Lecture 1

Question 1

What is the distinctive feature of Utilitarianism?

Answer 1

An instruction to maximise utility, so giving equal weight to each individuals utility

Question 2

What are the 3 types of utility?

Answer 2

Welfare hedonism
Non-hedonistic mental-state utility
Preference Satisfaction

Question 3

What is one of the key positives of consequentialism?

Answer 3

It prevents arbitrary moral prohibitions

Question 4

What are the two parts that utilitarianism can be broken down into?

Answer 4

An account of human welfare or utility

An instruction to maximise utility, so defined giving equal weight to each person’s utility

Question 5

What underlines the principle of Welfare Hedonism?

Answer 5

The view that the experience or sensation of pleasure is the chief human good

Question 6

Why can it be argued that the hedonistic account of utility is wrong?

Answer 6

The things worth doing and having in life are not all reducible to a single mental state such as happiness

Question 7

What underlines the idea of Non-hedonistic mental-state utility?

Answer 7

The idea that Utilitarianism is concerned with all valuable experiences, whatever form they take.

Question 8

What is Nozick’s argument against Welfare Hedonism and Non-Hedonistic mental-state utility?

Answer 8

The pleasure machine argument. That is, if we were offered to be hooked up to a machine that essentially drugged Happiness, many would still rather live life as it is than

Question 9

What is Nozick’s argument against Welfare Hedonism and Non-Hedonistic mental-state utility?

Answer 9

The pleasure machine argument. That is, if we were offered to be hooked up to a machine that essentially drugged Happiness, many would still rather live life, rather than give it up, even for guaranteed happiness

Question 10

What underlines Preference satisfaction theory of utilitarianism?

Answer 10

The idea that increasing people’s utility means satisfying their preferences.

Question 11

What is the issue with Preference satisfaction theory?

Answer 11

Preferences do not define our good but more are predictions about our good

Question 12

What is the 4th account of utility?

Answer 12

Informed Preference Theory. It defines welfare as the satisfaction of “rational” or “informed” preferences

Question 13

What is consequentialism?

Answer 13

The notion that it is the outcomes of our actions that matter the most in moral analysis, not the actions themselves, nor the motivations.

Question 14

What do hedonists believe?

Answer 14

That what defines a successful life is the amount of pleasure experienced in said life

Question 15

Why is Bentham’s theory consequentialist?

Answer 15

Because the moral value of an action or event is determined entirely by the outcome, or consequences of said event.

Question 16

What is the difference between a normative and a descriptive theory?

Answer 16

Descriptive theory tells us how the world actually is, whereas a normative theory tells us how it ought to be

Question 17

Which Greek philosopher was effectively the father of hedonism?

Answer 17

Epicurus

Question 18

What did Bentham suggest that the measure of right and wrong is?

Answer 18

The extent to which an action produces the greatest number of good for the greatest number of people

Question 19

Why is Bentham’s theory of pleasure impartial?

Answer 19

The theory doesn’t give special preference regarding which people are entitled to receive pleasure

Question 20

How did Bentham address the problem of calculation?

Answer 20

By creating the hedonic calculus

Question 21

What are the 7 ways of assessing possible pleasure via the Hedonic Calculus?

Answer 21

1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Certainty
4. Remoteness (i.e. how far into the future the pleasure is)
5. Fecundity (how likely it is that pleasure will generate other related pleasures)
6. Purity (i.e if any pain will be felt alongside the pleasure)
7. Extent (i.e How many people might be able to share in that pleasure)

Question 22

What does hedon refer to?

Answer 22

One unit of pleasure

Question 23

What does dolor refer to?

Answer 23

One unit of pain

Question 24

What is deontology?

Answer 24

Deontology is a theory that suggests good or bad according to a clear set of rules