pol 004 final

Question 1

Goal of Utilitarianism

Answer 1

the greatest happiness of the greatest number aka the greatest happiness principle (GHP)

advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm.

The basic ideas of Utilitarianism are:
Happiness = Pleasure (and the absence of pain)
Unhappiness = Pain (and the absence of pleasure)

Question 2

How does Bentham feel about the GHP?

Answer 2

The GHP is to be the standard (indirect utilitarianism) and motive (direct utilitarianism) for every action of every individual, whether in private life or in government service.

Question 3

What is the interest of the community according to Bentham?

Answer 3

The sum of the interests of the several members who compose it

Question 4

What does Bentham say about pleasures and pain?

Answer 4

There are 7 dimensions
1) intensity
2) duration
3) certainty
4) speedy
5) fruitful
6) purity
7) extent

Question 5

Why is Sidgwick’s book famous?

Answer 5

It recognizes the weakness of utilitarian doctrine and attempts to correct them

also compares intuitionism, egoistic hedonism, and universalistic hedonism (utilitarianism)

finds utilitarianism to be superior to intuitionism but not egoistic hedonism

Question 6

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 6

Direct

Choose acts in order to maximize happiness

Question 7

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 7

Direct

Choose rules to maximize happiness (e.g., against theft, assault, murder)

choose acts that follow these rules

Question 8

What if an act would break a rule but maximize happiness? Shouldn’t we break the rule on utilitarian grounds?

Answer 8

Yes, all utilitarian rules are just “rules of thumb,” which are meant to be broken when required to maximize happiness.

We should go against moral rules to increase happiness

Question 9

What does Hedonism claim?

Answer 9

Happiness is just a matter of pleasure and pain

Pleasure and pain are homogenous

Can be treated as inputs (both across activities and people)

The maximization of pleasure and the minimization of pain motivate human behavior

Question 10

What does Mill reject about hedonism?

Answer 10

Fewer cultivated pleasures (such as intellectual ones) cannot be compensated by more bestial ones

Some types of pleasures are more valuable than others in virtue of their inherent qualities

Bentham and Sidgwick are hedonists, while Mill is a qualitative hedonist

Question 11

What is the difference between Mill’s and Bentham’s opinion of the GHP?

Answer 11

There is no difference

Question 12

What are the two key features of qualitative hedonism

Answer 12

1. Absolute priority of higher over lower pleasures
2. “Competent judges” to rank these types

Question 13

Crypto-Perfectionism

Answer 13

Mill believes that competent judges (people who have experienced all pleasures and pains) are better at deciding what pleasures to follow

Mill thinks of whats better for competent judges and not the general public

Mill favorably judges an action that would increase pleasure but actually increases pain

Question 14

Would Mill accept the term “crypto-perfectionism?”

Answer 14

No, because he would stress that pleasure and pain are still the ultimate standards of judgment and that his theory is therefore hedonistic at base

Question 15

How does Mill describe qualitative hedonism?

Answer 15

What hedonism looks like once we have arrived at a properly elevated conception of utility

Vital need for more mental cultivation and culture so everyone born in a civilized country may experience the higher pleasures

Therefore qualitative hedonism is inclusive

Question 16

What kind of utilitarian is Mill?

Answer 16

He is rule-utilitarian

Question 17

What does Mill think about motivation on a community level and personal level?

Answer 17

Private persons may and likely should be motivated, not by the “general interests of society,” but rather by the interests of “particular persons” they are able to help or harm

Question 18

According to Mill, what motivates us to act upon or at least judge with the GHP?

Answer 18

Sanctions/punishments whether they are external (such as fines, or jail) or internal (such as guilt or shame)

Question 19

What kind of sanctions does Mill think motivate people to act up or judge with the GHP?

Answer 19

sanctions = punishments

external -> contempt, ostracism (fines, jail)

or

internal -> guilt or shame

Question 20

What does Mill think drives feelings of guilt or shame (internal sanctions)?

Answer 20

Innate desire for unity and the feeling of sympathy

Sympathy must be cultivated by education, one that is religious in its pervasiveness and demandingness but not in its content

Question 21

How is Mill’s view of GHP indirect?

Answer 21

Because he sees GHP as a standard but not an actual motive

Question 22

What is Mill’s Perfectionism?

