10 Questions
What is the fundamental principle of pain and pleasure, according to the text?
Pain is intrinsically bad, and pleasure is intrinsically good.
Under what condition can a painful act be accepted, according to the text?
If it causes more pleasure overall.
How can we calculate the net happiness or unhappiness of an act, according to the text?
By adding and subtracting units of pleasure and displeasure.
What is the difference between Act A and Act B, according to the text?
Act B produces a greater net amount of happiness (9 units) compared to Act A (6 units).
Who believed that the quality of pleasure should be considered in decision-making, according to the text?
John Stuart Mill.
What are the factors to consider when evaluating the quantity of pleasure, according to Jeremy Bentham?
How much pleasure, how many people, how intense it is, how long-lasting, how fruitful, and how likely the desired outcome will occur.
What is the difference between consequentialism and non-consequentialism?
Consequentialism emphasizes the consequences of an action, while non-consequentialism focuses on the inherent rightness or wrongness of the action itself.
What is the principle of utility, according to the text?
The principle of maximizing overall happiness and minimizing overall unhappiness.
How does the text suggest we should evaluate the morality of an action?
By calculating the net amount of happiness it produces.
What is the significance of the distinction between intellectual and sensual pleasures, according to John Stuart Mill?
Intellectual pleasures are considered more valuable than sensual pleasures.
Study Notes
Evaluating Human Acts
- According to utilitarianism, the morality of an act is determined by its consequences, not by the nature of the act or the motive behind it.
- The right actions are those that produce the most good.
Definition of Happiness
- Happiness is considered the ultimate good, and pleasure is a key component of happiness.
- Pleasure is understood broadly, including all mental states that feel good, such as a sense of accomplishment, a delicious taste, or heightened awareness.
- The thesis that pleasure is the one ultimate good—and pain the one ultimate evil—has been known since antiquity as Hedonism.
Calculating the Greatest Amount of Happiness
- Utilitarianism is universalistic, meaning it considers the happiness or pleasure of all affected by an action or practice.
- Everyone affected by an action is to be counted equally, with no privileged place for one's own happiness.
- The goal is to produce the greatest amount of happiness, even if it means sacrificing one's own happiness.
The Principle of Utility
- The principle of utility, also known as the greatest happiness principle, is the basic moral principle of utilitarianism.
- Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.
- Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, focusing on the consequences of actions for all persons impacted.
Calculating Happiness
- Pain is intrinsically bad, and pleasure is intrinsically good.
- When an act produces both pleasure and pain, we can calculate the net happiness by adding and subtracting units of pleasure and displeasure.
- The net amount of happiness can be calculated by considering the quantity of pleasure, intensity, duration, fruitfulness, and likelihood of the desired outcome.
Quantity and Quality of Pleasure
- Jeremy Bentham believed that only the quantity of pleasure should be considered, while John Stuart Mill argued that the quality of pleasure should also be taken into account.
- Intellectual pleasures are considered more valuable than purely sensual pleasures.
This quiz covers the basics of utilitarianism, a philosophical approach that evaluates human acts based on their consequences. It explores the idea that pleasure and happiness are the ultimate goals.
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