utilitarianism

Question 1

what is the utility principle

Answer 1

the greatest good for the greatest number

Question 2

what are the two types of utilitarianism

Answer 2

act
rule

Question 3

what is act utilitarianism

Answer 3

it sees each persons happiness as being based on the quality of pleasure and pain

Question 4

is act quantity of quality

Answer 4

quantity

Question 5

who is the scholar of act

Answer 5

jeremy bentham

Question 6

what is goof according to the utility principle

Answer 6

what brings about the greatest happiness
for the greatest number
increasing net benefit/decreasing net harm
raising aggregate happiness
what increases pleasure will decrease pain

Question 7

when was the theory made

Answer 7

18th century when there was a lot of social change

Question 8

does bentham believe believe about pleasures

Answer 8

that they are all equal

Question 9

what’s the hedonic calculus

Answer 9

a way to calculate the outcome of an action to workout a calculation of pain and pleasure

Question 10

whats the seven elements of the hedonic calculus

Answer 10

purity - how free from pain it is
remoteness - how closely it can be felt
extent - how widespread will the results be
duration - how long does the sensation last
intensity - how weak or strong is the pleasurable experience
certainty - how likely is it for any given future action
richness - will it lead to other pleasures

Question 11

what are some strengths of the hedonic calculus

Answer 11

using numbers to make a decision gives a clear outcome for what people should do
gives flexibility to use their own reason to predict consequences
valid use of logic and reason
clear cut in terms of it has seven different elements to help us understand pleasure and pain

Question 12

what are the weaknesses of the hedonic calculus

Answer 12

time consuming to go through
too flexible as it is someone’s own judgment and reason about pain and pleasure
difficult to apply to multiple different people at different times
too confusing and too many different options

Question 13

whats rule utilitarianism

Answer 13

where the quality of someone’s pain or pleasure is more prioritised than the quantity

Question 14

who was the scholar for rule

Answer 14

John Stuart Mill

Question 15

what did mill think about benthams view

Answer 15

it was very limited and only concerned with promoting pleasure

Question 16

what are mills two categories of pleasure

Answer 16

base and higher

Question 17

what are some examples of base pleasures

Answer 17

food, water, heat

Question 18

what are some examples of higher pleasures

Answer 18

meditation, reading, learning

Question 19

what are the problems with only having base pleasures

Answer 19

if you over indulge on base pleasures it can cause harm
makes us no better than animals - leads to a disordered society
it creates pleasure that is individualistic and selfish

Question 20

what is the harm principle

Answer 20

when referring to the pressure which a majority can impose on a minority, he argued that this ought to be limited to the prevention of harm to others

Question 21

what is preference utilitarianism

Answer 21

considers whether a decision is right or wring by asking whether it fits in what people would rationally prefer
singer was concerned about minorities and felt all minorities and individuals should be taken into account when decision making