Mill, Consequentialism, Utilitarianism Flashcards
What is a necessary condition?
A condition that must be met for something to occur or be the case.
Necessary conditions are essential for achieving a particular outcome.
What is a sufficient condition?
A condition that, if met, guarantees that something will occur or be the case.
Sufficient conditions can independently achieve the desired outcome.
What are the two branches of ethics?
- Theory of the good
- Theory of the right
The theory of the good focuses on well-being, while the theory of the right focuses on moral actions.
What does the theory of the good address?
What makes a person or a society well-off or poorly-off.
It considers what is good for individuals or communities.
What does the theory of the right address?
What makes an action morally right or morally wrong.
This theory evaluates the morality of actions.
What is normative ethics?
The theory of the right in ethics, concerning what should be done.
Normative ethics focuses on prescribing actions rather than merely describing them.
What does ‘normative’ mean?
Of or relating to what should be, or what someone should do.
It contrasts with descriptive claims, which state how things actually are.
What are the categories considered in normative ethics?
- Impermissible actions
- Permitted actions
- Mandatory actions
- Supererogatory actions
These categories help classify actions based on their moral standing.
What is consequentialism?
A theory in normative ethics that determines the rightness or wrongness of an action based on its consequences.
Consequentialists believe outcomes are the sole factor in moral evaluation.
What is the simplest version of consequentialism?
An action is right if it brings about the best consequences; other actions are wrong.
Are most versions of consequentialism impartial?
Yes, they take everyone into consideration.
What determines what the best consequences are in consequentialism?
One’s theory of the good.
What is the most popular version of consequentialism?
Utilitarianism.
What two concepts does utilitarianism pair together?
- Consequentialism about the right
- Hedonism about the good
What does consequentialism capture?
Many intuitions about right and wrong.
What is a possible problem for consequentialism regarding individual rights?
It may fail to respect individual rights.
What is one way consequentialism may be too demanding?
It might require giving away nearly all of one’s money to charity.
How might consequentialism affect a person’s integrity?
It may make a person a mere functionary of the consequentialist calculus.
According to utilitarianism, what is the right action?
The action that brings about the most pleasure or the least pain overall.
What odd implication does utilitarianism have?
It could justify actions that increase the pleasure of a ‘pleasure monster’ at the expense of others.
Who is a notable proponent of utilitarianism?
Mill.
Fill in the blank: Utilitarianism is a theory that pairs _______ about the right and hedonism about the good.
consequentialism
True or False: Utilitarianism considers only the happiness of the majority.
False
What does Mill argue about all good and bad?
All good and bad, all value and disvalue, ultimately comes down to pleasure and pain.
What is one of Mill’s major innovations in philosophy?
His sophisticated hedonist theory.
What do Mill’s opponents claim about hedonism?
Hedonism is a view fit only for pigs.
What does quantitative hedonism hold?
Pleasure is determined by just two factors: intensity and duration.
What odd result does quantitative hedonism lead to regarding life?
A very long life with just an extremely low amount of pleasure can be a very good life.
What is another odd result of quantitative hedonism?
A life that is miserable except for one instant of extreme pleasure can be a very good life.
What is a deeper problem for quantitative hedonism?
It doesn’t seem to capture the richness of human life.
What is Mill’s version of hedonism called?
Qualitative hedonism.
How does Mill differentiate between pleasures?
Some pleasures are qualitatively different, or different in kind, not just in degree.
What are lower pleasures according to Mill?
Pleasures of ‘mere’ sensation, such as those an animal might experience.
What are higher pleasures according to Mill?
Pleasures that require development and exercise of a distinctively human capacity.
Give an example of a higher pleasure.
Solving a math problem or listening to a symphony.
What does it mean for a kind of pleasure to be higher than another?
No degree of intensity and/or duration of a lower pleasure will ‘add up to or equal’ a higher pleasure.
Fill in the blank: Mill holds that some pleasures are ______ than others.
higher
What is the difference in quality of pleasures according to Mill?
One pleasure is more valuable if almost all who experience both prefer it, irrespective of moral obligation.
What does Mill suggest about pleasures that are preferred despite greater discontent?
The preferred enjoyment has a superiority in quality that outweighs quantity.
What view underlies Mill’s hedonism?
The development of distinctively human capacities allows for experiencing the highest pleasures.
What is the principle of utility according to Mill?
Happiness is desirable as an end, and all other things are desirable only as means to that end.
What proof does Mill provide for the principle of utility?
The only proof that something is desirable is that people actually desire it.
Fill in the blank: The only evidence that an object is visible is that people ______ it.
see
Fill in the blank: According to Mill, the general happiness is desirable because each person desires his own ______.
happiness
True or False: Mill believes that happiness is the only thing that is desirable as an end.
True
What condition must the utilitarian doctrine fulfill to be believed?
It must be acknowledged that happiness is an end in theory and practice.
How does Mill argue that general happiness is a good?
Each person’s happiness is a good to that person, making general happiness a good for all.
