Utilitarianism

Question 1

Bentham’s political position

Answer 1

Social reformer: opposed slavery, the death penalty etc

Question 2

What type of theory is utilitarianism

Answer 2

Teleological

Question 3

What is hedonism

Answer 3

The good = pleasure
—> pleasure and good are interchangeable

Question 4

Issue with hedonism

Answer 4

If good and pleasure are interchangeable
—> what about people who take pleasure out of murder

Question 5

What are the 7 criteria of the hedonic calculus

Answer 5

1. Intensity
2. Duration
3. Certainty
4. Propinquity (how soon)
5. Fecundity (the likelyhood)
6. Purity
7. Extent

Question 6

How to resolve hedonistic problem in relation to Benthams utilitarianism

Answer 6

Change out good as something other than just pleasure
—> e.g for Mills, happiness

Question 7

“The greatest good for the greatest number” is attributed to which scholar

Answer 7

Bentham

Question 8

2 Issues with “the greatest good for the greatest number” principle

Answer 8

Compromises utilitarianism
—> entails a principle of justice
—> majority rule

Question 9

How does utilitarianism reject natural rights

Answer 9

To assert natural rights would be to create a second principle which would this interfere with utility

Question 10

How did Bentham describe natural rights

Answer 10

“Rhetorical nonsense”

Question 11

Mills view on personal liberty + why

Answer 11

People (excluding children and ‘backwards nations’) should have maximum personal liberty
—> everyone would be better of

Question 12

What is act utilitarianism

Answer 12

For each act, we should determine which outcome leads to the greater general good
—> on a case by case basis (thus, hedonic calculus)

Question 13

What are 2 issue with act utilitarianism

Answer 13

1. People may not have time to evaluate a scenario
2. Some may not have the intellectual capacity

Question 14

What is rule utilitarianism

Answer 14

Follow the rule which leads to the greatest balance of good over evil

issue: in practical use, it desends into either act utilitarianism or deontology

Question 15

Negative of Mills view on liberty

Answer 15

Disregards that liberty may permit someone to harm themselves

Question 16

Issue with rule utilitarianism

Answer 16

Places the preservation of rules above individual needs

Question 17

What is instrumentalism + its issue

Answer 17

Misused liberty (e.g freedom to harm ones self) is a means of preserving the rule
—> does a person therefore exist to preserve rules?

Question 18

Fatal issue for rule utilitarianism

Answer 18

Rule utilitarianism permits the use of multiple rules
—> the moment we have multiple rules,
There is then issue of rule clash

Question 19

Singer on utilitarianism

Answer 19

Should be Strictly rational, no appeal to emotion or sentimentality

Question 20

What is preference utilitarianism (singer)

Answer 20

To faver the satisfaction of outcomes

—> e.g we may prefer outcomes in a rational way that don’t necessarily result in our satisfaction

Question 21

What is significant about singer’s approach

Answer 21

It is altruistic

Question 22

Who said “it is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”

Answer 22

Mill

Question 23

3 objections to utilitarianism

Answer 23

1. As utilitarianism is a teleological theory, there are issues with calculating outcomes
2. Sufficient intellectual ability is required to make appropriate decisions
3. Absence of fundamental rights