Topic 2:1 Utilitarianism

Question 1

What is Utilitarianism?

Answer 1

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory of ethics that places the moral quality of an act in its consequences, searching for the highest amount of happiness or pleasure produced by an action.

Question 2

Is utilitarianism deontological or teleological?

Answer 2

Teleological

Question 3

Define teleological

Answer 3

telos- greek for “ends”

Teleological means that an argument values the morality of an action by its end outcome rather than the action itself.

Question 4

What is the scale of Utility?

Answer 4

For a utilitarian, every action produces different amounts of
Utility, this means there is never a “good” thing to do or a “bad” thing to do - but there is always a “best” thing to do (the action that produces the most utility).

Question 5

Define Utility

Answer 5

Value of an action based on usefulness, benefit, or positive outcomes.

Question 6

Early utilitarians like Jeremy Bentham defined utility as….

Answer 6

Pleasure, meaning that the amount of pleasure is what gives moral value to things.

Question 7

What quote from Jeremy Bentham can we link this to?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What can we say about Bentham’s religious views from this quote?

Answer 8

Notice Bentham says ‘Nature’ - not ‘God’ - is responsible for our attraction to pleasure and aversion to pain. Bentham’s ideas are thoroughly secular and scientific.

Question 9

Define Intrumental goods

Answer 9

Things that do not produce pleasure (or reduce pain) in themselves short-term, but are instrumental (useful) for making life more pleasurable for making life more pleasurable or pain free in the long run.

Question 10

Define Hedonism

Answer 10

Hedonism is the idea that pleasure is the point or purpose of a good life, and the total amount of pleasure should be maximised.

Question 11

How does Hedonism promote equality?

Answer 11

The identity of the person experiencing pleasure or pain is not ethically significant (someone else’s pleasure counts for just as much as yours)

Question 12

Define universalistic hedonism

Answer 12

Trying to make society happier, even at the cost of sacrificing yourself.

Question 13

Define psychological hedonism

Answer 13

Working towards your own happiness and the happiness of people you know and care about.

Question 14

How does the hedonic calculus work?

Answer 14

1. Add up the total amount of pleasure
2. Deduct the total amount of pain
3. The action which produces the highest total is ethically right

Question 15

Name the 7 factors of the hedonic calculus and what they mean.

Answer 15

1. Intensity: How strong is the pleasure or pain?
2. Duration: How long will the pleasure last?
3. Certainty: How likely is it that the pleasure will occur?
4. Remoteness: How far into the future will the pleasure occur?
5. Richness: Will the action be followed with more pleasures?
6. Purity: Will the action be followed with pain?
7. Extent: How many people are affected?

Question 16

Bentham uses the phrases ‘pleasure’ and ‘happiness’ interchangeably, but later Utilitarians made a distinction between the two concepts. Explain the differences.

Answer 16

Pleasure is often immediate, perhaps short-lived and rather shallow, whereas happiness is long-lasting and reflects your life as a whole from nourishing, enriching or long term activities. A person could be in temporary pain but still happy in the long term, or be in temporary pleasure but still living an unhappy life.

Question 17

What quote by John Stuart Mill sums up the difference between pleasure and happiness?

Answer 17

“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied”

Question 18

How does Mill describe actions that are of better or worse QUALITY of happiness?

Answer 18

Higher pleasures and lower pleasures

Question 19

Mill moves away from hedonism towards a ___________ ethical theory

Answer 19

Eudaimonistic ethical theory

Question 20

Define the eudaimonia

Answer 20

The idea of flourishing, nurturing your well being, nourishment, and reaching your full potential

Question 21

How did utilitarianism change views on punishment for crime?

Answer 21

Historically, punishment was retributive and focused on corporal punishment or capital punishment which people justified because the offender “deserves it’, where as Utilitarianism suggests that the aim of punishment should be to reduce future crime, and prefers fines, rehabilitation and community service.

Question 22

In the 1950s, Richard Brandt drew a distinction between two types of Utilitarianism. Name and explain both types.

Answer 22

ACT UTILITARIANISM: Applying the principle of utility to each individual action.

RULE UTILITARIANISM: Using the principle of utility to determine ethical rules and then following these.

Question 23

Define strong rule utilitarianism and weak rule utilitarianism

Answer 23

Strong rule utilitarianism (SRU) follows absolute moral codes that should be followed legalistically but still focuses on the moral codes producing happiness.

Weak rule utilitarianism (WRU) follows flexible moral codes that might be less specific and up for interpretation but still focuses on general guidelines.

Question 24

Describe negative utilitarianism

Answer 24

Jeremy Bentham argued that a utilitarian should reduce pain first, before increasing pleasure. - A moral person should help someone in distress before making a happy person even happier.