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QLDPhilosophy and ReasonQuick questions
Unit 4: Moral philosophy and metaphysics
Quick questions on Utilitarianism and the principle of utility: QCE Philosophy and Reason
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is bentham's hedonic calculus?Show answer
Bentham was a hedonist: happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain, and all pleasures count equally in kind. To measure utility he proposed the hedonic (felicific) calculus, weighing pleasures and pains by factors such as intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity (nearness), fecundity, purity and extent (how many are affected). Each person's pleasure counts equally: "everybody to count for one, nobody for more than one."
What is mill's refinement?Show answer
John Stuart Mill, in Utilitarianism (1863), defended the theory against the charge that it is a "doctrine worthy only of swine." He distinguished higher pleasures (intellectual, aesthetic, moral) from lower (bodily) pleasures, arguing the higher are superior in quality, not just quantity. His test: competent judges who have experienced both prefer the higher. Hence his line that it is better to be a dissatisfied human than a satisfied pig, because the human knows both sides.
What are major objections?Show answer
Rule utilitarianism answers some objections (it forbids punishing the innocent as a rule), but critics argue it either collapses into act utilitarianism (break the rule when breaking it does most good) or becomes an unprincipled rule-worship.
What is q1?Show answer
State the principle of utility and explain Bentham's hedonic calculus. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Distinguish act from rule utilitarianism. [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain the objection from justice. [3 marks]
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