QUIZ #2 Flashcards
What does utilitarianism focus on?
Focus on the consequences of action/inaction
Specifically a calculation of increasing the sum total pleasure and/or reducing the pain for the greatest number of people affected.
Whatever causes the maximum aggregate amount of utility (pleasure/less pain) for everyone affected is the right thing!
Greatest good for the greatest number of people (pleasure principle driven)
Thought experiment on utilitarianism. (Know about it)
Morpheus says “You take the blue pill… the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill… you stay inWonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.
” The red pill represents an uncertain future, unknown to Neo at the time, he takes the red pill —it would free him from the enslaving control of the machine-generateddream worldand allow him to escape into the real world, but living the “truth of reality” is harsher and more difficult.
On the other hand, the blue pill represents a beautifulprison—it would lead him back to ignorance, living in confined comfort without want or fear within thesimulated realityof the Matrix.
Neo what do you do!
What is the experience machine?
The Experience Machine:“Imagine a machine that could give you any experience (or sequence of experiences) you might desire. When connected to this experience machine, you can have the experience of writing a great poem or bring about world peace or loving someone and being loved in return. You can experience the felt pleasures of these things, how they “feel from the inside”. You can program your experiences for…the rest of your life. If your imagination is impoverished, you can use the library of suggestions extracted from biographies and enhanced by novelists and psychologists. You can live your fondest dreams “from the inside”. Would you choose to do this for the rest of your life?…Upon entering you will not remember having done this; so no pleasures will get ruined by realizing they are machine-produced.”
(Nozick, 1989, p. 104)
Consequentialist theories of ethics ask you to?
Consider the consequences of actions/inactions as the basis for ethical judgment
Good actions are those that cause good outcomes
If you see an outcome going bad for another person, you may not perform that action instead to avoid that outcome.
To display nuanced and complex reasoning from a consequentialist approach you must be able to clearly articulate and judge the?
Consequences, results, outcomes, and/or functions of actions/inactions and be able to articulate why one outcome is more preferrable/just.
EXAMPLE: Consequences, results, outcome and function of continued use of Indigenous mascots in sport…
What is being reproduced??
Single stories of Indigenous people that are reduced down to notions of hypermasculine, aggressiveness, savageness, fighting spirit…
Psychological harm, detriment to bettering relations, normalizing arrogant perception and racism, belonging in sport becomes questioned
Other outcomes discussed are sport tradition, it is ‘fun and games’ for fans, expensive to change a name…are these more ethically justifiable outcomes than human dignity??
Consequentialists do not cared about?
The intent:
E.g., ‘intent’ of indigenous mascots not racism-–not good enough to consequentialists as outcome is perpetuating racism
The act in and of itself:
E.g., outcome of vaccine mandates is provide better public health, lessen severity/risk of infection…taking away ones choice is justifiable given the outcomes of public health and the reduction of suffering.
They don’t care about intent, just outcome.
Utilitarianism developed from?
Hedonism
What is the Hedonistic focus?
Basic premise is that we as people should and do seek pleasure/happiness over pain
Hedonism works on?
the pleasure principle
The outcome we should work toward is increasing sum total pleasure!!
See Utilitarianism slide 8
Hedonic Calculus
Pleasure/Wellbeing/Goodness can be calculated to Utilitarian’s
Utilitarian Spin on Hedonism worked from idea that?
that pleasure and happiness is the highest good of life…
Interest not so much in only individual pleasure though
Spin to be “Other Regarding” is?
Not just my pleasure but maximizing the sum total pleasure of all people in the world
Greatest Good Principle is?
Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of people in world
Hedonic calculus components/questions?
Pleasure/Wellbeing/Goodness or “Best state of affairs” can be calculated to Utilitarian’s
Are there higher order pleasures or state of affairs
Can we do this objectively??
Utilitarian’s say we can and should.
Me eating endless nachos vs. almost any other state of affairs that contributes to greater good
Pretty hedonistic
A utilitarian may wonder at what points can we/I reasonably look to maximize sum total welfare of society
e.g. Could I plan to shovel my icey sidewalk , could I plan to volunteer my time
Could I plan to do more to enhance sum total welfare
A strict Utilitarian is always focused on?
