Utilitarianism

Question 1

For utilitarian theories, what matters the most?

Answer 1

The consequence of an action

Question 2

How does the utilitarian theory apply to stealing?

Answer 2

If you’re stealing a loaf of bread, say to prevent your family from starving, then the annoyance of the shopkeeper is likely to be outweighed by your happiness that your family is still alive, so stealing the bread is morally permissible

Question 3

What kinds of theories are utilitarian ones?

Answer 3

Consequentialist

Question 4

WHat does this mean?

Answer 4

They say it’s the consequences of an action that make it either right or wrong

Question 5

WHat do utilitarian theories seek to do, in regards of pleasure and pain?

Answer 5

They seek to minimise pain and maximise pleasure

Question 6

WHat are the three different versions of utilitarianism and what do they all say?

Answer 6

Act utilitarianism: We should act as to maximise pleasure and minimise pain in each specific instance
Rule utilitarianism: We should follow general rules that maximise pleasure and minimise pain (even if following these rules doesn’t maximise pleasure in every specific instance)
Preference utilitarianism: We should act to maximise people’s preferences (even if these preferences do not maximise pleasure and minimise pain)

Question 7

Jeremy Bentham’s act utilitarianism can be boiled down to three claims, what are they?

Answer 7

• Whether an action is right/good or wrong/bad depends solely on its consequences
• The only thing that is good is happiness
• No individual’s happiness is more important than anyone else’s

Question 8

Act utilitarianism is sometimes called quantitative utilitarianism, why is this?

Answer 8

it’s about quantifying happiness

Question 9

WHat does the felicific calculus provide the means to?

Answer 9

Calculate the total happiness: add up all the pleasures and minus all the pains