2.1 utilitarianism

Question 1

What is classical utilitarianism?

Answer 1

when faced with an ethical decision, we should choose a course of action which maximises pleasure and minimises pain for the greatest number of people

Question 2

What did Jeremy Bentham create to help determine quantitatively the right course of action?

Answer 2

the hedonic calculus

Question 3

What does the hedonic calculus consist of?

Answer 3

1. intensity - how deeply will the pleasure be felt
2. duration - how long will it last
3. certainty - how likely is it to result in pleasure
4. remoteness - how near to you will the pleasure be
5. fecundity - how likely is it going to produce other happiness
6. purity - will it produce only pleasure
7. extent - how universal will the pleasure be

Question 4

analysis of classical utilitarianism:

Answer 4

• asks us to set aside personal interests
• a morally demanding position
• always asks us to do the most
• it allows you to do something that is morally unacceptable -> tyranny of the majority upon a minority

Question 5

What is act utilitarianism?

Answer 5

• often ascribed to Bentham though not proposed until the 1950s
• specific actions are deemed moral or immoral and rules are deduced from them
• all is relative to the situation

Question 6

What is rule utilitarianism?

Answer 6

rules should be formed using utilitarian principles for the benefit of society
- rules can be broken depending on the context e.g. lying
- ascribed to Mill

Question 7

J.S. Mill’s utilitarianism:

Answer 7

• believed that happiness, not pleasure should be the standard of utility
• believed in lower pleasures and higher pleasures
  ‘better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied’

Question 8

analysis of rule utilitarianism:

Answer 8

+ avoids the need to use the hedonic calculus
+ avoids justifying immoral actions

Question 9

What is preference utilitarianism?

Answer 9

act as so to create the greatest amount of satisfaction of the preferences for the greatest number of people involved

Question 10

strengths and weaknesses of preference utilitarianism:

Answer 10

+ doesn’t attempt to calculate pleasure or happiness
+ avoids giving up your preferences for the sake of the majority
- as long as the preference of those involved are being satisfied, it would seem that preference utilitarianism can justify morally questionable acts

Question 11

What is ideal utilitarianism?

Answer 11

proposed by G.E Moore
act so that you maximise the intrinsically good qualities
- it denies that the source of moral concern is hedonism

Question 12

What is negative utilitarianism?

Answer 12

act so that you minimise the pain and suffering of the greatest number of people
- aim to minimise pain first rather than seek happiness

Question 13

strengths and weaknesses of negative utilitarianism

Answer 13

+more realistic
+ there are more ways to do harm
- ignores the fact that suffering can be good
- life has its ups and downs and we value them

Question 14

How has abortion been impacted by utilitarianism?

Answer 14

the 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion -> a utilitarian bill
- many women were getting backstreet abortions which could result in death so in order to maximise happiness for the greatest number of women, they legalised abortion

Question 15

How was the use of nuclear weapons in WW2 impacted by utilitarianism?

Answer 15

Truman’s decision was made on utilitarian grounds - he hoped to minimise loss of life and hence to end the war with the minimum amount of pain

Question 16

How is triage impacted by utilitarianism?

Answer 16

the greatest amount of pleasure that will be generated by saving a life
- triage is used to decide who receives care first