinitely high marginal utility of money). In a utilitarian society:
It is fair that all the resource goes to the utility monster and the N normal individuals obtain no resource
It is fair that all individuals obtain the same fraction 1/(N+1) of the resource
It is fair that the resource is divided in such a way as to equalize utility levels within the population
From a libertarian perspective, the taxation of income is regarded as:
A tool for the achievement of equality
An equivalent to forced labor
A tool favoring social welfare maximization
An equivalent to human alienation
From a libertarian perspective, existing wage inequalities are:
Regarded as unfair provided social welfare is not maximized
Regarded as unfair provided these are due to the exploitation of labor
Regarded as fair provided they result from voluntary transactions
Regarded as fair provided they do not result from unequal labor efforts
A monopoly charges large prices on the good sold on the market, against the interests of consumers. Such a situation is:
Unfair from a utilitarian perspective and unfair from a libertarian perspective
Unfair from a utilitarian perspective and fair from a libertarian perspective
Fair from a utilitarian perspective and unfair from a libertarian perspective
Fair from a utilitarian perspective and fair from a libertarian perspective
Tom purchased a car from Sally, while ignoring that Sally had stolen the car from Bob. From a libertarian perspective, the legitimate owner of the car is:
Tom
Sally
Bob
We do not know
Marcel is extremely poor, and has a toothache that may degenerate into a serious disease if there is no dental treatment. Marcel asks for some money to his friend John. John does not help him, and prefers to keep his money for his collection of palmistry books. From a libertarian perspective,
That situation is unfair, since Marcel’s needs should get priority over John’s collection of palmistry books
That situation is unfair, since a transfer of money from John to Marcel woulddefinitely increase the sum of their utility levels
That situation is unfair, since there is a violation of Marcel’s right to self-ownership
That situation is fair
A poor unemployed person is:
Exploited in Marx’s sense and exploited in Roemer’s sense
Not exploited in Marx’s sense and exploited in Roemer’s sense
Not exploited in Marx’s sense and not exploited in Roemer’s sense
Exploited in Marx’s sense and not exploited in Roemer’s sense
According to Marx, it is necessary to nationalize the means of production
In order to improve satisfaction at work and well-being
In order to abolish the alienation of labor
In order to abolish the exploitation of labor
In order to abolish both the alienation and the exploitation of labor
From a Marxist perspective, the principle of economic democracy (one worker, onevote) is:
Necessary and sufficient to achieve a fair society
Necessary but not sufficient to achieve a fair society
Not necessary, but sufficient to achieve a fair society
Neither necessary, nor sufficient to achieve a fair society
A reduction of working time (with constant total labor earning, i.e. with a rise inhourly wage):
Allows to reduce extra labor and exploitation
Allows to reduce extra labor but not necessarily exploitation
Allows to reduce exploitation but not necessarily extra labor
Allows to reduce neither extra labor, nor exploitation
Max lives in a very poor household with 5 children. To help him, his neighbor, John, proposes Max to work 15 hours a day in his house, for a wage of 1 euro per hour (i.e. 15 euros a day). Max accepts this proposition and works for John. That situation is:
Unfair from a libertarian perspective and unfair from a Marxist perspective
Unfair from a libertarian perspective and fair from a Marxist perspective
Fair from a libertarian perspective and unfair from a Marxist perspective
Fair from a libertarian perspective and fair from a Marxist perspective
Based on John Rawls’s Theory of Justice,
It is fair to limit the fundamental liberties of rich individuals for the sake of making the most disadvantaged better off.
It is not fair to limit the fundamental liberties of rich individuals for the sake of making the most disadvantaged better off.
It is fair to limit the fundamental liberties of rich individuals for the sake ofreducing welfare inequalities between the rich and the most disadvantaged.
None of the other answers.
Based on John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, primary goods include, among other things:
Fundamental liberties, income, wealth and happiness.
Health, income, wealth and happiness.
Fundamental liberties, health, income and wealth.
Health, income, wealth and social recognition.
According to Rawls’s Theory of Justice, income inequalities are:
Not fair.
Fair only if they favor economic growth.
Fair only if they favor social stability.
Fair only if they are beneficial to the most disadvantaged person.
In a pure market economy, individuals have:
Equal endowments in natural and social primary goods.
