Naturalism - Utilitarianism

Question 1

Ethical non-naturalism

Answer 1

e. g. DCT

- meta-ethical view that moral knowledge is a factual property known by intuition or God’s commands, for example

Question 2

Ethical naturalism

Answer 2

e. g. - Utilitarianism

- meta-ethical view that morality is defined by facts about nature or human nature

Question 3

Jeremy Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism

Answer 3

we can calculate happiness in terms of its:

• intensity
• duration
• certainty
• proximity
• productiveness
• purity

Act Utilitarianism: non-religious, consequentialist, ethical naturalism
- extent

Question 4

Jeremy Bentham quotes

Answer 4

“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”

Question 5

Jeremy Bentham 2

Answer 5

• morality is therefore linked to observation and experience - this sum up ethical naturalism
• Bentham argued that pleasure (or happiness) is the one intrinsic good: it is the one thing that is good in itself
• pain and unhappiness is the one intrinsic evil

Question 6

Jeremy Bentham 3

Answer 6

• in any situation of moral choice, we are to act in such a way as to seek the ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number of people’

Question 7

Hedonistic calculus

Answer 7

1) Duration - how long will it last?
2) Intensity - how intense is it?
3) Propinquity - how near or remote?
4) Extent - how widely it covers
5) Certainty - how probable is it?
6) Purity - how free from pain is it?
7) Fecundity - lead to further pleasure?

Question 8

Utilitarianism

Answer 8

• an example of a consequentialist approach to ethics
  the moral value of an action is determined by the anticipated results that it seeks to achieve
• predict the result of doing an action and of not doing it, then compare the two results
• choosing the one that is likely to maximise pleasure and minimise pain