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Aristotelian virtue ethics practice questions and answers
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Utilitarianism practice questions3 marks
1. Define utility
The net balance of pleasure (happiness) over pain. If x tends to produce more happiness than y, then
x has more utility than y.
2. Define hedonism
The view that the good is pleasure or happiness
3. Define consequentialism
The view that the consequences of actions determine their moral value
4. Define sentience
The capacity to feel pleasure and pain. Bentham and Singer believe sentient beings are entitled to
moral consideration. Mill believed a being requires more than sentience to be worthy of moral
consideration.
5 marks
5. Outline act utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism is a quantitative hedonic ethical theory propounded by Jeremy Bentham. It
proposes that we should judge actions individually based on their ability to bring about the principle
of utility, meaning actions should be done if and only if (iff) they bring about the greatest happiness
for the greatest amount of people. To Bentham, all pleasures are equally valuable so he is only
concerned with the total amount of utility. For act utilitarians the consequences of an action
primarily bare its moral value. All pleasures are commensurable, i.e. numerically comparable using
the hedonic calculus. Some factors measured include intensity and duration of the pleasure
produced.
6. Explain how an act utilitarian would make a moral decision
According to Bentham, an action is moral iff it produces the greatest amount of happiness in that
situation. An illustration of this would be a student copying from a classmate in an exam. Exploiting
somebody’s hard work for personal gain is not usually considered to be morally right. However,
obtaining high marks would produce the greatest happiness more so than if the student failed.
Therefore, if copying allows the student higher grades then act utilitarianism would consider it a
moral act.
7. Outline the hedonic calculus
Bentham provides the hedonic calculus as a way to calculate utility. His version of utilitarianism is
quantitative because it’s about quantifying happiness – adding all the happiness and subtracting all
the pain. The outcome then tells us how we should act. Bentham includes factors such as intensity
(how strong the pleasure is) and duration (how long the pleasure lasts) to calculate the morality of
an action. Copying off a classmate in an exam would give the student intense pleasure from getting a
high grade, and this feeling would also last for the rest of term. Although the classmate may be
annoyed this would not last long nor would the feeling be that strong. We are also certain that this
, would produce pleasure, so ultimately it is the right action. Act utilitarians would agree that the
morally good action is the one that maximises the total happiness.
8. Outline Bentham’s argument for utilitarianism
Bentham’s argument from psychological hedonism:
Everyone seeks pleasure and avoids pain (psychological hedonism)
The good for each person consists of maximising their own happiness
Since society is nothing more than a collection of its members, the good for society is the
maximisation of the general happiness
Everyone is morally equal, so each person’s happiness counts as equally important
Therefore we should calculate utility impartially – everyone should consider the best interests of
society and regulate their actions accordingly
So we should aim to perform that act which produces the greatest happiness of the greatest number
9. Outline Mill’s rule utilitarianism
Mill’s qualitative hedonic theory introduces a distinction between high and lower pleasures. He
argues higher pleasures are more valuable than lower ones, since they’re of an intellectual nature
which sets humans apart from other sentient beings/animals. Mill compares reading to a lower
pleasure of a physical nature e.g. eating, which animals can experience. Act utilitarianism introduces
rules to ethics. We should follow general rules that maximise pleasure and minimise pain in the long
term in order to create the greatest happiness for society.
10. Explain how a rule utilitarian would make a moral decision
Mill distinguishes a hierarchy between higher and lower pleasures. Higher pleasures are qualitatively
better and include intellectual pleasures e.g. reading. Lower pleasures, however, are experience by
animals too e.g. eating. Mill says we should prefer higher pleasures as it is ‘better to be a human
dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.’ Rule utilitarianism focuses on the general rules everyone should
follow to create the greatest good for society in the long run. A rule utilitarian would say we
shouldn’t torture a criminal even if their crime was terrible, since in the long run this creates an
unhappy society where violence is normalised. Do not torture, as a general rule, will create the
greatest happiness. This is the key distinction between Mill and Bentham’s version, since Mill’s looks
ahead. The rule should take priority over the current situation.
11. Outline Mill’s argument for utilitarianism
The only proof that something is visible is that it is seen
In the same way that the only proof something is desirable is that it is desired
Each person desires their own happiness
So adding each persons desires together, we see that the general happiness (the happiness of
everyone) is good for everyone
Therefore happiness is the only good
12. Outline preference utilitarianism
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