Study Questions 5
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School
Southwest Tennessee Community College *
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Course
PHIL-1040
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
2
Uploaded by ChancellorFrogPerson859
1.
What is a
consequentialist
ethical theory?
A set of ethical theories that stresses the importance of focusing on the consequences
of your actions.
2.
What is the difference between an
end
and a
means?
An end is a consequence, and a means is an action.
3.
What is an
intuition pump?
An intuition pump is
4.
What is
utilitarianism?
What is the
principle of utility?
Utilitarianism is the form of consequentialism that evaluates consequences by how
much happiness and suffering they contain. The principle of utility is the view that the
good for humans should be pursuing is pleasure and happiness and the absence of pain
and suffering.
5.
What is
hedonism?
Hedonism is the view that the best life is one that maximizes pleasure.
6.
What is Jeremy Bentham's hedonistic calculus?
What characteristics of a pleasure or
pain does it take into account?
According to Jeremy Bentham, hedonistic calculus is the idea that counting the amount
of pleasure and pain is created by an action.
The characteristics that are taken into accountant:
•
The intensity and duration of pleasure and pain created by an action
•
The certainty/uncertainty and the propinquity/remoteness (in time) of pleasure
or pain following an action
•
The fecundity, and purity/impurity of pleasure or pain following an action
•
The extent of an action’s effects
7.
How do Panza & Potthast understand Mill's distinction between
higher pleasures
and
lower pleasures?
(NOTE: Panza & Potthast get it wrong!
So we'll be revisiting the issue
when we read Mill.)
The higher pleasures are to be considered as mental pleasures, while lower pleasures
are more physical pleasures.
8.
What does it mean to say that utilitarianism is an impartial ethical theory?
Utilitarianism is an impartial ethical theory is meant to say to treat people how you want
to be treated and that it’s equally beneficial for everybody invo
lved.
9.
What is the
greatest happiness principle?
The greatest happiness principle is a principle that argues that you are ethically required
to attempt to bring about the consequences that would lead to the greatest amount of
happiness for everyone affected.
10.
What is the difference between
act utilitarianism
(the direct approach) and
rule
utilitarianism
(the indirect approach)?
The difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism is with direct approach
you choose the best alternative that works for you that leads to the best consequences
from the situation. With the indirect approach, it focuses on the results that come about
when people act according to certain rules and policies.
11.
Why do some critics of utilitarianism say that justice and rights are not taken seriously
enough by utilitarians?
Some critics of utilitarianism say that justice and rights are not taken seriously enough
by utilitarians because this form of ethics may lead ones to think that bad behaviors are
acceptable as long as the suffering of the minority is outweighed by the majority’s
happiness. Therefore, leaving a disregard for human rights.
12.
What is the
supererogatory,
and why is this category a problem for utilitarianism?
Supererogatory is conduct that rises above and beyond
one’s ethical duties. This
category is a problem for utilitarianism because if everybody acted this way, it would
leave everyone individually vulnerable and in need themselves.
13.
Why do some critics of utilitarianism think that it threatens personal integrity?
Some of the critics believe that utilitarianism threatens personal integrity because it
requires detachment from your sense of self and that can be very unhealthy.
14.
What is
negative responsibility,
and what does it have to do with utilitarianism?
Negative responsibility is the argument that states that not only are you responsible for
the actions that follow from your plans, but you’re also responsible for the actions
that
follow
from the plans of others that you don’t stop. Utilitarianism has a lot to do with
this argument because it does consider people negatively responsible.
15.
What knowledge problem does utilitarianism involve?
Utilitarianism involves what is referred to as expected and actual consequences.
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