ETHICS: Normative Ethical Theories

Question 1

What is the core of Bentham Quantitative Hedonistic Utilitarianism?

Answer 1

The morally right action is the action that maximises pleasure over pain (for everyone)

Question 2

What is Hedonism?

Answer 2

Good effects, Bentham means sensations of pleasure (positive sensations experienced by sentient beings)

Question 3

What does Psychologically Hedonstic mean?

Answer 3

We are motivated only by pleasure and pain

Question 4

What does Ethically Hedonistic mean?

Answer 4

Only pleasure and pain have moral value

Question 5

What does Quantitative mean in Utilitarianism?

Answer 5

Pleasure (or pain) is only to be measured based on its quantity

Question 6

What is Benthams Utility Calculus? (laid out)

Answer 6

Quantity of pleasure/pain factors:
1. Intensity- how strong the p/p is
2. Duration- how long the p/p will last
3. Certainty- how sure we are that the action produces p/p
4. Propinquity- remoteness, how far removed from the action the p/p is
5. Fecundity- will the p/p it produces cause further p/p
6. Purity- does the action cause only pleasure or only pain
7. Extent- how many people will the action affecf

Question 7

What is the core of Mills ‘proof’ of the Greatest Happiness Principle?

Answer 7

1. My happiness is desired and so happiness is desired
2. Happiness is desired and so happiness is desirable
3. Only happiness is desirable so we ought to maximise happiness

Question 8

What is the argument of Mill’s ‘proof’ of Greatest Happiness Principle? (laid out)

Answer 8

P1: The only and best possible evidence for something being desirable is that it is desired
P2: Each person featured their own happiness (psychological hedonism)
C1: Therefore we have the best evidence that each persons happiness is desirable (to them)
C2: Therefore happiness in general is desirable
P3: Only happiness is desirable for its own sake (other things that are desirable for their own sake are only because they are part of happiness)
P4: Whatever is desirable for it’s own sake is morally valuable and so ought to be maximised
C3: Therefore the right action is that action which tends to maximise the general happiness

Question 9

What is the core of Nozick’s objection to Hedonistic Utilitarianism?

Answer 9

Pleasure or happiness isn’t the only thing we desire

Question 10

What is an example for Nozick’s objection to Hedonistic Utilitarianism?

Answer 10

The experience machine;
Imagine there was a machine you could be plugged into that gives more pleasure than real life but is a simulation, and you wouldn’t remember that it is simulated

Question 11

What is an example for Bentham’s Utilitarianism?

Answer 11

The trolley problem:
Would you pull the lever to direct a trolley from running over 5 people to instead make it run over 1

Question 12

What is Nozick’s objection to Hedonistic Utilitarianism? (laid out)

Answer 12

P1: If happiness was the only thing that we desire for it’s own sake then we would plug into the experience machine without hesitation (assuming that it gave us more happiness than real life would)
P2: However we would not plug into the experience machine without hesitation
C1: Therefore happiness is not the only thing desired for its own sake
MC: Therefore psychological hedonism is false

Question 13

What is Preference Utilitarianism?

Answer 13

The morally right action is the action that maximises the satisfaction of preference