Utilitarianism

Question 1

When did Jeremy Bentham devise his system of ethics?

Answer 1

At the start of the industrial revolution when many people were living in appalling conditions and were not represented in parliament

Question 2

At the time of Jeremy Bentham, how did people decide what was right or wrong?

Answer 2

By relying on the bible or tradition

Question 3

How did Jeremy Bentham say we must decide on what is right or wrong?

Answer 3

In a more scientific way

Question 4

What did Jeremy Bentham say we are sure about?

Answer 4

That we dislike pain and prefer pleasure

Question 5

What is The Principle of Utility?

Answer 5

The greatest happiness for the greatest number

Question 6

Jeremy Bentham’s system of ethics is egalitarian. What does this mean?

Answer 6

Based on the idea that all people are equal and deserve equal rights- “Each is to count for one”

Question 7

What is the Hedonic Calculus?

Answer 7

Questions to ask when deciding on how much happiness something will bring

Question 8

Duration

Answer 8

How long will it last?

Question 9

Intensity

Answer 9

Is it intense or only mildly pleasurable?

Question 10

Propinquity

Answer 10

How close is it to me?

Question 11

Extent

Answer 11

Will it affect others close to me?

Question 12

Certainty

Answer 12

Is it possible it might not happen?

Question 13

Purity

Answer 13

Is it “tainted” with other considerations?

Question 14

Fecundity

Answer 14

Might it “breed” more happiness?

Question 15

What is a modern example of hedonic calculus?

Answer 15

N.I.C.E. (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)

Question 16

Define egalitarian

Answer 16

believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Question 17

What was J.S Mill concerned with?

Answer 17

Tyranny of the majority

Question 18

What is tyranny of the majority?

Answer 18

The majority of people are controlling what happens to the minority

Question 19

‘It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied’
‘Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisied’

Answer 19

Some things give more pleasure than others that are not dignificant. A pleasure is of higher quality if people would choose it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied by discomfort,

Question 20

What did J.S Mill think about intelligent people?

Answer 20

That they should not be dismissed

Question 21

Which two scolars relate to classical utilitarianism

Answer 21

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

Question 22

Example of a preference utilitarian

Answer 22

Peter Singer

Question 23

What does preference utilitarianism concern itself with?

Answer 23

What most people/animals would prefer, decided by a ‘trade-off’

Question 24

Example of a trade-off

Answer 24

Battery farm- If we consider the sum of suffering we recognise that the chickens’ distress outweighs the farmer’s and consumers’ satisfaction. A trade off then will be to ban battery cages because consumers will recognise that more expensive eggs is better than animal cruelty.

Question 25

The shoes example (preference utilitarianism)

Answer 25

You would sacrifice a new pair of shoes in order to rescue a drowning child. Surely then we should be prepared to sacrifice the cost of a pair of luxury shoes to save the life of a starving child. It is the same principle.

Question 26

What is speciesist?

Answer 26

Claiming that human life is sacred (Singer doesn’t believe in this)

Question 27

An example of speciesism

Answer 27

animal liberation – to use animals (particularly sentient ones) to test medicines for humans

Question 28

Why does Singer see an argument for eating ethically farmed meat?

Answer 28

it is better to exist and be happy than not to exist at all, providing that the animals are well cared for

Question 29

Why is Singer a vegetarian?

Answer 29

we cannot know what it is like to face death in a slaughter house and fears that this suffering might well outweigh the happiness the animal has experienced in its life on the farm.

Question 30

Why is a vegetarian diet more sustainable in a world facing food shortages?

Answer 30

farming animals uses more land than growing crops.

Question 31

Example of swapping one life for another

Answer 31

a woman aborts a baby because it is handicapped, then she will try again for another baby who would not have existed if she had gone ahead with the first pregnancy

Question 32

What is act utilitarianism?

Answer 32

Every case is judged on that particular set of circumstances. It recognises that hedonic calculations will be different depending on the individuals involved.

Question 33

What is rule utilitarianism?

Answer 33

Can be a personal rule-e.g Lying causes more grief than telling the truth so I will never lie
We can also base laws for society on rule utilitarianism – e.g. if abortion remains illegal then more women will suffer by having back street abortions. Abortion must therefore be made legal under certain conditions . .

Question 34

Hard and soft rule utilitarianism

Answer 34

Hard- allows for no excpetions (it is deontological)

Soft- more proportional in that it is flexible in extreme circumstances

Question 35

Argument against actutilitarianism

Answer 35

It is too open ended- we need some guidance. Without rules the system is open to abuse.

Question 36

Argument against strong rule utilitarianism

Answer 36

It is too inflexible – we are turning utilitarianism into a deontological system . . .if we go with weak rule utilitarianism, then we face the same problems as act utilitarianism