Lecture 2: Utilitarianism

Question 1

Right & Wrong

Answer 1

simple opposites, an action cannot be both

Question 2

Instances

Answer 2

specific cases of generic situations (ie. stealing a loaf of bread)

Question 3

Generic Situations

Answer 3

the overall concept of doing something (ie. stealing)

Question 4

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 4

• consequentialist framework
• maximize the good or happiness or pleasure
• total up the positives and subtract the negatives (whichever action produces the highest score is the one you ought to take; the lower one is flat out wrong)
• choices must be incompatible

Question 5

What do we want to maximize in Utilitarianism?

Answer 5

• happiness, well-being, goodness, pleasure
• pleasure from helping someone
• quality of pleasure

Question 6

Hedonic Calculus

Answer 6

duration, intensity, propinquity, extent, certainty, purity, fecundity

Question 7

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 7

• sacrifice wealth to save poor
• devise rules that when everyone follows them they create the greatest good (most utiles of pleasure)
• can only be one

Question 8

AU & RU Compared Together

Answer 8

• AU allows u to consider specific whereas RU doesn’t
• RU can collapse into AU so some argue there is no such thing as RU
• AU is too specific, RU allows generalization

Question 9

Problem with AU & RU

Answer 9

only counts actual or expected consequences