Equal endowments in natural primary goods, but unequal endowments insocial primary goods.
Unequal endowments in natural primary goods, but equal endowments insocial primary goods.
Unequal endowments in natural and social primary goods.
Under the veil of ignorance, individuals:
Make abstraction of their social status and preferences, but do not ignore their skills.
Make abstraction of their preferences and skills, but do not ignore their social status.
Make abstraction of their social status and skills, but do not ignore theirpreferences.
Make abstraction of their social status, their preferences and their skills.
According to Sen, a functioning is:
A being or a doing that an individual can achieve
A being or a doing that an individual values
A being or a doing that an individual values and can achieve
A being or a doing that make an individual happy
According to Sen, having a large capability set is:
Equivalent to having access to a large level of material resources
Equivalent to being able to achieve a high level of happiness
Equivalent to being able to realize various things in life
All those answers
Under Sen’s capability approach,
Capabilities of all individuals should be equalized
Capabilities of the most disadvantaged individuals should be maximized
There should be equal basic capabilities for all individuals
Being well-nourished is:
A fundamental right for Nozick and for Rawls, as well as a functioning for Sen.
A fundamental right for Rawls but not for Nozick, as well as a functioning for Sen.
A fundamental right for Rawls but not for Nozick, but not a functioning for Sen.
A fundamental right neither for Rawls nor for Nozick, but a functioning for Sen.
Rawls’s approach to justice and Sen’s approach to justice:
Are liberal theories of justice
Are non-welfarist theories of justice
Try to combine ideals of equality and liberty
According to communitarianism, social goods must be distributed in the society:
In such a way as to maximize the sum of individual utilities
In such a way as to satisfy the needs of the most disadvantaged persons
On the basis of the shared understanding and valuation of those social goods by members of the society
The communitarian criticism of Rawls’s original position states that:
Since individuals under the veil of ignorance deliberately abstract from their values, the chosen principles of justice lead to a minimalistic Welfare State
Since individuals under the veil of ignorance deliberately abstract from their social position, the chosen principles of justice lead to a Welfare State that redistributes incomes too much
Since individuals under the veil of ignorance deliberately abstract from their preferences, the chosen principles of justice lead to a Welfare State that is unable to maximize social welfare
Since individuals under the veil of ignorance deliberately abstract from their skills, the chosen principles of justice lead to a Welfare State that is unable to induce the right division of labor
The following ethical doctrines are teleological:
Utilitarianism, Rawls’s Theory of Justice
Rawls’s Theory of Justice, Communitarianism
Utilitarianism, Communitarianism
None of the answers
According to Walzer (1983), a predominant good is:
A good that gives access to all other goods
A good that allows to achieve the highest happiness
A good that is necessary to achieve one’s conception of the good life,whatever it is
A good that cannot be exchanged on the market
According to Walzer (1983), social justice requires:
To redistribute the predominant good equally in the population
To make the allocation of all goods autonomous
To modify the predominant good
To let individuals exchange all goods on free markets
According to Radcliffe-Richards, the traditional argument for separate spheres formen and women is logically flawed because:
The premise that men and women are different is false
The conclusion that men and women should occupy different spheres isimprecise
A convincing normative premise is missing in the argument
According to Davis, domestic labor is:
A source of alienation that can be abolished by means of a domestic wage
A source of alienation that can be abolished by means of abolishing private property
A source of alienation that can be abolished by means of nationalizing domestic tasks
According to Tronto,
The care is restricted to activities of raising children and taking care of the dependent elderly
The care includes all activities through which individuals maintain and reproduce the world in which they live
The care includes all activities through which individuals pursue their desires
The care includes all activities through which individuals express the values to which they adhere
Good institutions are those that favor the provision of care to all citizens inneed
Good institutions are those that allow all individuals to realize theirconception of the good life
Good institutions are those that maximize social welfare
Good institutions are those that provide basic capabilities to all citizens
Modern capitalism suffers from the ideology of the self-made man
Modern capitalism undervalues activities related to care provision
Modern capitalism is too much oriented towards the satisfaction of desires
All answers
From a utilitarian perspective, a social health insurance system funded bycompulsory taxation is:
Unjustified, because this goes against individual liberties
Unjustified, because this may make the exploitation of workers sustainable
Justified, because this increases aggregate welfare by redistributingresources towards the poor (who have more health care needs)
