[Ethics] Jack owns a manufacturing company and plans to expand the manufacturing of plastics it produces for sale. If the planned expansion goes forward, the manufacturing company will significantly increase the pollution it emits into a local river. In evaluating whether to proceed with the expansion, Jack tries to determine whether expanding manufacturing of plastics his company produces will produce the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. In doing so, Juan is adhering to an ethical principle known as:

Question

[Ethics] Jack owns a manufacturing company and plans to expand the manufacturing of plastics it produces for sale. If the planned expansion goes forward, the manufacturing company will significantly increase the pollution it emits into a local river. In evaluating whether to  proceed with the expansion, Jack tries to determine whether expanding manufacturing of plastics his company produces will produce the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. In doing so, Juan is adhering to an ethical principle known as:

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The scenario describes Jack evaluating an expansion that would significantly increase pollution in a local river, and he evaluates the expansion by considering which option will produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This points to a particular ethical framework.
Option A: utilitarianism. This choice aligns with the idea of maximizing overall welfare or happiness for the greatest number of people, even if it involves trade-offs or costs to some, which matches the scenario of weighing overall good against environmental harm.
Option C: religious ethical principles. While religious frameworks can influence moral decisions, the prompt specifically emphasizes achieving the greatest good for the greatest number, a hallmark of utilitarian reasoning rather than a framework strictly grounded in religious doctrine.
Option D: the principle of rights. Rights-based ethics centers on respecting individual entitlements and freedoms, sometimes limiting actions that infringe on rights; however, the focus on maximizing overall good across many people does not directly reflect a rights-based approach.
Option B: duty-based ethics. Duty-based (deontological) theories evaluate actions by their adherence to rules or duties rather than by outcomes, so this framework would scrutinize whether the expansion respects universal duties or norms rather than prioritizing aggregate good.
In sum, the description of assessing the expansion by its overall beneficial impact on the largest number of people corresponds best to utilitarian reasoning, which weighs costs and benefits to maximize net welfare across the population. The other options describe distinct ethical approaches that emphasize rules, rights, or religious prescriptions rather than outcome-based welfare maximization.

ACCT:4300:0001 Fall25 Examination #1 - Accounting Ethics and Law- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

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