Midterm Exam Study Flashcards
Major topics: God & Morality, Relativism, Nihilism, Objective Moral Facts, Consequentialism, Utilitarianism
What does consequentialism say?
C
The right action to do is the action that leads to the best consequences.
An action is good to the extent it has good consequences and bad to the extent it has bad consequences. (Spectrum of how good an action is)
According to consequentialism, something is morally right/wrong based on ___ and not on ___.
C
Based on the outcome/consequences.
Not on the intentions.
Two types of consequentialism discussed in class:
C
- Utilitarianism
2. Value Pluralism
Why does consequentialism require a theory of value?
C
We need a theory of value to define what is good and what is bad.
Utilitarianism = Consequentialism + ___ + ___ + ___
U
Hedonistic theory of value
Sum-ranking welfarism
Impartiality
Explain: Hedonistic theory of value
U
Pleasure is intrinsically good, pain is intrinsically bad, and nothing else is intrinsically good/bad
Explain: Sum-ranking welfarism
U
The action with the highest sum of pleasure is the better action. The distribution of pleasure or the amount of pleasure per person does not matter, instead, only the total amount of pleasure altogether matters.
Explain: Impartiality
U
Everyone’s pain and pleasure counts equally
What does John Stuart Mill say is intrinsically good and its opposite is intrinsically bad?
U
Human well-being
What idea did Jeremy Bentham come up with for utilitarianism?
U
Pleasure and pain can be measured on a scale in two ways: intensity and extent.
Intensity = how pleasurable/painful something is Extent = how much pleasure or pain there is
Ex: 1000 stubbed toes is equivalent in pain with 1 arm cut off
What idea did Mill come up with for utilitarianism?
U
Some pleasures/pains are more important than others. There are higher pleasures/pains and lower pleasures/pains. Higher > lower.
Higher pleasures/pains = those that are mental in nature; involve the mind
Lower pleasures/pains = those that are physical
Ex: higher pleasure - reading a book | higher pain - breaking up with someone | lower pleasure - ??? | lower pain - scraping your knee
Who believed that there are higher and lower pleasures/pains and that higher pleasures/pains have higher precedence than lower pleasures/pains?
U
John Stuart Mill
Who believed that pleasure and pain can be measured on a scale in two ways? What are the two ways?
U
Jeremy Bentham
Intensity and extent
Who believed that all pleasures and pains are equal and that some pleasures/pains are not more important than others?
U
Jeremy Bentham
Give an argument against utilitarianism.
U
Pleasure and pain are not the only things intrinsically good or bad. Equality is also intrinsically good. So, sum-ranking welfarism is wrong because in the Tommy cookie-lover scenario it is better to give the cookies to all children instead of just Tommy. Therefore, sum-ranking welfarism is false and utilitarianism is false.
In the case of the sadist, the sadist receives more pleasure from torturing other people than the amount of pain those people receive, but it is wrong to inflict pain on others. It is morally wrong to experience pleasure at someone else’s expense. Thus, utilitarianism is wrong.
Explain: Act Utilitarianism
U
Do that single action (one-off event) which will have the best consequences.
Ex: If recycling one bottle leads to a very small benefit to the environment and a very large hassle to you, then don’t recycle because this single action does not lead to the “best” consequence.
Explain: Rule Utilitarianism
U
Do that action, which if everybody followed it, their following it would have the best consequences.
Ex: If recycling one bottle leads to a very small benefit to the environment and a very large hassle to you, then recycle anyway because if everyone did this action it would lead to the best consequences.
Explain: Free Rider Problem
Which type of utilitarianism does this go with?
U
The mindset that others will do that action, so I don’t have to do it because it won’t make much of a difference in the world.
Ex: Voting in an election, stopping for a pedestrian
Act utilitarianism
Explain: Rule Worship
Which type of utilitarianism does this go with?
U
The idea where you think about an imaginary ideal world and follow certain rules that will benefit this imaginary world.
Ex: Recycling one bottle, wasting less water, giving compliments
Rule utilitarianism
What idea did Derek Parfit come up with?
U
The Non-Identity Problem. This problem explains that whatever action you do you are not necessarily “harming” the future generations because what you do decides who exists in the future.
Ex: Marrying one person vs another will lead to different children, Living in one country vs another will lead to different relationships you have