Justified, because this reduces welfare inequalities between the rich and the poor
From a libertarian perspective, a public health insurance system is:
Socially desirable, because it helps the least advantaged individuals
Socially desirable, because this promotes individual capabilities to achieve things in their life
Socially undesirable, because this goes against the ideal of a minimal State without coercion
Socially undesirable, because this does not lead to social welfare maximization
Roemer defends a public health insurance system on the grounds that:
This reduces welfare inequalities
This reduces exploitation in terms of needs
This expands individual capabilities
This improves the situation of the most disadvantaged individuals
According to Rawls, a public health insurance system is justified on thegrounds that this:
Contributes to increase social welfare
Contributes to compensate inequalities in natural primary goods
Contributes to expand individual capabilities
Contributes to reduce the exploitation of labor
According to Walzer, the public health insurance system in the United States:
Should be reduced, because it goes against individual freedoms
Should be reduced, because it goes against the ideal of individualresponsibility
Should be expanded, because health care should be distributed on thebasis of needs, and not on the basis of how rich individuals are
Should be expanded, because this would increase social welfare
Under production complementarities among world’s workers (beneficial to allworkers of the host country) and under selection effects (more innovative/skilled workers migrate), a policy contributing to (marginally) openborders to a larger degree is, under utilitarianism:
Optimal from the perspective of the host country, but not from the perspective of the home country
Optimal from the perspective of the host country, and optimal from the perspective of the home country only if transfers compensate the departure of the most skilled
Optimal from the perspective of the home country, but not from the perspective of the host country
Optimal neither from the perspective of the host country, nor from the perspective of the home country
In a libertarian society,
Migrations are prohibited
Migrations are allowed, but migrants do not receive aid from the State
Migrations are allowed, but migrants receive aid from the State
From Marx’s perspective, opening borders would, everything else beingunchanged:
Reduce the exploitation of labor everywhere
Reduce exploitation in home countries, and increase it in host countries
Reduce exploitation in host countries, and increase it in home countries
Increase the exploitation of labor everywhere
According to Roemer, workers from the Third World suffer from national exploitation because:
Their material situation would be improved if means of production were redistributed equally, everything else being unchanged
Their material situation would be improved if skills were redistributed equally, everything else being unchanged
Their material situation would be improved if birth assets were redistributed equally, everything else being unchanged
Their material situation would be improved if formal liberties wereredistributed equally, everything else being unchanged
Sandel criticized Becker’s proposal of selling U.S. citizenship against $100,000because:
This proposal goes against the interests of the least advantaged citizen
This proposal goes against social welfare maximization
This proposal goes against individual freedom of movement
This proposal leads to a degradation of what U.S. citizenship is
According to utilitarianism, positive discrimination at the entrance of the university
Is justified on the grounds of providing equal opportunities to all
Is justified on the grounds of serving the interests of the most disadvantaged
May be justified or not, depending on its effects on the sum of individual utilities
May be justified or not, depending on the goals of the university
According to Rawls, positive discrimination at the entrance of the university
Is justified on the grounds of redistributing resources towards the most disadvantaged
Is justified on the grounds of equalizing opportunities for all
Is not justified, on the grounds that individuals with the same skills should have equal chances of access to all social positions
Is not justified, on the ground that this goes against the Principle of EqualLiberty
According to Roemer, positive discrimination at the entrance of the university
Is justified provided this leads to reduce welfare inequalities
Is justified provided this leads to increase social welfare
Is justified provided this reduces the extent of inequalities in the ownership of the means of production
Is justified provided this serves the interests of the most disadvantaged individuals
According to Walzer,
Both basic education and higher education should be allocated on the basis of needs
Basic education should be allocated on the basis of needs, whereas higher education should be allocated on the basis of interests and skills
Basic education should be allocated on the basis of interests and skills,whereas higher education should be allocated on the basis of needs
Both basic education and higher education should be allocated on the basis ofinterests and skills
According to Sandel, positive discrimination at the entrance of the university
Is justified on the ground of maximizing social welfare
Is justified on the ground of improving the situation of the worst-off
May be justified or not, depending on the goals pursued by the university
Is not justified
