UTILITARIANISM Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is normative ethics?
NORMATIVE ETHICS IS THE STUDY OF MORAL ISSUES AND THE MORAL THEORIES THAT ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE MORAL DILEMMAS. IT IS CONCERNED WITH ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES AN ACTION RIGHT OR WRONG
What is the greatest happiness principle?
THE GREATEST HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE IS THAT ACTIONS ARE RIGHT IF THEY TEND TO PROMOTE HAPPINESS AND WRONG IF THEY TEND TO PRODUCE THE OPPOSITE OF HAPPINESS
What is the equity principle?
THE EQUITY PRINCIPLE STATES THE HAPPINESS OF ANY GIVEN PERSON AFFECTED BY AN ACTION CANNOT BE MORE OR LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE HAPPINESS OF ANY OTHER PERSON AFFECTED
What is the consequentialist principle?
THE VIEW THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN ACTION ARE THE PRIMARY FACOTR IN CALCULATING ITS MORAL WORTH
What is the hedonic principle?
HEDONISM IS THE THEORY THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS NATURALLY SEEK PLEASURE AND AVOID PAIN
What is the hedonic calculus?
TOOL TO MEASURE THE QUANTITY OF PLEASURE AND PAIN OF OUR PREDICTED ACTIONS
What are the component parts of the hedonic calculus?
INTENSITY - STRENGTH OF PLEASURE OR PAIN | DURATION - LENGTH OF PLEASURE OR PAIN | CERTAINTY - LIKELIHOOD OF PLEASURE OR PAIN | PROPINQUITY - REMOTENESS OF PLEASURE OR PAIN | FECUNDITY - LIKELIHOOD OF PLEASURE LEADING TO MORE PLEASURES | PURITY - LIKELIHOOD OF PLEASURE LEADING TO PAIN | EXTENT - AMOUNT OF PEOPLE PLEASURE OR PAIN WILL APPLY TO
What does Bentham say you should do when applying the hedonic calculus?
CALCULATE THE IMMEDIATE PLEASURE BY USING THE FIRST FOUR CRITERIA | ADD IN LONG TERM EFFECTS USING THE NEXT TWO CRITERIA | ARRIVE AT A FINAL TOTAL BY REPEATING THIS PROCESS FOR EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THE ACTION
What are the strengths of the hedonic calculus?
IT ALLOWS US TO BE IMPARTIAL | IT GIVES US A DECISION MAKING PROCEDURE | IT IS THOROUGH IN ITS APPLICATION
What are weaknesses of the hedonic calculus?
THE FUTURE IS UNPREDICTABLE | THE HEDONIC CALCULUS IS TOO COMPLEX AND IMPRACTICAL | IT ENCOURAGES SWINISH BEHAVOIR
What are higher and lower pleasures?
HIGHER - PLEASURES OF THE MIND (LITERATURE, PHILOSOPHY, POETRY ETC) | LOWER - PLEASURES OF THE BODY (EATING, DRINKING, SEX ETC)
Why did Mill create higher and lower pleasures?
REFUTE BENTHAMS CLAIM THAT ALL PLEASURES ARE EQUAL | MILL THOUGHT MORALITY SHOULD FOCUS ON QUALITY AS WELL AS QUANTITY | HE THOUGHT IT WAS SWINISH THAT PEOPLE PURSUED SENSUAL PLEASURES AND NOTHING ELSE
What are competent judges?
THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED BOTH TYPES OF PLEASURE
What are strengths of Mill’s higher and lower pleasures?
IT CHALLENGES THE IDEA THAT UTILITARIANISM IS SWINISH | IT REFUTES BENTHAMS CLAIM THAT ALL PLEASURES ARE EQUAL | IT FOCUSES ON THE QUALITY OF THE PLEASURE AS WELL AS QUANTITY | IT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS FOR A HIGHER FORM OF PLEASURE INSTEAD OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION
What are the weaknesses of Mill’s higher and lower pleasures?
MILL IS SUBJECTIVE | HIGHER PLEASURES DO NOT SEEM TO BE MORE DESIRABLE | ITS ELITIST | COMPETENT JUDGES/HIGHER PLEASURES USES CIRCULAR REASONING
What is act and rule utilitarianism?
ACT - CONSIDERS CONSEQUENCES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL ACT AND CALCULATES UTILITY BASED ON SPECIFIC SCENARIOS | RULE - CONFORMS TO A RULE THAT MAXIMISES HAPPINESS EVEN IF, ON THIS OCCASION, THAT ACTION DOESNT MAXIMISE HAPPINESS
What is hard and soft rule utilitarianism?
HARD - NEVER BREAKS THE RULES | SOFT - DEVIATES FROM THE RULES IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS
What are the strengths of rule utilitarianism?
SIMPLER DECISION-MAKING PROCEDURE | ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO CHOOSE ACTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE BETTERMENT OF SOCIETY | IT ALLOWS US TO BE MORE VIRTUOUS
What are weaknesses of rule utilitarianism?
IT IS IRRATIONAL TO ABIDE BY A RULE IF YOU KNOW THAT BREAKING IT RESULTS IN GREATER HAPPINESS | THERE CAN BE CONFLICTING RULES | SOFT RULE JUST SEEMS TO BE ACT UTILITARIANISM IN ANOTHER NAME | THERE IS DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING WHAT THE GENERAL RULE MIGHT BE
What are the strengths of utilitarianism?
IT CONNECTS WITH HUMAN NATURE AND OUR DESIRE FOR HAPPINESS | IT IS EGALITARIAN AS MORAL THEORY | IT PROVIDES US WITH A DECISION MAKING PROCEDURE
What are the weaknesses of utilitarianism?
CONSEQUENCES ARE ULTIMATELY UNPREDICTABLE | SOME PEOPLE GET PLEASURE FROM PAIN | UTILITARIANISM PROMOTES THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY | THE PRINCIPLES OF UTILITARIANISM CONTRAST WITH OUR BRAIN’S DESIRE FOR BALANCE | UTILITARIANISM PERMITS US TO USE INDIVIDUALS AS MERE MEANS | UTILITARIANISMS PRESENTS PROBLEMS WITH JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS | UTILITARIANISM IS TOO IMPARTIAL | IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT CONSEQUENCES WE ARE SUPPOSED TO FOCUS ON
