Zachary: One would have to be blind

Answer choices

1. A

   Only One is Morally Obliged1% picked this

   a medical researcher who feels a moral obligation not to claim sole credit for work that was performed in part by someone else confronting

   Person A feels a moral obligation to do X (not claim sole credit for work). Person B doesn't feel a moral obligation. We're looking for a situation where A feels morally obliged to do X, and B feels morally obliged to do not-X.

   1%
2. B

   Moral Obligations Don't Conflict8% picked this

   a manufacturer who feels a moral obligation to recall potentially dangerous products confronting a consumer advocate who feels morally

   We're looking for a situation where A feels morally obliged to do X, and B feels morally obliged to do not-X. Both people here feel moral obligations, but their impulses don't contradict. In the original example, the moral compulsion of the art-saver to prevent the destruction of artwork contradicted the moral compulsion of the art-destroyer to commit the destruction of artwork. Here, the two actions are "recall dangerous products" and "expose product defects". Those are actually pretty compatible cousins.

   8%
3. C

   Neither is Morally Obliged21% picked this

   an investment banker who believes that governments are morally obliged to regulate major industries confronting an investment banker who holds that governments have a

   This answer does present contradictory moral obligations, but they don't belong to the investment bankers. The investment bankers just have conflicting beliefs about what the government is morally obliged to do.

   21%
4. D

   Unclear Conflict6% picked this

   an architect who feels a moral obligation to design only energy-efficient buildings confronting, as a potential client, a corporation that believes its primary moral

   We're looking for a situation where A feels morally obliged to do X, and B feels morally obliged to do not-X. Here, we're dealing with a person and a corporation. Despite what the US Supreme Court says, corporations aren't people, so this is already a little dubious. These moral obligations also don't clearly contradict each other. Person A feels morally obliged to design only energy-efficient buildings. A contradictory person would feel morally obliged to make sure some non-energy efficient buildings are also designed. But "Person B" (the corporation) is saying that its primary moral obligation is to maximize shareholder profits. We would be bringing in a lot of outside assumptions if we think that "maximizing profits" contradicts "designing only energy-efficient buildings".

   6%
5. E

   Correct64% picked this

   a health inspector who feels morally obliged to enforce restrictions on the number of cats a householder may keep confronting a householder who, feeling

   Why this is right

   We're looking for a situation where A feels morally obliged to do X, and B feels morally obliged to do not-X. The inspector feels morally obliged to prevent homeowners from having more than the legal number of cats. The cat-lady, excuse me - I mean, the homeowner, feels morally obliged to take in more than the legal number of cats.

   Skill tested: Principle-Conform · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

   64%