Topic 1 (Year 12): Utilitarianism Flashcards
(20 cards)
Deontological definition.
Focuses on the inherent rightness or wrongness of actions, regardless of their consequences.
Teleological definition.
Judges the morality of an action based on its consequences.
Who devised act utilitarianism?
Jeremy Bentham.
What is the basis of Bentham’s act utilitarianism? (2 points)
- Something is right if the most people are saved.
- The greatest good for the greatest number of people.
What are Bentham’s two “sovereign masters”?
Pleasure and pain.
What is the principle of utility? (3 points)
- An overview of Bentham’s theory, that states people should maximise pleasure and minimise pain.
- Something ‘good’ is something that maximises pleasure and minimises pain.
- It is explained through the hedonic calculus.
What is the hedonic calculus?
A method used in order to evaluate an action or a situation, to better decide whether the consequences are worth it.
What are the seven points of the hedonic calculus and what do they mean?
1 - Intensity: how strong is the pleasure?
2 - Duration: how long will the pleasure last?
3 - Certainty: how likely is it that the pleasure will truly happen?
4 - Propinquity: how soon will the pleasure happen?
5 - Fecundity: how probable is it that pleasure will follow?
6 - Purity: how unlikely is it that an action will lead to pain rather than pleasure?
7 - Extent: how many people will be affected?
Who devised rule utilitarianism?
John Stuart Mill.
What was the basis for Mill’s for rule utilitarianism? (2 points)
- The quality of the pleasure is better than the quanitity of the pleasure.
- Not all pleasures are equal, there are higher and lower pleasure.
What does rule utilitarianism look at?
The consequences of an action to determine whether it’s worth acting on it.
What is the difference between hard rule and soft rule utilitarianism?
- Hard rule: the rule you have must never be broken because it pursues higher pleasures constantly.
- Soft rule: recognises that even though you have made a general rule, this must change as, and when, needed.
Why is there a difference between higher and lower pleasures? (3 points)
- Higher pleasures should be preferred and seeked, rather than lower pleasures.
- Pleasures of the mind are higher than those of the body.
- People may lack the character to forgo the lower bodily pleasures over the higher ones.
What is Mill’s harm principle?
When following rule utilitarianism, there is no guarantee that minority interest will be protected, so Mill created the harm principle which states that there should be a limit to the pressure that a majority can impose upon a minority.
Who devised preference utilitarianism?
Peter Singer.
What is the basis of Singer’s preference utilitarianism?
Maximising the satisfaction of people’s preferences to result in the best consequence for those involved.
What is preference utilitarianism also known as?
Best consequence utilitarianism.
What is Singer’s quote in regards to preference utilitarianism?
“Choose the course which brings about the best consequences on balance, for all affected.”
Who devised negative utilitarianism?
Karl Popper, though Robert Ninian Smart coined the term ‘negative utilitarianism’.
What is the basis of Popper’s negative utilitarianism?
Focsuing on minimising pain, instead of maximising pleasure like act utilitarianism does, and maximising pleasure is used as a secondary option.