Maximizing the sum total welfare of all beings in the world
To a reasonable degree
Critics of utilitarianism may go too far here
To a utilitarian a decision is a right one, if and only if?
It causes the maximum aggregate amount of utility (pleasure/happiness) for everyone affected
Utilitarianism is what type of approach?
Consequentialist approach to Ethical Theory
Meaning…Consequentialists focus on the ends or results of the behavior/decision rather than the intent or means used
Focus is on the ACTUAL not the expected results
The results that utilitarian’s focus on is the Collective Well-being or Pleasure of all beings (i.e., Greatest Good Principle)
Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of people in world
The Two Types of Utilitarianism are?
Traditional/Classic Utilitarianism
Negative Utilitarianism
What is Classic/Traditional utilitarianism?
Advocates for any action that results in the greatest ”goodness”/ pleasure for the greatest number
Rationale is to maximize happiness or well-being.
Total up the pleasures.
The balance indicates the ‘score.’
Whatever action produces the highest score is the one you ought to take.
E.g., Trolley Experiment, –lever, push, family– (Good Place Video)
What is negative Utilitarianism?
To some the reasoning of making decisions to increase sum total pleasure/happiness/well-being seems ‘rosey/fanciful’—an argument with little merit (too hedonistic)
So some turned to idea of:
We should act to minimize suffering first than look to maximize pleasure
The reasoning is that we should put more emphasize in our decisions on reducing pain and suffering first than attend to pleasures of life/society.
What is a Negative Utilitarianism example?
The suffering of people should be attended to first with social welfare dollars than putting the money towards a pleasure driven decision like sports arena
1: Praises/Positives of Utilitarianism?
Orientation to the Future?
Orientation to the Future
Do not base “goodness” on the past or tradition
Based on the results of greatest future ”goodness”
What was good at one time does not need to guide ethical decision making in the present.
Adaptable and fluid to times/shifting ideas of “goodness”
Ex. women’s rights – their voice and experience matters.
2: Praises/Positives of Utilitarianism?
A more objective and scientific understanding of ethics?
A more objective and scientific understanding of ethics
Attempt to measure and operationalize “goodness”/pleasure or suffering
I.e. the Hedonistic calculus
Allows decision-maker person to step back and asses the situation as an observer and make a calculated decision
Everyone’s goods count equally, no persons is more than someone else
3: Praises/Positives of Utilitarianism?
Explicit Concern for the Welfare of the Masses?
Explicit Concern for the Welfare of the Masses
Mantra of “greatest good for the greatest number” explicitly positions the the decision maker’s accountability to the general/mass public and not one’s own self-interest
Outward looking orientation has potential to bring about large amounts of “goodness”
*Most significant praise for Utilitarianism
1: Critiques/Problems with Utilitarianism?
Impossible to Apply?
Can we quantify a concept such as
“goodness/pleasure”??
How do we define higher and lower order pleasures/happiness?? Should we??
What is Decision Paralysis?
How to measure ALL the consequences of our actions
Can we ever accurately predict outcomes/consequences of actions
2: Critiques/Problems with Utilitarianism?
Does Not Consider Social Relations?
Threat to close friends and family
Are we willing to be calculating and detached observers in all our decision making even when we know it may harm those closest to us
May be too demanding and detached to our relations
E.g., Trolley thought experiment…family now involved
3: Critiques/Problems with Utilitarianism?
Do the Ends always justify the Means?
Focus so heavily on the outcomes/consequences that the way in which we get there/the means or process is not considered.
The act itself is neither right nor wrong…is it too permissive??…
…Thought experiment:
Harvesting organs from 1 to save lives of 5 people
So actively and intentionally killing an innocent person could be the ethically correct thing to do if the right consequences apply.
4: Critiques/Problems with Utilitarianism?
Does not consider Equity or Distributive Justice?
Which Society/Outcome would the Utilitarian choose and why???
Utilitarianism Slide 29
5: Critiques/Problems with Utilitarianism?
