Utilitarianism

Question 1

What is the principle of utility?

Answer 1

The greatest happiness for the greatest number

Question 2

Why did Jeremy Bentham create utilitarianism?

Answer 2

Because he wanted to develop an ethical theory which established whether a thing was good or bad based on its benefit to majority of people.

Question 3

What does the principle of utility refer to?

Answer 3

The principle of utility refers only to individual actions by individuals, the idea being that if more individuals try to do actions that create a bigger amount of happiness to a larger amount of people, the happier the world would be.

Question 4

How is ‘good’ defined?

Answer 4

‘Good’ is defined in terms of pleasure or happiness- so an act is right or wrong according to the good or bad results from the act and the good act is more pleasurable.

Question 5

What is an example of Bentham’s theory being quantitative?

Answer 5

If killing one person made 100 people happy, then it would ethically be the right thing to do because it is creating more happiness and pleasure than it is pain and suffering.

Question 6

What is utilitarianism based on?

Answer 6

It is based on ancient hedonism, which pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical pain.

Question 7

What equation sums up utilitarianism?

Answer 7

Happiness = pleasure - pain

Question 8

What is the hedonic calculus?

Answer 8

The Hedonic Calculus is what Jeremy Bentham used to measure pleasure and pain.

Question 9

What is the seven criteria of the hedonic calculus?

Answer 9

Duration
Remoteness
Certainty
Intensity 
Fecundity 
Purity 
Extent

Question 10

What does Bentham argue we should be guided by ?

Answer 10

Bentham argued that we should be guided by the principle of utility rather than rules.

Question 11

What does Bentham’s utilitarianism see the highest good as ?

Answer 11

Bentham’s utilitarianism sees the highest good as the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Question 12

What is the explanation of duration in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 12

How long will the pleasure last?

Question 13

What is the explanation of intensity in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 13

How the strong is the pleasure?

Question 14

What is the explanation of purity in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 14

How secure is the pleasure?

Question 15

What is the explanation of extent in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 15

How many people will be affected?

Question 16

What is the explanation of fecundity in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 16

What is the likelihood that a succession of pleasures will follow?

Question 17

What is the explanation of in certainty the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 17

How likely or unlikely is it that the pleasure will occur?

Question 18

What is the explanation of remoteness in the hedonic calculus ?

Answer 18

How soon will the pleasure occur?

Question 19

What did Mill want to address about Bentham’s approach?

Answer 19

Mill want to address the weaknesses that Bentham’s quantitative approach had.

Question 20

What does Mills qualitative approach mean?

Answer 20

It protects individuals by stopping the exploitation of individuals to create happiness for a larger amount of people. it stops the majority achieving a goal simply because they are a majority.

Question 21

What is Mill’s famous quote?

Answer 21

’ It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfies; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied’

Question 22

What does Mill’s famous quote mean?

Answer 22

You may find a life in pursuit of higher pleasures more difficult - but it will be more rewarding and o a better quality.

Question 23

What does Mill distinguish about the lower and higher pleasures?

Answer 23

That a competent person who has had experiences of both philosophy and drugs will prefer the pleasure of philosophy as it is a pleasure of the mind and therefore a higher pleasure.

Question 24

What are lower pleasures?

Answer 24

Food, drink, drugs and sex.

Question 25

What are higher pleasures?

Answer 25

Philosophy, poetry and conversation.

Question 26

How did Mill link Utilitarianism with Christianity?

Answer 26

Mill argued that the concern for others that utilitarian’s must show in this pursuit for the greatest good for the greatest number is similar to the Christian teaching of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Question 27

What is the difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism?

Answer 27

The difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism is to do with what the principle of utility is applied to.

Question 28

What is act utilitarianism?

Answer 28

The principle of utility is applied directly to a particular action in a particular circumstance.

Question 29

What is rule utilitarianism?

Answer 29

The principle of utility is applied to a set of rules which the determine what to do in a particular situation.

Question 30

Why does Act utilitarianism make utilitarianism a strong ethical theory ?

Answer 30

Allows moral rules to change from age to age meaning that it is completely and universally available to different cultures, genders, ages and even perceptions. It is the person themselves who must look to find which action will cause the greatest good.

Question 31

Why does Rule utilitarianism make utilitarianism a strong ethical theory ?

Answer 31

The rules that are created can be generally accepted and used as guidelines which gives people guidance but also can then be up to the discretion of the person to decide in a situation whether the best thing would be to ignore the rules.