UtE 😡

Question 1

What is thread 1?

Answer 1

Issues around partiality
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There isn’t normally a clash between utilitarianism and partiality
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There is oftern a clash

Question 2

What is thread 2?

Answer 2

Util faces problems with calculation
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Bentham the right thing to do is that will foreseeably max util
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This is no longer util, and the consequences are not even foreseeable

Question 3

What is Thread 3?

Answer 3

Explain Util - Bentham, Mill, Act and Rule
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Tyranny of the majority
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Mill: rule util
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Rule util falls into act util which = tyranny of majority`

Question 4

What is Bentham’s util?

Answer 4

• Quantitative utilitarianism
• The most moral action is that which maximises utility (pleasure) for the maximum amount of people (principle of utility)
• Believed the amount of pleasure was the way to figure this out
• Uses the hedonic calculus to prove this, weighs up duration, long term effects etc… the action that has more ‘pleasure points’ is the action that you should do

Question 5

What is Mill’s util?

Answer 5

• Qualititative utilitarianism
• Disagreed with Bentham, believed that the quality of the pleasure was better than the amount of pleasure
• Principle of util
• believed pleasure could be sorted into higher (enjoying opera, poetry) and lower (sex, eating food), and you should maximise the higher pleasures
• Higher and lower pleasures are decided by elite “competent judges”
• Believed that happiness was the only moral good

Question 6

What is mill’s proof?

Answer 6

• Each person’s happiness is desired by them
• Therefore each person’s happiness is desirable
• Therefore general happiness is desirable and is a moral good as everyone wants it
• Everything else is desired either as part of happiness or as a means to it
• Therefore happiness is ultimately desired, and is the ONLY moral good

Question 7

What is Act utilitarianism?

Answer 7

• The morally right action is the one that produces the must utility
• judged on a case by case basis
• So it is possible for the same action to be right in one occasion and wrong in another

Question 8

What is rule utilitarianism?

Answer 8

• The morally right action is the one that is in accordance with the set of rules which produces the most utility
• Actions are judged on their conformity to predetermined rules
• This means if there is a rule about a particular action then this action will always be right ot wrong

Question 9

What is non-hedonistic util (including preference util)

Answer 9

Non-hedonistic - The morally right action is the one that produces the most good effects (and by good effects we don’t mean happiness).
Preference utilitarianism - The morally right action is the one that satisfies the most and strongest preferences.

Question 10

What are the issues around partiality?

Answer 10

• both mill and bentham believe that you should treat everyone with utter impartiality (friends and family are worth the exact same as a random when calculating the most moral action)
• However reality is partial we prioritise the people we love
• utilitarianism ignores human emotions, partiality removes this which feels inhuman

Question 11

There isn’t normally a clash between util and partiality

Answer 11

• you rarely have a direct impact on “everyone” most of your actions affect people close to you only. So focusing on family and friends is possible in utilitarianism
  This way you are:
• more effective locally (you understand the needs of those close to you better)
• You are more reliable
• and you can create better overall outcomes

Question 12

There is usually a clash between util and partiality

Answer 12

• today we can help people worldwide through charity and volunteering, opportunities to help strangers are abundant
  Even then in personal situations Utilitarian reasoning can make actions feel inhuman
• E.G. visiting a sick friend just to maximise overall happiness
• Choosing to rescue a stranger over a spouse based purely on happiness calculations

Question 13

Problems with calculation

Answer 13

• It is impossible to know all consequences: future events can change the outcomes unpredictibly
• Side effects may be unforeseen or unforeseeable
• E.G. an act inteded to help could later cause disaster
• Bentham’s calculus requires knowledge of wayyy too much
• Preference util helps slightly but comparing the strengths of preferences is still difficult

Question 14

Bentham: the right thing to do is what will foreseeably maximise utility

Answer 14

• Focus on foreseeable consequences rather than actual possible outcomes
• So the morally right action is the one that can reasonably be expected to maximise happiness
• The calculus doesn’t need to be exact
• E.G. Bob Feeds his kid rotten hamburger (knowingly). It is foreseeable that it would make them sick, so it is morally wrong.

Question 15

This is no longer utilitarianism

Answer 15

• This is no longer utilitarianism
• If moral rightness depends on beliefs rather than actual outcomes, it diverges from classical utilitarianism
• Consequences are never fully foreseeable
• Even foreseeable actions cannot account for all long term effects

Question 16

Tyranny of the majority

Answer 16

utilitarianism it will lead to a tyranny of the majority
- If moral value depends only on happiness, minorities can be oppressed
- Give an example of a minority being oppressed by a majority

Question 17

Mill: rule util response to tyranny

Answer 17

Rights are utility maximising rules
- Rules protect minorities like life, liberty and freedom of speech are framed as rules that promote social well being, following them prevents systematic oppression
- Rules can only be overridden in extreme cases where not following them clearly produces greater long term utility

Question 18

rule util always falls into act util

Answer 18

There is no statisfactory form of rule utilitarianism
- Strong rules are too absolute and conflict with utilitarianism when following the rule lowers overall utility
- Weak rules allow too many exceptions, and effectively become at utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism is the wrong reason for respecting rights
- Absolute rights protect individuals as ends in themselves
- Utilitarian justification treats rights as necessary for happiness

Question 19

Spec objection, not in the essay plan

What is Ignores the intentions of the individual?

Question 20

Spec objection, not in the essay plan

What is Ignores the moral integrity of the individual?

Question 21

Spec objection, not in the essay plan

What is Nozick’s experience machine?