Utilitarianism Flashcards
What is a Deontological theory?
A theory concerned with the action itself - there are moral rules that can’t be broken.
What is a Teleological theory?
A theory concerned with the end result of an action.
Why did Jeremy Bentham invent Utilitarianism?
He wanted to remove all the inequalities of his time
What is the principal of utilitarianism?
It is concerned with spreading the greatest good for the greatest number
What is Hedonism?
Hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain
How is the Hedonic Calculus measured?
The hedonic calculus is measured by how useful or pleasurable an action is.
Who came up with the “Higher and Lower Pleasures” theory?
John Stuart Mill
What is a summary of Mill’s Higher and Lower pleasures?
That humans should aim to do things (such as attending an opera or reading a book) that are “higher pleasures” in order to contribute to society,many lower pleasures (eating and poking things) should be avoided.
According to Mill, what kind of pleasure should be pursued?
Mill said Higher Pleasures should always be pursued, regardless of if it provides less happiness than the other outcomes.
What are some positive aspects of Mill’s Higher and Lower pleasures?
It focuses on the individual, so you don’t have to weigh up consequences affecting society. Also, it is focused on self-improvement
What are some negative aspects to Mill’s Higher and lower pleasures?
They’re not accessible to everyone (for example, lower class people can’t afford to go to the opera all the time). Also, it isn’t concerned with happiness at all.
Who is Act Utilitarianism usually associated with?
John Stuart Mill, although he didn’t come up with the idea
What is Act utilitarianism?
Act utilitarianism is the idea of always doing what will bring about the most general pleasure regardless of the consequences
What is a negative aspect to Act Utilitarianism?
It isn’t applicable in real life because doing the most loving thing all the time would break the law, or put you in unsurvivable situations
What are some positive aspects of Act Utilitarianism?
It is purely teleological, so if everyone followed it the world would be a perfect place to live
Who is Rule Utilitarianism usually associated with?
Jeremy Bentham, although he didn’t come up with the idea
What is Rule Utilitarianism?
Rule Utilitarianism is concerned with spreading the most pleasure, within the circumstances and laws provided
What are some positive aspects of rule utilitarianism?
Because of its relaxed nature, it can be followed in society
What are some negative aspects of utilitarianism?
It is a Deontological theory, so it is completely against the idea of utilitarianism
What is preference utilitarianism?
Instead of pleasure, preference utilitarianism is concerned with finding the best consequences in terms of preference
Who came up with Preference Utilitarianism?
R. M. Hare
What are some positive aspects of preference utilitarianism?
It is very helpful because everyone is happy because their preferences are met.
What are some negative aspects of Preference Utilitarianism?
It is quite selfish
What is Negative Utilitarianism?
The antagonist to utilitarianism; instead of focusing on spreading the most pleasure, it is concerned with reducing the most suffering
What are some negative aspects to negative utilitarianism?
Taken to an extreme, it could encourage the killing of minority groups leading to the extinction of humanity. Also, most people don’t have to experience suffering on a daily basis
What are some positive aspects to negative utilitarianism?
Reducing suffering is much more helpful than spreading pleasure, so it is more important
