One Problem with the Utilitarian Principle of Ethical Decision Making

question 49

Multiple Choice

One problem with the utilitarian principle of ethical decision making is that:

• A)not all utilitarian rights are protected by law.
• B)there is no agreement on what activities are the greatest benefit to the least well off.
• C)it is difficult to predict the 'trickle down' benefits to the least well off in society.
• D)it is almost impossible to evaluate the benefits or costs of many decisions.
• E)the utilitarian principle is not really a valid ethical principle at all.

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Definitions:

Ducts

Tubes, channels, or passages in the body or in a machine that convey fluid or air from one location to another.

Interstitial Fluid

Fluid that surrounds the body’s cells; consists of dissolved substances that leave the blood capillaries by filtration and diffusion.

Metabolism

The set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms to convert food into energy, and build or maintain their cells.

First Messenger

Chemical signal, such as a peptide hormone, that binds to a plasma membrane receptor protein and alters the metabolism of a cell because a second messenger is activated.