Utilitarianism Flashcards
Give a quote from Epicurus on pleasure.
“For we recognise pleasure as the first good innate in us, and from pleasure we begin every act of choice and avoidance.”
Give a quote from Bentham on the self-evident nature of hedonism
“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”
Give a quote from Bentham on the equality of pleasures
“Prejudice apart, the game of pushpin is of equal value with the art and science of music and poetry. If the game of pushpin furnishes more pleasure, it is more valuable than either.”
Give a quote from Bentham on the Hedonic Calculus
“Sum up the values of all the pleasures on the one side, and those of all the pains on the other…”
Give a quote from Bentham on law-breaking
“Extraordinary occasions may not and then occur, in which the happiness of the people may be better promoted by acting, for the moment, in opposition to the law.”
Give a quote from J.S. Mill on qualitative pleasures
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.”
Give a quote from J. S. Mill on the Harm Principle
“The sole end for which mankind are warranted individually or collectively to interfere with the liberty of any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.”
Give a quote from J.S. Mill on breaking laws
“To save a life, it may not only be allowable, but a duty to steal the necessary food or medicine.”
Give a quote from J.S. Mill on religion and the consistency of Utilitarianism
“Whatever God has thought fit to reveal on the subject of morals, must fulfill the requirements of utility in a supreme degree.”
Give a quote from Peter Singer on animal testing
“Speciesism… is a prejudice or attitude of bias in favour of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species.”
Give a quote from Peter Singer on animal testing and intelligence
“If possessing a higher degree of intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his or her own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit non-humans for the same purpose?”
Give a quote from Nuffield Council on bioethics.
“Producing a new medicine is a lengthy and complex process… Tests on animals play a vital role.”
Give a quote from J.S. Mill on war
“But war, in a good cause, is not the greatest evil which a nation can suffer. War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.”
Give a quote from Bentham on war
“It is not in the interest of Great Britain to keep up any naval force beyond what may be sufficient to defend its commerce agaisnt pirates”
Give a quote from Pope Francis on nuclear deterrence
“The use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral.”
