Utilitarianism

Question 1

Definition of Utilitarianism

Answer 1

An act is morally right if it results in the greatest amount of net good for the greatest number of people

Question 2

Contributors to utilitarianism

Answer 2

Jeremy Bentham, JS Mill

Question 3

Focus of Utilitarianism

Answer 3

Outcomes and collective social welfare

Question 4

Concept of human beings

Answer 4

Humans are motivated by avoidance of pain and gain of pleasure

Question 5

Consequentialism

Answer 5

Measurement of consequences of an action which determine if it is ethically correct.

Question 6

How to measure utility, pleasure and pain

Answer 6

Intensity (strong feeling), Duration (longevity), Certainty (likeliness), Proximity (closeness to action), Fecundity (future utility), Purity (whether feelings are mixed)

Question 7

Challenges to utilitarianism

Answer 7

Subjectivity (do we know what is best for others), Equal weighting (no exclusion), Problems of Quantification (cost-benefit analysis requires us to assign value to outcomes - can we out a value on life?), Distribution of Utility (overlooking minority interests)

Question 8

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 8

Looks to single actions and bases moral judgement on the amount of pleasure and pain this one action might cause

Question 9

Rule Utilitarianism

Answer 9

Looks at classes of action and asks whether the underlying principles of that action produce more pleasure or pain for society in the long-run