Does not consider Equity or Distributive Justice?
By prioritizing the Sum Total Welfare decisions can be to the detriment of groups who are on the margins
People can be further marginalized if outside the mainstream/dominant
E.g., less emphasis on sport/rec programming for marginalized
*Most significant critique of Utilitarianism
Motives don’t matter for Utilitarians—all that counts is?
calculating the overall pleasure/pain…the consequences or outcomes.
So trying to harm someone and accidentally helping them means you were ethical. (outcome matters)
Vice versa, you may have good intentions but if doesn’t work out or bad consequences occur you are unethical to a utilitarian
Non-consequential approach to ethics involves?
Consequentialist (Utilitarianism) focuses on the ends/results to determine right/wrong actions
Approach that considers the means/intent, principles, or duties as the foundation for right ethical conduct
What is a non-consequentialist?
A non-consequentialist focuses on the the nature of the act in question, and not the results…Is my action right?
Duty or Rule-based ethics is?
action in itself is right/wrong
The Right Act is said to be preferable to the?
Good (Consequence)
“Do the Right thing!”
Numerous types of non-consequential approaches to ethics
Focus on three main bases which are?
1: Theology
2: Social Contract
3: Deontology
Right ethical conduct resides in right actions
What is theology?
Religious doctrine as the basis of a theological orientation to ethics
Less of a focus in this class…however one of more well known (also draws on virtue ethics)
Faith informs what right action is
Two main discussions in the theology approach?
Divine Command Theory
Natural Law Theory
What is Divine Command Theory?
Belief of what is ethical/moral, and what is immoral, originates from the divine
(i.e., God or gods)…tells/guides you how to act/what is right
What is Natural Law Theory?
That we are essentially pre-loaded to know what is good…that is part of who we are and lives in us…more a process of not forgetting this.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Example of theology?
“Golden Rule”
What has the “Golden Rule” been critiqued?
Argued a shift is needed to move from how YOU want to be treated to how THEY they want to be treated (ex. aggressive coaches can motivate but they may not want you to treat them that way)
“Treat others how they wanted to be treated”
Golden rule assumes others want to be treated like I would. Platinum asks that we understand how others want to be treated and go from there.
Attends to subjectivities in how people would like to be treated, not from your own vantage, often called ‘platinum rule’
As with any approach that guides our living always good to inquire/think with as deeply as you can
What is the Social Contract Theory also known as?
Contractualism
Contractualism was developed by?
Developed by Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes developed this approach to ethics by imagining what?
a world with no rules that governed behavior.
View of people that we are deeply self-interested, and generally bad. Egoists
If no rules in place life would be short, nasty, and brutish
Imagine a world with no rules…a land of do as you please— “state of nature”
Tension: Abundance of freedom with no security
Basis in politics, agreeing to be governed, to be part of collective with whatever rules are in place
Example of Contractualism?
Ex. you would not feel much security if there was no laws
But sometimes you have to give up certain freedoms to live in a certain way- willing to be governed.
Has to have a contract for this and must obey contract
Hobbes argued that?
rational people would trade freedom for security as would result in a better quality of life.
Key to everything is a contract.
By obeying rules/contracts/agreements life will be better as a member of the collective, and individual will not live in fear.
As people we have realized there are more benefits to cooperating than not…
Ethics and Morality (those questions of what we ought to do) emerges from the creation of a social contract/shared agreement of rules we should live by
Right Acts are those that?
do not violate the free, rational agreements (social contracts) that we have made
Our social contracts/rules/agreements (laws, policies, handshakes, social norms) establishes right/wrong conduct
Social Contract Theory: One must obey the rules, why?
not just rules are good you should obey them…
Rather, cooperation better—makes life not just survivable but possible
Two types of contracts we step into as people are?
Explicit Contracts
Implicit Contracts
What are Explicit Contracts?
More obvious, straightforward, clear
E.g., Signing a rental lease agreement. You agree to the terms in the contract, could be things like rent, lease length, notice, etc.
Other examples: laws/rules in sport (helmets hockey, body checking), Treaty responsibilities)
