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Philosophy > Consequentialism - Utilitarianism > Flashcards

Consequentialism - Utilitarianism Flashcards

1
Q

Normative ethics

A

Attempting to define how one should act. Investigating the standards of right/wrong.

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2
Q

Metaethics

A

The study of the discipline of ethics. Attempts to determine meanings of normative terms eg. good, bad

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3
Q

Final ends

A

Long term ‘Telos’, life goals

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4
Q

Intermediate ends

A

Short term goals, eg. going to uni

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5
Q

Intrinsic worth

A

Actions being worthy in and of themselves

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6
Q

Instrumental worth

A

Actions being worthy on a case-by-case basis

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7
Q

Quantitative Utilitarianism

A

All pleasure is equally valuable, Felicific calculus

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8
Q

Qualitative Utilitarianism

A

There are higher and lower pleasures

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9
Q

What type of Utilitarian was Bentham?

A

Classical, positive, quantitative, act.

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10
Q

What type of Utilitarian was Mill?

A

Positive, qualitative, rule.

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11
Q

Define the Principle of Utility (in Bentham’s words)

A

” The principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question.” - Bentham

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12
Q

GHP

A

Greatest Happiness Principle, Principle of Utility

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13
Q

Positive Utilitarianism

A

Aims to maximise pleasure/happiness - Bentham, Mill

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14
Q

Negative Utilitarianism

A

Aims to minimise pain - Putnam

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15
Q

‘Reductio ad absurdum’

A

Reducing an idea to an absurd concept

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16
Q

What was Bentham’s primary theory?

A

Psychological Hedonism

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17
Q

Define Psychological Hedonism

A

The theory that man is governed by “two sovereign masters”, pleasure and pain.

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18
Q

What is the process of the Felicific Calculus?

A

Requires the Moral Agent (MA) to make ethical decisions involving units of happiness.

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19
Q

What are the seven elements of the Felicific Calculus?

A

Intensity, Duration, Propinquity, Purity, Fecundity, Certainty and Extent.

20
Q

Define Propinquity

A

How soon will it occur?

21
Q

Define Purity

A

Will there be any associated pain?

22
Q

Define Fecundity

A

Will it bring further pleasure?

23
Q

Define Certainty

A

How likely is it to bring pleasure?

24
Q

Define Extent

A

How many people will it affect? (both pleasure and pain)

25
Q

Define Act Utilitarianism

A

A theory which applies the Felicific Calculus on a case-by-case basis to promote actions in accordance with the GHP.

26
Q

What are some criticisms of the Felicific Calculus?

A

It’s subjective, non-quantifiable and based off uncertainties. It doesn’t function well under time pressure and would be exhausting to repeatedly apply.

27
Q

What are some criticisms of Psychological Hedonism?

A

It could be called a false reduction. It is based off assumptions about human nature which may be wrong or may not even exist.

28
Q

What are some criticisms of Act Utilitarianism?

A

It doesn’t rule out abhorrent acts, eg. organ harvesting. It’s prone to promoting the tyranny of the majority. It can lead to false punishment of the individual, eg. the Birmingham Six.

29
Q

Define Rule Utilitarianism

A

A theory which states that some behaviours tend to produce greatest happiness. These are established as rules because they have instrumental rather than intrinsic worth insofar as they have utility.

30
Q

What is The Rule Utilitarian?

A

The principle of establishing happiness-producing-behaviours as rules.

31
Q

Define Mill’s Liberty Principle

A

You should be free to do whatever you want to as long as it doesn’t harm others.

32
Q

What form of Ethics is Rule Utilitarianism?

A

A consequentialist account with a deontological aspect: the presence of rules.

33
Q

What is Strong Rule Utilitarianism?

A

Never waive the rules, always aiming for the overall betterment of society even if it causes pain in the moment. Eg wouldn’t kill someone who they knew was going to kill more people in the future.

34
Q

What is Weak Rule Utilitarianism?

A

Stick to the rules until you face a choice where following the rules will lead to greater pain than another option. Use Felicific Calculus to decide. Extensionally equivalent to Act Util, the pre/proscribe the same actions.

35
Q

What was Mill’s distinction between higher and lower pleasures?

A

Higher - Mind, spirit, intellect. eg, studying, religious enlightenment, aesthetics, fine music or food, nature.
Lower - Body, sensuality eg. excess, animalistic experiences - clubbing, sex.

36
Q

How did Mill separate higher and lower pleasures?

A

He felt that anyone who had experienced a sufficient amount of both would prefer higher pleasures. These people were called competent judges.

37
Q

Describe a competent judge

A

Someone who has experienced sufficient quantities of both higher and lower pleasures.

38
Q

What are some criticisms of Mill’s distinction of pleasures?

A

It’s elitist, at the time of writing lower class people wouldn’t have been educated so it was easy to dismiss what they enjoyed as lesser, some pleasures can be higher and lower eg. psychedelics and sex, a ‘sufficient amount’ is not clearly defined, the ‘competent judge’ definition makes it easy to dismiss anyone who disagrees.

39
Q

Define Preference Utilitarianism

A

A theory which states that rather than maximising happiness, one should aim to maximise the preferences of those involved.

40
Q

What differentiates Peter Singer’s Preference Utilitarianism from other Consequentialist theories?

A

It states that any ‘being’ is capable of having preferences. So it may includes animals as needing to have their preferences maximised, but may exclude coma patients, people with late stage dementia and foetuses. Also could include aliens or AI…

41
Q

What is an example of Preference Utilitarianism?

A

A baby is born without a brain. It is therefore forever incapable of having preferences. Given the option to experiment on the baby or on a baby chimpanzee which has a family and a community both of which would prefer it not to die, to say nothing of it’s own preferences.

42
Q

What are some potential criteria for personhood?

A

Social interaction, rationality, communication and conscious self-awareness.

43
Q

What is Mill’s criticism of Bentham’s quantitative utilitarianism?

A

That “if he [Bentham] thought at all of the deeper feelings of human nature, it was but as idiosyncrasies of taste” and that “the quality of pleasure being equal, push-pin is as good as poetry.”

44
Q

What were Aristotle’s views on hedonism?

A

“To judge by their lives, the masses and the most vulgar seem – not unreasonably – to believe that the Good or happiness is pleasure. Accordingly, they ask for nothing better than a life of enjoyment. The utter servility of the masses comes out in their preference for a bovine existence”

45
Q

Define ‘external means’.

A

An action with an instrumental relationship with the end. The only reason to perform it is because you desire the end.

46
Q

Define ‘constitutive means’.

A

An action which is part of the end. You don’t lie on a beach ‘in order’ to have a good holiday, it is what having a good holiday is in that moment.

47
Q

How does Mill respond the criticisms that pleasure is not the only good (truth - Nozick)

A

Ends that are desired ‘for their own sakes’ are constitutive means to the end of pleasure. People don’t know the truth in order to be happy, instead at that moment their happiness consists of knowing the truth

Philosophy (2 decks)

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