Question 1

According to Driver, critics allege that utilitarianism runs counter to conventional thinking about&#10;A) what we owe to our family and friends.&#10;B) justice.&#10;C) the demandingness of morality.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Critics of utilitarianism argue that it conflicts with conventional views on several fronts: it challenges notions of special obligations to family and friends, raises concerns about justice (especially in scenarios where utilitarian calculations might justify actions that seem unjust), and is criticized for the demandingness of its moral expectations, suggesting that it requires individuals to prioritize the greater good over personal or close relational duties.

Question 2

Some utilitarians respond to worries about the compatibility of utilitarianism and justice by distinguishing between&#10;A) the obligatory and the supererogatory.&#10;B) act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism.&#10;C) negative responsibility and integrity.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Utilitarians often distinguish between act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism to address concerns about justice. Act-utilitarianism focuses on individual actions, while rule-utilitarianism considers the consequences of following general rules, which can better align with principles of justice.

Question 3

According to act-utilitarianism, conventional moral rules are&#10;A) rules of thumb.&#10;B) supererogatory.&#10;C) morally irrelevant.&#10;D) obligatory.

Accepted Answer

Act-utilitarianism views conventional moral rules as useful heuristics or "rules of thumb" rather than absolute mandates, because the rightness of an action is determined by its consequences, not its adherence to rules.

Question 4

Rule-utilitarianism has been criticized for being&#10;A) a form of rule worship.&#10;B) inflexible.&#10;C) a form of absolutism.&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Rule-utilitarianism has been criticized for all of the listed reasons: it can lead to rule worship where rules are followed without considering their consequences; it can be inflexible by not allowing exceptions to rules; and it can resemble absolutism by treating its rules as absolute principles that must be followed in all circumstances.

Question 5

An action is supererogatory if it is&#10;A) good and obligatory.&#10;B) bad and forbidden.&#10;C) good but not required.&#10;D) bad in most cases but sometimes permissible.

Accepted Answer

Supererogatory actions are those that are good to do but not required or obligatory. They go beyond what is expected or demanded by moral duty.

Question 6

According to Driver, critics argue that utilitarianism is highly demanding because it conflates&#10;A) negative responsibility and integrity.&#10;B) the supererogatory and the obligatory.&#10;C) impartiality and justice.&#10;D) happiness and pleasure.

Accepted Answer

Critics argue that utilitarianism is highly demanding because it conflates the supererogatory (actions that are commendable but not required) and the obligatory (actions that are morally required), suggesting that utilitarianism demands too much of individuals by expecting them to always act in ways that maximize overall happiness or utility, even when such actions go above and beyond what is normally expected.

Question 7

Utilitarianism is committed to _______, the view that we can be held responsible for our failures to act as well as for our actions that directly cause harm.&#10;A) positive responsibility&#10;B) integrity&#10;C) impartiality&#10;D) negative responsibility

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism is committed to negative responsibility, which means individuals are responsible not only for the harm they directly cause but also for the harm they fail to prevent when they could have acted.

Question 8

According to Bernard Williams, utilitarianism fails to cohere with our views about&#10;A) integrity.&#10;B) happiness.&#10;C) impartiality.&#10;D) autonomy.

Accepted Answer

Bernard Williams criticizes utilitarianism for failing to account for personal integrity, arguing that it requires individuals to commit actions against their moral convictions if those actions maximize overall happiness.

Question 9

Because of utilitarianism's commitment to _______, it seems that the special consideration we give to our loved ones may be morally unjustified.&#10;A) integrity&#10;B) negative responsibility&#10;C) impartiality&#10;D) maximizing happiness

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism emphasizes impartiality, meaning that one should consider the well-being of all affected by an action equally, without giving special preference to any individual, including oneself or loved ones.

Question 10

According to critics, utilitarianism is committed to viewing friendship as having _______ value.&#10;A) no&#10;B) instrumental&#10;C) absolute&#10;D) moral

Accepted Answer

Critics argue that utilitarianism sees friendship primarily in terms of its usefulness or instrumental value, rather than valuing it for its own sake or as an absolute good.

Question 11

Critics claim that utilitarianism is unjust because it is committed to viewing a nonegalitarian state as morally superior to an egalitarian state, so long as the former contains more happiness overall.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Critics claim that utilitarianism is unjust because...

Question 12

According to rule-utilitarianism, it would be wrong to sacrifice one innocent person to save a dozen.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to rule-utilitarianism, it would be wrong...

Question 13

According to most philosophers, utilitarianism is more demanding than conventional morality.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to most philosophers, utilitarianism is more...

Question 14

Bernard Williams's case of Jim is intended to show how utilitarianism is incompatible with our strongly held intuitions about justice.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bernard Williams's case of Jim is intended...

Question 15

Peter Railton argues that utilitarianism is incompatible with giving special consideration to friends and family.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Peter Railton argues that utilitarianism is incompatible...

Question 16

Critics argue that utilitarianism runs counter to our intuitive notions regarding justice. Do you find this argument convincing? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Critics argue that utilitarianism runs counter to...

Question 17

What is the difference between supererogatory and obligatory actions? Why do critics allege that utilitarianism conflates these two kinds of acts? Does this pose a serious problem for utilitarianism in your view? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the difference between supererogatory and...

Question 18

Describe Bernard Williams's case of Jim. Why, according to Williams, does this case pose a problem for utilitarianism? Do you agree that it does? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe Bernard Williams's case of Jim. Why,...

Question 19

Peter Railton claims that utilitarianism can accommodate the partiality we show to our family and friends. What is his argument for this claim? Is his argument persuasive? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Peter Railton claims that utilitarianism can accommodate...

Deck 15: Contemporary Utilitarianism Julia Driver