Utilitarianism Flashcards

1
Q

what is Act utilitarianism

A

decide what to do for EACH individual act, not rules
teleological

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2
Q

what is utilitarianism

A

doctrine that says right thing to do is one that produces most pleasure for most people

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3
Q

principle of utility

A

most pleasure for most people

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4
Q

what is rule utilitarianism

A

decide what to do by following rules

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5
Q

Give 3 of the categories of Bentham’s hedonic calculus

A
  • duration- how long the pleasure lasts
  • extent- how many people experience the pleasure
  • intensity- how strong is the pleasure
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6
Q

what are higher pleasures

A

pleasures of the mind
e.g. reading, poetry

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6
Q

why is the hedonic calculus impractical

A
  • moral decisions usually split second choices- limited time
  • cant quantify pleasure- it is a feeling, not literal
  • pleasure is subjective- someones pleasure may be another’s pain
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7
Q

name of Bentham’s book

A

‘introduction to principles of morals and legislation’

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8
Q

who says
‘it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied’

what does he mean

A
  • mill
  • better to have lower pleasures but aim to achieve higher pleasures

rather than have lower pleasures and be satisfied with them

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9
Q

what are lower pleasures

A

pleasures of the body
e.g food, sleep, sex

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10
Q

what is thomas Carlyle’s rejection to bentham’s utilitarianism

A

‘philosophy fit for swine’

  • encourages people to live like pigs and pursue pleasure by any means possible
  • if the only good is feeling good, humans are no different than pigs
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11
Q

what is Henry Sidgwick’s objection to Mill

A

cant distinguish between higher and lower pleasures

E.g reading book about food, includes both higher and lower but cannot know which one takes priority

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12
Q

name of peter singers book

A

practical ethics

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13
Q

in what book does Bentham say ‘natural rights is simple nonsense’

A

‘Anarchial fallacies’

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14
Q

what is preference utlitarianism

A

to do what is best is to take into account everyone’s interests and preferences

good as it considers human rights

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15
Q

Bentham is a STRONG act utlitarian- what does this mean

A

believes we should apply hedonic calculus to EVERY case

16
Q

Mill is a WEAK rule utilitarian- what does this mean

A

believes rules dont have to be followed in EXTREME cases e.g murder for self-defence

17
Q

who says ‘human beings have faculties more elevated than animal appetites’

A

Mill

18
Q

what is Mill’s principle of utlity

A
  1. happiness is desirable
  2. happiness is only thing desirable as an end in itself
  3. general happiness of others in desirable (make others happy increases your happiness)
19
Q

who says
‘nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters: pain and pleasure’

A

Bentham

in his book ‘introduction to principles of morals and legislation’

20
Q

give examples against
‘all pleasure is good’

‘all pain is bad’

A
  • someone may find pleasure in killing- but is bad action
  • childbirth is pain but is a good action