RS (Utilitariansim)

Question 1

Consequentlaist?

Answer 1

only dependant on outcome

Bentham:’’ The edn jsutifies the means’

Question 2

Bentham?

Answer 2

Pricniple of utility- greatest happiness for the greatest number
‘the only good is pleasure, the only will is pain’
argued the hedonisitc value of any human action could be calcuklated, intensity, duration, certanity of pain, propinquity and arrive at a net alue for each action for any human affected by it
all forms of pleasure, not matter what inviduals concerning were equated to each toher (were quantifibale)- ‘all things ocnsidered pushpin is equal to poetry’

Question 3

To consider the extent of the pleasure to then arrive at rules for a society to follow..?

Answer 3

happiness of a commuity is nothing more than the sum of human idnividual interests

Question 4

Evaluatyed agaisnt ht eprinciple of utility, ‘the..?

Answer 4

greatet good for the greatest number

Question 5

Benthams theory is../

Answer 5

relativist- becuase yuo cakculte the net gain from the hedonic calculus on each invidual situation and depnds on th circumstances

Question 6

Mill made Bentham’s theory more..?

Answer 6

absolutist but still was consequentalist since he agreed that most people would agree consequences contribut most importantly to any human action

Question 7

Mil disagreed that all pleasuies were equal?

Answer 7

couldn’t eqauet pleasures with each other
higher (intellecual) pleasures
lower (bodily desires)
pain, sacrifice of pleasure should onyl be permitted when it resulted in the ‘greater good’

Question 8

Mill’s principle fo utility?

Answer 8

he agreed with ‘gretaest good for the greatest number’ but belived it could be proved
everyone seeks happiness
every individual seeks happiness for thesleves
everyone must seek happiness for evryoneelse
thereofer th greatest pleausre for all is morally desrable
not logicla as each infernece is fallacious

Question 9

Mill belioved in universal agrrements for moral rules but unlike Bentham didn’t restirct himself to socially-imposed rules of p-unsihment and blame..?

Answer 9

that are obviosuly painful
instead he realsied humans are motivated by guilt and conscience but everyone ahs felings on behalf of others- blame you put on yourself is often punishment enough

Question 10

Mill ebelived in using utitarian reaosning to arrive at rules becuase?

Answer 10

he thought Benthams didn’t allow for protection of minorities as he jsut used the hedonic calculs whihc is quite cold/unemotional- isnt fair
Mill regarded humans with unique respect and worthy so he said universal rules should be agreed on that are in the interets of defending everyone’s ivil liberties

Question 11

Rukle Utilitiriansim branched form Mill?

Answer 11

reles that allow a society to function
Strogn Rule- no exceptions to these universal rules s should be the same is all time/cultutre
prioblem is it doesn’t allow for exceotions so even ift hey genrally protect everyone’s rights there ould be exceptions i.e. a 14 yearold regant girl that been raped with no money
Weak rukle= sorts this oproblem as it allow for excetions when the minorty isn’t being protected or you would consider one person’t interests more omp-ortant that goes agsnt the rule
making it more relatvist in thuis way- turn it back to Act utilitriaisim

Question 12

Act utitiltiriansim branches from Bentham in that?

Answer 12

judge each indiviudal sitiation more relativist and evaluate it agaisnt th eprincile fo utlity
Bentham- would use Hedonic calculus
because hapiness fo a community is sum of indiviudals hapiness you would derive rules from the ones that reuslted in the most pleasure

Question 13

Preference Utitairisnim Peter Singer?

Answer 13

‘my prefernces cannpt cunt for more than anyonelse’s’
everyone’s refernce should be considered equal (you can be mistaken abbout happiness but not about pleasdure)
abortion- parents ahve a clear prefercne not to have a handicapped child/foetus u to 18 weeks doesn’t have an prefernce at all

Question 14

hapiness hjas intrsinc vlue, oain has instrinic divalue, anythinglese ahs..?

Answer 14

instumental value- means to an end opf happiness

Question 15

example of act and rule utilitairisim in lying.?

in exploiting poor workers to make cheap clothes?

Answer 15

Bentham- in some situations- i woud being more happiness to lie
mill- geneeralyl you can’t have a rule in ehich everyone can lie, generalrukle’ you can’t lie’ whcih geralyl reuslts in the most happiness
Bentham- in msot circumstacnes there are more westenr enjoying cheap clothes thos overweighs the pain of the poor workers
mill- generally you can’t say its okay to exploit workers- human rights- so if you amake a rule ‘ you shouldn’t buy clothes that involve sweatshops you are bringing the greatest happiness geenrally and proetecting theminorit
problems is it doesn’t allow excetions

Question 16

ciritism of prefercne utlitarisnim?

Answer 16

although you can stop peoples prefercnes (liek stayign up driking) if ti frustartes other peoles prefernces (noise) but it still lets people live destructvie liofestyles

Question 17

Strenths of Utlitarisism?

Answer 17

1st ethical theory to amke happiness of people the sole basis of ethics

Question 18

Weaknesses of Utliitirnians>

Answer 18

becuas eit doesn’t allow for mtovie
this si what peple generally admire liek Aquians’ NAtural Law, which puts more moral significance on interior acts
very hard to calculta epleadure /pain in an u iased way that considers minortioes (more Bentham)
useless if you can’t predict consequnces- major orblem with abortion as you don’t know what the foetis would grow up to or the motehr’s future regret
Bentham and Mill, unlike Singer don’t address thr issue of personhood