difference between act vs rule

Question 1

1

Answer 1

• Explain that the terms Act and Rule were applied later, not by Bentham and Mill themselves.
• The distinction between act and rule Utilitarianism is to do with what the principle of utility is applied to. According to Act Utilitarianism the principle is applied directly to a particular action in a particular circumstance. According to Rule Utilitarianism the principle is applied to a selection of (a set) of rules which are in turn used to determine what to do in particular situations.
• utilitarians like Bentham and Mill sometimes apply the principle of utility to actions and sometimes apply it to the choice of rules for evaluating actions.

Question 2

2

Answer 2

Explain that Act Utilitarianism is associated with Bentham and applies the principle of Utility to each action.

• act utilitarianism can be summed up in the phrase -GGFGN. This theory is commonly liked with Jer Benthams theory of Utility

Bentham (quantitive )
Hedonist- believed pleasure was the sole good, pain the sole evil
‘Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”

• The Principle of Utility - The rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its ‘utility’ or usefulness
  -Usefulness refers to the amount of pleasure or happiness caused by the action
• therefore act applies Pric of Utility to each action as we should follow GGFGN by choosing most useful moral action
  E.G. would allow the murder of a rapist if it were deemed to bring the most pleasure to most people.

Question 3

3

Answer 3

Explain how the Hedonic Calculus could be applied.

e.g. Imprisonment of an innocent man if it were to avoid a riot

HC = You could work out which action to perform by calculating which option brought about the greatest amount of pleasure:
Extent – how many people will experience pleasure? = more people in society will benefit and be safer
- Purity – how free from pain is it? = Save pain from society which would be damaged by riots which is of higher value than one man (GGFGN)

Question 4

4

Answer 4

Explain that Rule Utilitarianism aims to establish rules on Utilitarian principles that benefit all in similar circumstances

• rule utilitarianism by contrast only allows for the GGFGN within societies rules.
• As proposed by John Stuart Mill (qualitative)
• Starts by creating rules for society that brings both the greatest good.
• E.g- GGFGN to outlaw murder as murder tends not to bring happiness
• Plus, perjury would too be wrong as justice requires the truth, for if they did not, criminals may escape punishment which is not the GGFGN

Question 5

5

Answer 5

Explain the difference between strong and weak Rule Utilitarians.

• rule divided between strong and weak rule utilitarianism
• WEAK RULE maintains that all of societies main rules should be followed unless it is considered in the greatest good to break them
  E.G. weak rule utilitarians would not allow murder unlike act utilitarians BUT may allow perjury if it were in the greatest good to convict the criminal (e.g rapist) and the only way to do so would be to lie in court
• STRONG RULE utilitarians feel however that all of societies rules and laws should be followed, after all, they were formulated using utilitarian principals, but they will allow small exception to minor laws and customs e.g telling a white lie to space someone’s feelings.

Question 6

Intro

Answer 6

• briefly explain utilitarianism
• utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory with the basic premise that an act is moral if it accords with the principal on maximising happiness and minimising pain for the greatest number of people

Question 7

apply to example

Answer 7

e.g. EUTHANASIA

Act would support euthanasia as it would bring about greatest amount of happiness for the people involved as it minimises suffering
BUT
Both weak and strong rule utilitarianism would oppose euthanasia as it is against the law in this country and would involve breaking laws that at present are similar to murder