Utilitarianism

Question 1

What is good?

Answer 1

That which produces pleasure, happiness, contentment or welfare

Question 2

What is right?

Answer 2

That which maximises one or more good (pleasure etc)

Question 3

Principle of Utility

Answer 3

The actions/methods that result in maximising good

Question 4

Optimific

Answer 4

Achievement of the maximising of good

Question 5

Act utilitarianism

Answer 5

Based on pleasure, extreme and situational, but not relativist

Question 6

Rule utilitarianism

Answer 6

Based on happiness, restricted involving “rules of thumb”

Question 7

Preference utilitarianism

Answer 7

Individual, rational and general satisfaction of preferences

Question 8

Greek philosopher Epicurus (343-270)

Answer 8

“Pleasure is the goal that nature has ordained for us; it is also the standard by which we judge everything good”

Question 9

Utilitarianism through observation of nature

Answer 9

• things in nature cause pleasure or pain
• pleasure is good; pain is bad
• the preference for pleasure is built into natures law
• the utility of something is based on whether it maximises pleasure
• pleasure/happiness should affect the maximum number of people

Question 10

Originated in…

Answer 10

Britain

Question 11

Teleological/deontological??????

Answer 11

Teleological theory

Question 12

A priori????? A posteriori???????

Answer 12

A posteriori

Question 13

Jeremy Bentham

Answer 13

Genius, eccentric recluse, body is stuffed w wax work head in UCL lol

Question 14

The hedonic calculus

Answer 14

P. URITY - how free is it from pain?
R. EMOTENESS - how far away from pain is it?
I. NTENSITY - how intense is the pain or pleasure?
C. ERTAINTY - how likely is it that pleasure will result?
E. XTENT - how wide are the effects?
D. URATION - how long will the effects last?
F. ECUNDITY - will it lead to further pleasures?

Question 15

Benthams vision (4)

Answer 15

1. Equality - a fair way of working for all
2. Free thinking - people taking responsibilities for their own choices
3. No minority rule - this does not promote people’s happiness
4. A way to measure pleasure - the hedonic calculus

Question 16

Benthams three core values

Answer 16

1. The motivation of human beings - to promote pleasure and avoid pain
2. The principle of utility - the maximisation of pleasure over pain
3. The hedonic calculus - a system for measuring the amount of pleasure and pain cause by the consequences of actions