This is Set II of our CSE332 Industry Ethics and Legal Issues MCQ series. It is all about ethical theories: the different ways philosophers have tried to answer the question "what makes an action right?"
You will meet utilitarianism, Kant's duty-based ethics, Aristotle's virtue ethics, the rights, justice and common good approaches, and ethical egoism. Each explanation shows how the theory would actually judge a decision, which is how exam questions usually test it.
How to use this set: pick an option for each question. You will see straight away whether it is right, with a short note on why. There are 15 questions.
What this set covers
- Utilitarianism: Bentham and Mill, act and rule versions
- Deontology and Kant's categorical imperative
- Virtue ethics and Aristotle's golden mean
- Rights, justice and the common good approaches
- Rawls and the veil of ignorance
- Ethical egoism and teleology
Industry Ethics and Legal Issues MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. "The greatest good for the greatest number" is the core idea of:
a) Ethical egoism
b) Virtue ethics
c) Utilitarianism
d) Deontology
Q2. Deontological ethics judges an action mainly by:
a) Whether it makes the actor happy
b) Whether it follows a moral duty or rule, regardless of the outcome
c) How many people like it
d) How much profit it makes
Q3. Which philosopher is most closely linked with duty-based ethics and the categorical imperative?
a) Immanuel Kant
b) Aristotle
c) John Rawls
d) Jeremy Bentham
Q4. Kant's universal law formulation says you should act only on a rule that:
a) Your manager approves
b) You could will everyone else to follow as well
c) Is accepted by your culture
d) Gives you the most benefit
Q5. According to Kant, people must always be treated:
a) As ends in themselves, never merely as a means
b) Differently depending on culture
c) According to their wealth
d) As means to an end when it helps the majority
Q6. Virtue ethics focuses mainly on:
a) The total consequences of an act
b) The character of the person acting, such as honesty and courage
c) The written rules of a company
d) The law of the land
Q7. In Aristotle's idea of the golden mean, courage lies between:
a) Wealth and poverty
b) Honesty and dishonesty
c) Kindness and cruelty
d) Cowardice and recklessness
Q8. Theories that judge right and wrong by the end result or goal of an action are called:
a) Deontological
b) Absolutist
c) Legalistic
d) Teleological or consequentialist
Q9. Ethical egoism says that a person ought to:
a) Act in their own long-term self-interest
b) Follow the majority
c) Obey religious rules only
d) Always put others first
Q10. A software company refuses to sell users' personal data even though it would be profitable, because users have a right to privacy. This reasoning follows the:
a) Utilitarian approach
b) Relativist approach
c) Rights approach
d) Egoist approach
Q11. John Rawls asked people to choose principles of justice without knowing their own position in society. This thought experiment is called:
a) The hedonic calculus
b) The golden mean
c) The invisible hand
d) The veil of ignorance
Q12. The justice or fairness approach to ethics is best summed up as:
a) Do whatever produces the most profit
b) Always follow your own interest
c) Do what your culture accepts
d) Treat equals equally and unequals differently in proportion to relevant differences
Q13. Clean air, public safety and a working legal system are often given as examples under which ethical approach?
a) Ethical egoism
b) Common good approach
c) Act utilitarianism
d) Virtue ethics
Q14. Rule utilitarianism differs from act utilitarianism because it:
a) Ignores consequences completely
b) Is based on Kant's duties
c) Judges general rules by the consequences of everyone following them, rather than judging each act separately
d) Only applies to businesses
Q15. A common criticism of utilitarianism is that it:
a) Can justify harming a minority if the majority gains enough
b) Applies only to religious people
c) Cares too much about individual rights
d) Ignores consequences
Quick revision notes
- Utilitarianism (Bentham, Mill): judge acts by consequences, aim for the greatest good of the greatest number. Rule and act versions.
- Deontology (Kant): judge acts by duty. Categorical imperative: act only on rules you could make universal, and treat people as ends, not merely as means.
- Virtue ethics (Aristotle): focus on character. Virtues are the golden mean between two extremes.
- Rights approach protects dignity and choice; justice approach treats equals equally (Rawls: veil of ignorance); common good approach protects shared conditions.
- Teleological = outcome-based. Ethical egoism = act in your own long-term interest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between utilitarianism and deontology?
Utilitarianism looks at results: the right act is the one with the best overall outcome. Deontology looks at duties: some acts, like lying or breaking a promise, are wrong even if they would produce a good result.
Which ethical theory is most useful for software engineers?
No single theory is enough. In practice engineers mix them: weigh harms and benefits to users (utilitarian), respect users' rights such as privacy (rights approach), and act as an honest professional would (virtue ethics).
Is teleology the same as utilitarianism?
Not exactly. Teleology is the wider family of theories that judge actions by their ends or results. Utilitarianism is one member of that family, and ethical egoism is another.
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Frequently asked questions
What does CSE332 Industry Ethics and Legal Issues cover?
It covers professional and business ethics, codes of conduct, intellectual property rights (patents, copyright, trademarks), cyber law in India including the IT Act 2000, and ethical issues such as privacy, data security and plagiarism in the IT industry.
How should I use these MCQ sets?
Attempt every question before checking the answer, note the ones you get wrong, and revise those topics from your course notes. Then move to the next set in the series.
Are these questions from the actual exam?
No. They are practice questions written to match the course syllabus. Use them alongside your class material and previous papers.
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