Ethics and Values Flashcards
For Singer, what is the difference between consequentialist and non-consequentialist thought?
Non-consequentialists honour rather than promote values, yet for him ideas of liberty and respect should be promoted
Who saw utilitarianism as non-calculating system?
John Austin in The Providence of Jurisprudence Determined, which saw law held by those with power as more important - consequentialism justifies action rather than creates moralistic computers
What does Singer support in terms of fixing moralistic computers?
Use of restrictive consequentialism, where the consequences are seen as more important than taking the time to calculate them - promote best ideas instead
What is the problem with honouring actions rather than promoting them for Singer?
There is no reason to honour one value over another - consequentialism is more rational therefore
What problem does Mill have with pleasure and happiness?
Mill equates them, but what about the depressed man drinking - gains pleasure but no real happiness
How does Benn fix Mill?
Goodness legitimises pleasure, so that sadism is not taken into account in terms of consequences
How does Benn value not acting?
Act omission can be as bad as causing a bad consequence itself, but for him it is supererogatory - malice is worse than sloth, even if this only explains rather than justifies actions
How does Benn see the problem of bad motives?
It is important not to desire bad effects, a bad outcome is acceptable if the guiding intention was a good one - Just War Theory criticised therefore
How does Benn evaluate Rawls’ separateness of persons?
Avoid impartial benevolent spectator creating a unitary perspective rather than an individual’s interest - as a result, injustice is the biggest problem for consequentialism
What is the problem with the unitary perspective?
Total utility is more important than average utility, never any idea of threshold reaching
Why is the experience machine not a good idea?
Motivations for pleasurable things count as well - being in machine does not give that deeper reasoning
How does Nozick view rights?
Rights should be side constraints otherwise it would be impossible to act it using someone as a means, without having to check every time that they weren’t
What are innocent threats?
Individuals who have become threatening to you due to the actions of others but are in fact innocent themselves - raises problems for ethics
Which problem does Nozick raise which would be difficult to find a solution to, yet likely would not exist?
Utility monster, who kills all others to maximise their utility - akin to climate change?
Why does Nozick disagree with the experience machine in terms of pleasure?
We take pleasure from the want to do certain things and doing them, rather than the experience
Why does Nozick disagree with the experience machine in terms of the individual?
No ability to develop personally in the machine, no personality trait found so who we really are is seen as unimportant - lack of respect to person
Why does Nozick disagree with the experience machine in terms of the experience provided?
No actual contact with deeper reality such as psychedelic drugs or nirvana
What is an example of Bentham’s rejection of religion in morality?
Mercy killings, showing there is no utilitarianism to God
What is happiness for Rachels?
Not the good, but a response to things we think are the good
Why does Rachels see utilitarianism as against justice?
It tramples on rights and ignores backward-looking reasons, confining our attention to what will happen, and ignoring personal relationships
What does utilitarian thought do with supererogatory actions?
Eliminates the distinction between moral and supererogatory for Rachels
Why does JJC Smart disagree with deontology?
The common sense standpoints of deontology are actually based on prejudice, and are fixed even if society changes, therefore irrational
What is the narrative arc objection?
Often overall utility is not as important as the order in which events come in in seeing how good they are - yet when goodness is happiness, this appears circular
How does Mill differentiate higher and lower pleasures?
If all those who had experienced both preferred one to the other, then that is the higher pleasure - also in terms of long term development of person