Kant and Bentham Flashcards
What type(s) of normative theory is Utilitarianism?
Teleological
Consequentialist
Relativist
Who is the main scholar associated with Act Utilitarianism?
Jeremy Bentham
In which text would we find Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism?
On the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Why is Bentham described as an ‘Act’ Utilitarianism?
Because his Hedonic Calculus tends to be applied to individual acts rather than general rules/laws
Complete the quote from Bentham:
“The question is not, can they reason?; nor, can they talk?, but…”
(What does the quote mean? Why is it significant?)
“…can they suffer?”
Here Bentham is saying that we should factor into our decisions any being capable of experiencing pain - not just rational beings - therefore humans and animals are treated equally
What is an ethical hedonist?
Someone (e.g. Bentham) who believes that what is pleasurable is what is right
How does Bentham describe pleasure and pain?
Our “two sovereign masters”
What principle does Bentham believe we should follow in every situation?
The Principle of Utility
What is the Principle of Utility?
The greatest good for the greatest number
What is the hedonic calculus?
The system a moral agent can use to apply the Principle of Utility to a specific act
What are the seven parts of the hedonic calculus?
Purity
Remoteness
Extent
Duration
Intensity
Certainty
To be followed
What does ‘Purity’ mean on the Hedonic Calculus?
How free from pain the act is
What does ‘Extent’ mean on the Hedonic Calculus?
How many people the act affects
What does ‘To be followed’ mean on the Hedonic Calculus?
How likely it is to lead to further pleasures of a similar kind
Explain two strengths of Utilitarianism
It gives equal priority to humans and animals / The Hedonic Calculus is clear and easy to apply to most situations
Explain two weaknesses of Utilitarianism
It treats all pleasures as equal which they are not, e.g. Bentham says pushpin and poetry are equal but is this the case? / In many situations we do not know enough to apply the Hedonic Calculus and it is not clear how we should act with such little information
What type(s) of normative theory is Kantian Ethics?
Deontological
Absolutist
In which work would we find Kantian Ethics?
Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morality
What did Kant set out to find at the start of his investigation into morals?
A supreme principle of morality that can be used to ground all moral rules
In Kantian Ethics, what is the good will?
A will that wills what is right because it is right, and for no other reason
What are the two types of imperative demonstrated by Kant?
Hypothetical and Categorical
Which type of imperative does Kant reject as being moral and why?
Hypothetical - these are based on contingent facts (e.g. desire, the situation) which might change so cannot ground universal moral rules
What form does a Hypothetical Imperative take?
If you want y, you ought to do x
What form does a Categorical Imperative take?
Do x
What is the Categorical Imperative?
The universal moral principle which binds all rational beings, and has three formulations
What is the first formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law
What is a maxim?
A general rule, kept as broad as possible so it applies to a range of cases
What is the second formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.
What is the third formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
“Act as though a legislating member of the universal Kingdom of Ends.”
What is the Kingdom of Ends?
A union of rational beings who all follow the Categorical Imperative
Explain two strengths of Kantian Ethics
Kant’s approach is clear-cut and cannot be exploited since it doesn’t make exceptions / Kant underlies the importance of human dignity and universal law, and in doing so paves the way for a concept of human rights
Explain two weaknesses of Kantian Ethics
Kant treats “person” only as a rational beings, and therefore rules out animals as having moral worth / Many see Kant’s approach as too dogmatic and idealistic, using examples such as the axe murderer to illustrate how it breaks down in real situations
Explain two similarities between Kant and Bentham
Kant and Bentham are both secular in their approaches, suggesting that we should be relying on our own reason and autonomy rather than scripture.
Both Kant and Bentham believe that all of morality can be captured in a single principle, for Kant the Categorical Imperative and for Bentham the Principle of Utility.
Explain two differences between Kant and Bentham
Bentham believes that anything which can experience pain deserves moral consideration, whereas Kant says we should only be concerned about rational beings
Kant is a rationalist, meaning that he believes we get our moral knowledge a priori by reflecting on the Categorical Imperative; Bentham is an empiricist, meaning that he believes we learn about morality through our sense experiences of pleasure and pain
Give three examples of how religious decision-making can be seen as deontological, and therefore more like Kant
Many of the rules given in the Bible are clearly meant as completely binding, e.g. the Ten Commandments which are not to be broken under any circumstances.
Jesus’ Golden Rule - love your neighbour as yourself - has been recognised by many to be very similar to Kant’s First Formulation of the Categorical Imperative.
Most traditional religious decision-making systems are more deontological than teleological, e.g. Natural Moral Law.
Give three examples of how religious decision-making can be seen as consequentialist, and therefore more like Bentham
Many of Jesus’ instructions are focused on bringing about the greatest good for the greatest number, e.g. the Parable of the Sheep and Goats emphasises the importance of visiting those in prison, helping the homeless, etc.
Jesus’ death can be seen as the ultimate example of the Principle of Utility, one being choosing to die to save the whole human race.
Situation Ethics suggests that Christian Ethics should form a “coalition” with Utilitarianism, through an “agaepic calculus” which focuses on maximising “neighbour-love”.
