Utilitarianism

Question 1

when was Jeremy Bentham alive?

Answer 1

the industrial revolution

Question 2

The principle of utility

Answer 2

the greatest happiness for the greatest number

Question 3

egalitarian

Answer 3

each counts for one

Question 4

hedonic calculus

Answer 4

Duration – how long will it last ?
Intensity – is it intense or only mildly pleasurable ?
Propinquity – how close is it to me ?
Extent – will it affect others close to me ?
Certainty – is it possible it might not happen ?
Purity – is it “tainted” with other considerations ?
Fecundity – might it “breed” more happiness ?

Question 5

N.I.C.E

Answer 5

modern example of the hedonic calculus. decide decisions like keeping life support machines on etc..

Question 6

do animals count?

Answer 6

YES! because they an experience pleasure and pain

Question 7

consequentialist/ relativist

Answer 7

what is right and wrong depends on the circumstances

Question 8

quantitative

Answer 8

what is best for the greatest number.

Question 9

J.S.Mill

Answer 9

after Bentham

Question 10

what does he think Bentham basically said

Answer 10

‘All things being equal, pushpin is as good as poetry’

Question 11

Tyranny of the majority

Answer 11

what happens to the minority-that’s what counts

Question 12

what did Mill say?

Answer 12

‘Better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied . . .’
‘Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied . . .’

Question 13

Qualitative

Answer 13

the quality is what counts. mill recognises there are higher pleasures (like poetry compared to football!)

Question 14

STRENGHTS (Bentham)

Answer 14

~It is relativist and consequentialist and therefore flexible. What is right or wrong can depend on the circumstances and the intended outcome.
~Egalitarian
~animals count as they also feel pleasure and pain
~We must consider other people’s preferences and act in the best interest of everyone involved – not just for our own selfish gain

Question 15

WEEKNESS’S (Bentham)

Answer 15

~Consequences are often hard to predict
~How do we decide where to draw a line around a set of circumstances ?
~Relativist theories are flawed because we treat people differently – what is right in one circumstance is wrong in another – this is unfair !

Question 16

WEEKNESS’S (J.S.Mill)

Answer 16

~Mill could be accused of being an intellectual snob

~How do we decide which are higher pleasures?

Question 17

Relativist (mill)

Answer 17

must decide for ourselves what will create the most happiness

Question 18

Deontological (mill)

Answer 18

he seems to be making rules about which sorts of happiness’s count more than others.

Question 19

Preference Utilitarianism

Answer 19

~Does not concern itself with calculating happiness which is hard to define or compare. Instead it concerns itself with what would further the interests of most people
~You do what you think will make people happy!
~works out what is a good considering the various trade-offs involved in a situation.

Question 20

Peter Singer and his examples

Answer 20

Preference utilitarian
~Example- battery farm- If we consider the sum of suffering we recognise that the chickens’ distress outweighs the farmer’s and consumers’ satisfaction. A trade off then will be to ban battery cages because consumers will recognise that more expensive eggs is better than animal cruelty.
~whether a dam should be built in an area of wilderness accessible to only a few able sportsmen. If the dam is built then it will provide clean energy for the state and employment for both the builders and those maintaining the dam.

Question 21

What does Peter singer accused humans of?

Answer 21

being speciesist

Question 22

animal liberation

Answer 22

To use animals (particularly sentient ones) to test medicines for human is an example of speciesism.

Question 23

STRENGTHS of preference utilitarianism

Answer 23

~Happiness is difficult to define and feelings change over time. This is not a good way to make decisions. It is better to consider everyone’s best interests

Question 24

WEEKNESS’S of preference utilitarianism

Answer 24

~EVERY decision is a difficult moral dilemma
~It is often difficult to decide what will be best for all concerned
~Singer was himself accused of hypocrisy when he chose to put his elderly mother into a home when she was suffering from dementia. Surely the money would be better spent in the developing world ?

Question 25

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 25

Every case is judged on that particular set of circumstances. It recognises that hedonic calculations will be different depending on the individuals involved.

Question 26

Strong Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 26

~Can be a personal rule – e.g. Lying causes more grief than telling the truth so I will never lie
We can also base laws for society on rule utilitarianism – e.g. if abortion remains illegal then more women will suffer by having back street abortions. Abortion must therefore be made legal under certain conditions . . .
~Hard Rule utilitarianism allows for no exceptions (i.e. it is more deontological)

Question 27

Weak Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 27

~Can be a personal rule – e.g. Lying causes more grief than telling the truth so I will never lie
We can also base laws for society on rule utilitarianism – e.g. if abortion remains illegal then more women will suffer by having back street abortions. Abortion must therefore be made legal under certain conditions . . .
~Soft Rule is more proportional in that it is flexible in extreme circumstances