Theories of well-being

Question 1

Hedonism

Answer 1

• Says that well-being consists in enjoying pleasurable experiences and avoiding painful ones
• Jeremy Bentham
  Held that “enjoying pleasurable experiences” means undergoing a specific type of pleasant sensation and that “avoiding painful experiences” means not undergoing a specific type of unpleasant sensation

Question 2

A worry about Bentham’s hedonism

Answer 2

• It isn’t clear that there really is a specific type of sensation common to all pleasures and a (different) specific type of sensation common to all pains
• To sidestep this let us suppose that there need be no such common sensations
  In this way, hedonism is plausible

Question 3

Carlyle’s objection to hedonism

Answer 3

• John stuart mill (another 19th-century utilitarian philosophy) on “higher quality pleasures”
  Responded by saying we can (i) define a standard according to which some pleasures are of greater values than others and (ii) define hedonism in terms of these pleasure

Question 4

Nozick’s objection to hedonism

Answer 4

• Thinks we wouldn’t want to “plug in” to simulation of life (to the experience room) and that this shows that we value more than how our lives feel from the inside
• We want to do things, meet people, become certain ways, and connect with reality, not just enjoy mere simulations of these things

Question 5

Counter objection to Nozick’s objection

Answer 5

Perhaps hedonism is actually supported by intuitions like Nozick’s. maybe by believing that it would be bad to plug in we ensure that we will act in ways that increase the number of pleasurable experiences we’ll undergo

Question 6

The desire theory

Answer 6

Says that well-being consists in the satisfaction of desires

Question 7

Simple desire theory

Answer 7

Well-being consists in satisfying present desires

Question 8

Objection to the simple desire theory

Answer 8

The case of the angry postal worker. He really wants to punch the annoying customer in the face, but surely doing so won’t contribute to his well-being!

Question 9

Comprehensive desire theory summative version

Answer 9

The more desires over the course of a whole life satisfied, the better

Question 10

Objection to the comprehensive desire theory summative version

Answer 10

Derek Parfit’s addict case. If this view is correct, then the way to live the best life is to addict yourself to a powerful, easily obtainable drug!

Question 11

Comprehensive desire theory global version

Answer 11

The satisfaction of desires regarding the quality and form of one’s life are given priority over other desires

Question 12

Objection to the comprehensive desire theory global version

Answer 12

the “long-time castaway” case. The castaway knows only his lonely desert island. If given the choice between (i) remaining on the island but with a lot more coconuts and (ii) leaving the island for a nice life in Toronto, he may well choose to stay, but sure that isn’t what’s best for him!

Question 13

Comprehensive desire theory informed version

Answer 13

Well-being consists in the satisfaction of the desires (regarding the quality and form of one’s life) one would have if one were fully informed of all the non-evaluative facts

Question 14

Objection to the comprehensive desire theory informed version

Answer 14

Rawls’ grass-counter case. A brilliant mathematician who is fully informed and non-neurotic chooses to spend her days counting the blades of grass in Queen’s Parl. This view says that this is what would make her life go best. Can that be right?

Question 15

Comprehensive desire theory

Answer 15

Well-being consists in satisfying desires through a whole life

Question 16

Objective list theory

Answer 16

Says that well-being consists in living a life featuring items drawn from a list of things that the theorist claims are good in themselves (that is, good but not merely as means to other things)

Question 17

Complication to the objective list theory

Answer 17

One could think of hedonism as an objective list theory with only one thing on the list, pleasure and avoidance for the pain!

Question 18

Example to the complication of the objective list theory

Answer 18

His list:
- Virtue
- Knowledge
- The apportionment of pleasure to virtue and knowledge
- Pleasure

Question 19

Objection to the objective list theory

Answer 19

Some worry that the theory is problematically elitist insofar as it entails that something (ex. knowledge) could be good for someone even if the person derives no pleasure from it and has no desire for it

Question 20

Reply to the objection of the objective list theory

Answer 20

• If this is “elitism” then what is so bad about it? Surely it really is possible for people to be wrong about what is in their best interests.
• Moreover, objective list theorists do not claim that people should be forced to value or do certain things. There is nothing coercive about the view.