Utilitariansim

Question 1

What is the principle of utility?

Answer 1

Maximise pleasure and reduce pain

Question 2

What are the origins of utilitarianism?

Answer 2

Greek philosophers Epicurus focused on maximising pleasure and Aristotle developed Eudaemonia which is happiness found is purpose and fulfilling your potential (human flourishing)

Question 3

Who developed Act Utilitarianism and what his key work.

Answer 3

Bentham who was a social reformer

Fragment of government

Question 4

What quote describes Benthams attitude towards pleasure?

Answer 4

“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pleasure and pain”

Question 5

How would Bentham argue you work out right and wrong?

Answer 5

Greatest happiness for the greatest number, pleasure (good), pain (bad)
This is a natural part of human existence focusing on maximising our own pleasure and other peoples pleasure and reducing pain
Any act that creates pleasure is good and any act that creates pain is bad

Question 6

What is act utilitarianism?

Answer 6

Acting the way in situations that brings about the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest amount of people in individual acts to decide morally right acts

Question 7

What does utility mean? And how is it used?

Answer 7

Utility=usefulness

Bentham wanted to created a useful practical guide to decision making that would generate the most pleasure

Question 8

How can you decide whether which act will bring about the most pleasure?

Answer 8

Headonic Calculus (Greek origin) that is used to calculate the amount of utility from each action to achieve the greatest amount of happiness and least amount of pain 
Not reliable

Question 9

What is the headonic Calculus?

Answer 9

Intensity, Duration, certainty, speed, likeliness, purity and extent
Arguably to narrow of a focus which could lead to self indulgent

Question 10

What type of theory is utilitarianism?

Answer 10

Teleological because it focuses on the outcome of acts to maximise please
Sometimes at the expense of the minority

Question 11

Who developed act utilitarianism?

Answer 11

JS Mill to create rule utilitarianism

Godson of Bentham who had received an intense education

Question 12

What was the aim of rule utilitarianism

Answer 12

To empower people and deal with the problems and Act Utilitarianism, emphasis the freedom of people against the oppression of the state, religion and society

Question 13

What was the name of JS Mills key work and what did it entail?

Answer 13

‘On Liberty’
Put forward the harm principle and argued that people should be free to pursue their own happiness as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else
Very radical

Question 14

What’s a key difference between act and rule utilitarianism?

Answer 14

Quantity and quality of happiness/pleasure is produced and which is more desirable

Question 15

What did Mill add to utilitarianism?

Answer 15

Higher and lower pleasure
Higher= reading, art, appreciation of nature and intellectual conversation (higher level of thinking)
Lower= eating, smoking, drinking and sex

Question 16

What quote describe Mills view on pleasure? Why?

Answer 16

“Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”

Humans have a higher realm of culture and this is where happiness should come from (intellectual rather than animalistic pleasures)

Question 17

What does mill think about happiness?

Answer 17

It should still be maximised but the right type of happiness

Question 18

Why did Mill attempt to do with rule utilitarianism?

Answer 18

Attempted to make it a societal ethic, what RULE should I follow that will bring about the greatest happiness within society?
These rules in society should be based around achieving the “common good” to focus on eudaemonia and living well

Question 19

How is utilitarianism progressive?

Answer 19

Advocates for the rights of homosexuals by decriminalising it as it doesn’t harm anyone and the state shouldn’t interfere with the ‘private sphere’

Question 20

What controversial scenarios does Utilitarianism justify?

Answer 20

The trolly problem in regards to killing the tramp to save the children (maximum happiness and not thinking of your own actions only the consequences)
Framing a person of a crime to keep the peace in society (maximising the happiness of the community at the expense of human rights leading to tyranny of the majority)

Question 21

What are Benthams thoughts in human rights?

Answer 21

Human rights are “nonsense on stilts”

Question 22

What are criticism of utilitarianism?

Answer 22

People become a means to an end and removal/disregards of human rights (Kant would strongly object)
GE Moore naturalist fallacy that just because the two sovereign masters are that way doesn’t mean they ought to be
Leads to anarchy as people pursue conflicting pleasures

Question 23

What are strengths of utilitarianism?

Answer 23

Secular in that everyone can follow without a belief in god
Happiness is a good aim which spiritual leaders such as the Dali Lama also promote
Democratic principles by considering the consequences for all (unlike egoism)
Progressive within society (unlike natural law)