Lecture 2

Pat says that to calculate the overall goodness of an arrangement you need to identify the personwho is worst-off (has the least personal good). Pat says that the overall goodness of an arrangement isequal to that person's personal good.

• (a) Pat’s view is consistent with the Only Goodness principle and with Consequentialism

• (b) Pat’s view is consistent with the Only Goodness principle but not with Consequentialism.

• (c) Pat’s view is consistent with Consequentialism but not with the Only Goodness principle.

• (d) Pat’s view is not consistent with the Only Goodness principle nor with Consequentialism.

Answer explanation

1a: Pat’s view is consistent with the Only Goodness principle, because Pat’s view says that the overallgoodness is determines solely by everyone’s personal good. Pat’s view is consistent withConsequentialism, because Pat’s view says nothing about what is morally right, so it does not conflictwith Consequentialism, which is a theory about what is morally right.

Which of the following theories is the most paternalist:

• (a) Personal good is preference satisfaction

• (b) Personal good is informed preference satisfication

• (c) Personal good is pleasure

• (d) Personal good is having Nussbaum's ten capabilities

Answer explanation

Anti-paternalist means someone being able to choose. Nussbaum doesn't allow anyone to choose

Nozick's experience machine is supposed to show that which theory is false:

• (a) The labour theory of value

• (b) The hedonist theory of personal good

• (c) The unequal exchange theory of exploitation

• (d) None of the above

Which of these best summarizes Sen's theory of poverty.

• (a) Poverty is a subjective phenomenon.

• (b) Poverty is definable by Nussbaum's list of 10 capabilities.

• (c) Poverty is both absolute and relative.

• (d) None of the above.

Consider the resource of a healthy salad, and capability of being well nourished. Which of these is aconversion factor?

• (a) Having enough money to buy healthy food

• (b) Having a digestive system that can digest the healthy salad

• (c) Having the desire to eat healthy

• (d) None of the above.

Answer explanation

It is required to convert the resource (food) into a capability (being abel to be well nourished).

The thing that gives the Marquise de Merteuil most pleasure is when the Comte de Valmont is in pain.What does the preference satisfaction theory of personal good say about this situation?

• (a) It's good for the Marquise when the Comte is in pain, but it's bad for the Comte.

• (b) If the Comte prefers to be in pain, then it's good for the Marquise when the Comte is in pain.

• (c) If the Marquise prefers to have pleasure rather than pain, then it is good for Marquise when the Comte is in pain.

• (d) None of the above.