Meta Ethics 2

Question 1

What was Benthams approach?

Answer 1

ACT Utiltarianism

Question 2

What do ACT Utiltarians say?

Answer 2

That the ‘principle of utility’ must be applied
to each individual situation.

The rightness or wrongness of individual acts are calculated by the amount of happiness (QUANTITY) resulting from these acts.

Question 4

What are the three main aspects of ACT Utiltarianism?

Answer 4

Bentham argued that all humans are driven by pursuing
pleasure and minimising pain. This is also what moral
actions are based on

This ‘principle of utility’ (meaning ‘useful’) which is his
moral rule.

The hedonic calculus, which is his system for measuring
how good or bad a consequence is.

Question 5

What did Bentham say drives humans? P1

Answer 5

Bentham maintained that human beings were motivated
by pleasure and pain, so he can be called a hedonist.

• He believed that all Human Beings pursued pleasure and
sought to avoid pain. He saw this as a fact, as pleasure and
pain identified what we should and shouldn’t do.

Question 6

What is a quote showing the drive of humans is pain and pleasure by Betham?

Answer 6

“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of 2 sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”

Question 7

What is the principle of utility?

Answer 7

•The rightness and wrongness of an action is determined by its ‘utility’ or usefulness.

•Usefulness refers to the amount of pleasure or happiness caused by an action – hence it is a teleological/consequentialist/relativist theory

Question 8

What is Benthams hedocia calculus?

Answer 8

Bentham’s approach = pursue the act which brings the greatest amount of pleasure

• ”A method of working out the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act therefore the total value of the
consequences”

• Bentham’s way of assessing how pleasure can be measured by taking into consideration 7 things:

Question 9

What are the 7 factors contributing towards the hedonic calculus?

Answer 9

Purity

Remoteness

Richness

Intensity

Certainty

Extent

Duration