Question 1

Hare advances the proposal that each person should be understood as using morality at two levels.Explain what he means by this claim.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary.A sufficient answer should/might include the distinction between intuitive morality and critical moral thinking,that utility comes in at the second of these levels,and/or that we turn to utilitarianism when ordinary intuitions fails us.

Question 2

The ancient Jewish text known in English as Ethics of the Fathers includes one of the earliest versions of the saying "no pain,no gain." How would utilitarians understand this motto?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarians would understand the "no pain, no gain" motto as supporting the idea that enduring some pain or discomfort in the present can lead to greater pleasure or happiness in the future. This fits with the utilitarian focus on maximizing overall happiness or well-being, even if it means sacrificing some immediate pleasure or comfort.

Question 3

What is the difference between a theory of the good and a theory of the right?

Accepted Answer

A theory of the good focuses on what is valuable or desirable, while a theory of the right focuses on what is morally correct or permissible. In other words, a theory of the good is concerned with identifying what things are good, while a theory of the right is focused on identifying what actions are right or wrong.

Question 4

Bentham's method of proof is best understood as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Bentham's method of proof is best understood...

Question 5

Mill attempts to provide a philosophical foundation for utilitarianism by showing that pleasure and freedom from pain have instrumental rather than intrinsic value.

Accepted Answer

Mill argues that pleasure and freedom from pain have intrinsic value, meaning they are valuable in themselves, not merely as means to other ends. This is a core principle of his utilitarian philosophy.

Question 6

Mill draws an analogy between proving that people desire happiness and which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Mill draws an analogy between proving that people desire happiness and proving that people see the visible. Just as it is self-evident that people see things that are visible, it is equally self-evident that people desire happiness.

Question 7

Some ethicists believe that we are able to identify the morally correct action through direct perception or intuition.Which of the following is Bentham's response to these theorists?

Accepted Answer

Bentham would most likely respond that direct perception or intuition provides no insight into morality or assistance with moral reasoning. Bentham believed that moral decisions should be based on the principle of utility, maximizing happiness and minimizing pain for the greatest number of people. He would likely argue that relying on intuition or perception can lead to subjective and inconsistent moral judgments.

Question 8

A common metric used in chronic medicine is the amount of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)a patient has.Discuss how Mill's utilitarianism can be relevant to that discussion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A common metric used in chronic medicine...

Question 9

Mill advocated for a reform in the relationship between England and Ireland in a number of essays.This political advocacy is MOST similar to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Mill's advocacy for a reform in the relationship between England and Ireland, where he sought to address injustices and promote better governance, is most similar to his work for women's equality. In both cases, he aimed to challenge and change existing societal norms and injustices.

Question 10

Briefly explain the difficulty that Carritt's thought experiment about punishing an innocent person offers to utilitarianism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly explain the difficulty that Carritt's thought...

Question 11

A common metric in triaging and diagnosing illness is a pain scale.Generally,patients report how much pain they are in on a scale of 1 to 10.These scales can be reinterpreted as an attempt to overcome which difficulty?

Accepted Answer

Pain is a subjective experience and can be difficult to measure objectively. Pain scales attempt to overcome the difficulty of interpersonal comparisons of utility, by allowing patients to rate and compare their pain levels on a standardized scale. The other options are not relevant to the use of pain scales in triaging and diagnosing illness.

Question 12

In the 1960s,Walter Mischel conducted an experiment wherein children could choose to eat a single marshmallow now or wait fifteen minutes and eat two.Measuring the impact on happiness would involve which of Bentham's features?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 1960s,Walter Mischel conducted an experiment...

Question 13

Briefly discuss if you would "plug in" to Nozick's experience machine and how your answer is connected to utilitarian ethics.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly discuss if you would "plug in"...

Question 14

A recurring difficulty for utilitarian theorists is the nontechnical use of the term utility to refer to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A recurring difficulty for utilitarian theorists is...

Question 15

What is the moral standard that utilitarianism uses in making decisions?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism uses happiness as the moral standard, which is understood as the balance of pleasure over pain. This means that decisions should aim to maximize overall happiness and minimize overall pain, which can be achieved through the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 16

Imagine that you discover that your neighbor Cameron has taken a job that entails him working all day hitting puppies over the head with a club until they die.He mentions that he finds it rather therapeutic and enjoyable.How might a utilitarian approach an analysis of Cameron's actions?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine that you discover that your neighbor...

Question 17

Imagine that Phil is explaining to his friend Keith which pieces of music he enjoys listening to and ranks them according to preference.Phil is using what sort of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Phil is ranking his music according to preference, which is an example of an ordinal scale where items are ranked in order of preference or importance rather than being given specific numerical values.

Quiz 8: Utilitarianism: Bentham and Mill