Answer 22

certain human qualities or actions are good in themselves, regardless of pleasure or happiness. doing what enhances these human qualities is morally right

Qualitative hedonism allows him to practice this in utilitarianism

Question 23

What is Mill’s Liberalism?

Answer 23

Grounded on the value of individual liberty and personal freedom

This includes basic liberties and institutional supports.

Basic liberties are freedoms of speech, press, property (first amendment)

Supports include a written constitution and judicial review

Question 24

Liberalism v. Utilitarianism

Answer 24

Banning atheist writings in a religious community and interracial/gay marriage in a bigoted one

thus averting pains of offense/worry

utilitarianism is a philosophy of well-being, while liberalism and libertarianism are philosophies of justice

Question 25

Liberalism vs. Perfectionism

Answer 25

Content restrictions on speech promoting consumerism Prohibitions on unhealthy foods

Question 26

Utilitarianism vs. Perfectionism

Answer 26

Dislodging people from positions of comfort to further personal growth (such as orthodox religious communities like the Amish)

Question 27

What are the historical threats to individual liberty and two ways there were countered (Mill's liberalism)

Answer 27

1) legal recognition of certain basic liberties 2) popular constitutional checks

Question 28

What is the "tyranny of the majority"

Answer 28

The line between individual independence and social control should be drawn

Question 29

What are the three categories of Principle of Liberty

Answer 29

1) Freedom of the Mind: liberties of conscience, thought, feeling, freedoms of speech and press 2) Personal freedom: liberty of tastes and pursuits, free choice of life plans 3) Freedom of association: combining a uniting with others consistent with prevention of harm to others

Question 30

Cephalus' definition of justice

Answer 30

Telling the truth and paying ones debt

Question 31

Polemarchus definition of justice

Answer 31

Doing good to friends and harm to enemies

Question 32

Thrasymachus' definition of justice

Answer 32

Justice is the advantage of the stronger moral values are socially constructed and are nothing but the reflection of the interests of particular political communities

Question 33

Allegory of the Cave

Answer 33

Fire burning behind the prisoners is the sun, artifacts/people passing behind are things, shadows are images, inside the cave is the visible world The sun outside the cave is the Good, the artifacts and people outside are the forms, and the shadows they cast are figures, outside the cave is the intelligible world If someone is freed from inside the cave, they would see actual reality/the good If they return to tell their fellow inmates, they would be labeled as ridiculous and condemned to death Prisoners who returned to the cave with the newly gained enlightenment represent the philosopher who shoulders the burden of educating and enlightening others Should focus on educating the entire population, not just one part

Question 34

The Divided Line

Answer 34

Represents the invisible world and the intelligible world Demonstrates that the intelligible realm is more stable than the visible realm The intelligible realm occupies an extensive portion of the objects that people can think about The visible realm is limiting a -> noesis - b -> dianoia - c -> pistis - d -> eikasia Eikasia: perceptual-thought or imagination Pistis: Folk-wisdom or trust Dianoia: scientific-thought or thought Noesis: dialectical-thought or intellection a and b is intelligble c and d is visible

Question 35

The Sun

Answer 35

Equates the sun to the ultimate form of goodness by calling them both sources of "generation" Two suns: One in the real world illuminates the things we see One in the intelligible world is represented as good (sun) which has rays of truth that illuminate forms Seeing these forms lead to knowledge Overall: Sun of metaphysical worlds -> allows us to see the good -> path to knowledge and truth form: sun - good ? -> form half circle -> figure shooting ball -> thing puddle -> image

Question 36

The Beast

Answer 36

The sophist is the trainer of the beast Wants to achieve power over the beast, rather than uplifting the masses (as a philosopher would do)

Question 37

The Ship Analogy

Answer 37

Shipowner -> represents the people (demos) Sailors -> politicians, who claim piloting isn't teachable (successful sophists) True sailor -> knows the art of piloting but lacks the skills to seize control of the ship (reflects the authentic philosopher) This analogy shows why the true philosopher is shut out of politics True vs. false crafts: the art of governing vs. the art of seizing power Philosophers seek to uncover the truth, not to gain power

Question 38

Craft Analogy

Answer 38

virtues are like crafts proper education of the young is compared to horse breeding

