chapter 12

Question 1

What is the difference between psychological hedonism and ethical hedonism?

Answer 1

Psychological: Belief that all decisions are based on pleasure and pain because it is how human brains work
Ethical: belief that it is possible to avoid pleasure and choose pain it is morally wrong to do so.

Psychological believes that the contrast of good or bad determines our decision ( never can choose pain), but ethical states it points out what we should do.

Question 2

What is egoism? What is the principle of utility and how did Bentham apply it?

Answer 2

we are chiefly in our own welfare.
Principle of Utility: Act to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people.
Bentham believed that our welfare is inseperable with society, so the more we help others the more we help ourselves.
in thinking of myself that will better others around me

Question 3

What calculation method did Bentham use to prove that his philosophy worked? How does it work and what does it measure?

Answer 3

He used the hedonic calculus: a 7 question process to help you determine the proper course of action
1. Intensity: How stong is the pleasure?
2. Duration: how long will the pleasure last
3. Propinquity: how soon will pleasure occur
4. Certainty:How likely is pleasure to occur
5. Fecundity: how likely is it to produce more pleasure
6. Purity: pain involved?
7.Extent: how many people will be affected
You answer these questions and if they are more positive then you take that action.

Question 4

What is altruism? What is the principle of utility and how did Mill apply it?

Answer 4

Altruism is what separates mill from bentham (refined utilitarianism) think of others first before yourself.-this can prevent the tyrany of the majority
Altruism: to promote welfare of others “other thinking”
Principle of Utility: the more people an action benefits the better action to take. always act to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest #.

Question 5

What is a higher pleasure and what is a lower pleasure? How do we tell the difference? Why, according to Mill, do most prefer a lower pleasure and how do we fix that? What does this have to do with “the greatest happiness for the greatest number?”

Answer 5

Determining which pleasure is better is taking people who have experience with both so that they can choose

High pleasure: using and utilizing higher faculties. education, longer lasting
Lower : not nurturing the higher faculties ( thinking?)
We usually go for the lower because they require less effort, they feed into our habits and character( or socially controlled habits) .
We should try to better society, in doing so we better ourselves and we begin to develop the higher faculties ( become more educated) and therefore more happy

Question 6

Thomas Mathus

Answer 6

imigrants come in causing over population and drains economy. the solution is have the pay so low that they cannot afford to stay, and so they don’t want to come

Question 7

Bentham

Answer 7

Hedonist, “Each counts as one, no more, no less”

Father of liberal political thought

Question 8

mills upbringing

Answer 8

james mill and bentham raised mill to be a philosopher