Utilitarianism Flashcards
List the hedonic calculus pls
Intensity Duration Certainty Purity Frecundity Propinquity Extent
In the hedonic calculus, what does it mean by fecundity?
will it lead to further pleasure?
In the hedonic calculus, what does it mean by purity?
How free from pain the action is
Can you rly quickly describe utilitarianism?!
An ethical theory concerned with consequences rather than motives
What does teleological mean?
the ends or consequences of an action, justify the means of the action
What does deontological mean?
moral rules cannot be broken, the means do not justify the ends
What was Bentham’s motivation for making a moral theory?
He was concerned about the social conditions, and wanted to create an ethical theory which would end the inequalities of his time.
What did Bentham believe humans are motivated by?
Pain and pleasure
Bentham’s quote about pain, pleasure and us..
‘Nature has placed mankind under governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.’
What is a hedonist?
someone who believes that pleasure is the sole good and pain is the sole evil.
What is the principle of utility?
The rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its utility. (usefulness) So the amount of pleasure or pain being caused.
Is utilitarianism a teleological or deontological theory?
A teleological theory
What is Bentham’s catch phrase
The greatest good for the greatest number
What is the Hedonic calculus?
A quantatitive way of measure how much pain and pleasure and action brings
In the hedonic calculus, what does it mean by propinquity?
How near the pain/ pleasure is
Who was the founded of act utilitarianism
Jeremy Bentham
What is act utilitarianism?
Where you decide which actions lead to the greatest good for the greatest number depending on each situation. So a person may break the rules, if the consequence leads to the greatest happiness.
Act utilitarianism has the potential too…
justify any act!!
Why do some people say act utilitarianism is impractical?
Having to measure the pain and pleasure of each moral action with the hedonic calculus is time consuming.
What is a fab example illustrating a huge problem with act utilitarianism?
Sadistic guards –> Sadistic guardS (plural) torture a wrongly imprisoned innocent man, the guards are enjoying torturing the man. According to utilitarianism this is morally right, because there is greater good for the greatest number of people.
What does the example of the sadistic guards show
That Bentham’s utilitarianism does not protect minorities.
What are 4 strengths of act utilitarianism?
1) Its flexible - produces unique answer
2) Its quantitative - clear mathematical method to work out most moral thing to do
3) Everyone’s happiness is equal
4) Realistic - everyone naturally seeks pleasure and avoids pain
What are 4 weaknesses of act utilitarianism?
1) Time consuming - hedonic calculus
2) Subjective - different concepts of pleasure and pain
3) Doesn’t define pleasures
4) can justify anything
What did Mill accept about Bentham’s theory?
The utility principle of the greatest good for the greatest number of people
What was Mill concerned about with Bentham’s theory?
The example of the Sadistic guards
The swine ethic, it made people want pleasure at an unhealthy level, and made them believe that as long as they enjoyed it, it was okay.
What are higher pleasure?
Pleasures of the mind, like listening to music or going to the theatre
What did Mill think about higher pleasure
He thought they were qualitatively better and more important than lower pleasures. We should always choose higher pleasures over lower ones.
Mill’s quote about higher pleasures
‘It is better to be a a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.’
What are lower pleasures?
Pleasures of the body, like food
What is the link between higher and lower pleasures?
We need lower pleasures like food to survive so that we can experience the higher pleasures like music.
Mill’s quote about people pursuing lower pleasures instead of higher pleasures?
‘They pursue sensual indulgences to the injury of their health, though perfectly aware that health is the greater good.’
What happens when you fail to appreciate higher pleasures?
you become incapable of recognising the value of higher pleasures.
What is Rule utilitarianism?
General rules that people should follow to bring about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In a situation a must obey the rule even if it does not bring about the greatest happiness.
2 criticisms of rule utilitarianism pls
1) It can bring about situations where more pain than pleasure is caused
2) Mill has assumed that what a higher and lower pleasure is, is universally held
What example can be used to illustrate a weakness of rule utilitarianism
Maniac chasing an innocent man, who hides in a shop. The maniac comes into the shop, and asks the shop keeper if she has seen the man. The shop keeper is a rule utilitarian and therefore cannot lie, so she has to tell the maniac where the innocent man is and HE DIES.
Who is the founder of rule utilitarianism?
Mill
What is a strong rule utilitarianism?
Stick to the rules no matter what
What is weak rule utilitarianism?
Can disregard rules in some situations
Which rules are followed in rule utilitarianism?
Those which, if they were followed by everyone, it would lead to the greatest result.
who founded preference utilitarianism?
Pete Singer
What is the main difference between classic utilitarianism and preference utilitarianism?
It favours the best interest of those who are effected rather than what creates the most pleasure. It focuses more on the individual’s desires and interests.
What can you not do in preference utilitarianism?
You cannot sacrifice an individual for the sake of other people’s happiness.
Singer’s quote about preference utilitarianism
‘choose the course which brings about the best consequences, on balance, for all those effected.’
What example does Singer give to illustrate doing things for others
The example of fruit picking, should be share the fruit that we have picked? Yes! Many preferences are satisfied, if everyone shared then the nest consequence would be achieved.
What is the law of unforeseen consequences.
We cannot predict how an action can effect things. The actions could start to affect things in unpredictable ways.
What is hedonism?
The aim to avoid pain and peruse pleasure
According to Utilitarianism, when is an action right or wrong?
Depending on the purpose and the intention
What is general benevolence?
The idea that everyone’s pleasure is equal
What is the quote about general benevolence?
‘pain and pleasures are to be taken equally, no one is more important than anyone else.’
According to act utilitarianism, when is an action moral?
If it provides the greatest pleasure.
What is universalizability?
The principle tht an act can be said to be right or wrong it was to be universally applied.
e.g. if one person shop lifted then it will not have a detrimental effect but if everyone did it would be harmful