Question 39

Aporia

Answer 39

perplexity at the end of an interrogation When the subject is no longer clear about the meaning of the term in question

Question 40

Elenchus

Answer 40

Progressive questioning technique to test the consistency and credibility of their answer

Question 41

Pure Intrinsic goods

Answer 41

we would choose to have not because we desire their consequences but we delight in them for their own sake happiness

Question 42

Intrinsic and instrumental goods

Answer 42

we like both for their own sake and what comes out of them health

Question 43

pure instrumental goods

Answer 43

we would not choose to have for themselves but only for the sake of wages and whatever comes out of them a visit to the dentist

Question 44

city of sows

Answer 44

city characterized by a division of labor, trade, and commercial prosperity focused on unnecessary luxuries

Question 45

proto-kallipolis

Answer 45

2nd stage guardians purge city of luxuries

Question 46

kallipolis

Answer 46

3rd and final stage platos dream city philosophers are able to rule as kings

Question 47

Tripartite case for democracy

Answer 47

1. Protects individual and minority rights 2. Enlists all personal energies in promoting general prosperity and good governance 3. enhances national character

Question 48

Teleological Morality

Answer 48

Mill believes all proper moral theories are teleological Example: Some might consider stealing bad, but a teleological thinker may say, “but in the end, I'm stealing to feed my family, which is good, so the action is good.” In other words, an action's “goodness” is based off the outcome.

Question 49

Qualitative Hedonism

Answer 49

absolute priority of higher over lower pleasures intellectual pleasures are ranked above those more mere sensation need "competent judges" to rank these types

Question 50

indirect utilitarianism

Answer 50

a kind of utilitarianism which recognizes that an agent is more likely to act rightly by developing the right attitudes, habits and principles, and acting on them, than by trying to calculate the value of the consequences before deciding to act. AKA intrinsic goods Virtue should be treated as a thing desirable in itself because it can become happiness pursues the constituents of happiness for their own sake

Question 51

Three evaluative categories for actions/agents

Answer 51

1. Justice: perfect duties, correlative rights, enforce by law 2. Morality: imperfect duties, no correlative rights, enforce by opinion 3. Expediency/worthiness: things we wish that people should do, which we even like or admire them for doing, but admit they are not bound to do

Question 52

Individual Liberty and Social Control Chart

Answer 52

Objects to the Left focus on Individual liberty (no harm or harm only to self) Objects to right focus on social control (harm to others) Starting from left to right: A - wicked thoughts B - harm to others less than cost (suppression) c - uncharitableness (social sanctions) D - theft, assault (legal sanctions)

Question 53

Principle of Liberty is conditional and counts on individuals being?

Answer 53

Informed, Mature, Sober, and at least potentially fully reflective

Question 54

What makes for a good government?

Answer 54

Mill contends that a good government is one that promotes the aggregate interests of society, the "well-being" of the governed In short: govt is to be judged by what it makes of the citizens and what it does with them

Question 55

Tripartite Case for Democracy

Question 56

What makes for a good government (plato)?

Answer 56

The government by the so called "philosopher king" is Plato's ideal form of government people shouldn't chase after unnecessary luxuries lying is morally okay in order to maintain a healthy foundation for society

Question 57

Compare/Contrast Plato and Mill on the relationship between individual and society

Answer 57

Mill encourages individualism and believes people should take any step necessary to increase happiness (even if its morally not justifiable) Through his Principles of Liberty, he reinforces the ideas of the first-amendment and believe people should have rights to freedom of thoughts, taste, and individuals. This way, humans can self-develop and flourish in order to benefit society. Meanwhile, Plato believes the state should limit peoples freedoms so society can function equally. He puts safeguards in place, such as lying to children and only spreading small truths, to limit society. He believes false opinions could be dangerous, meanwhile Mill believes they are necessary to obtain the truth. Plato also believes our desires are not worth caring about, while Mill encourages us to do so as long as it brings utility and happiness.

Question 58

Dead dogma

Answer 58

A belief that has gone unquestioned for so long that people have little idea why they accept it/believe it

Question 59

Mills Liberty Principle

Answer 59

the idea that people should be free to do whatever they want, without any intervention from state or individuals, unless their actions harm somebody other than themselves