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Questions and Answers
What is an example of utilitarianism mentioned in the text?
How does utilitarianism relate to redistribution of money from the rich to the poor?
If a CEO applies a utilitarian approach to a situation, what would they prioritize?
In the context of utilitarianism, why is fostering transparent and effective communication important?
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How does a food donation program align with utilitarian principles?
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Which action demonstrates utilitarianism in addressing faulty brakes in cars according to the text?
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What is ethics defined as in the text?
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How does ethics study man according to the text?
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What do ethics propose for how man ought to live his life?
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Who are mentioned as philosophers in the text?
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What does ethics examine according to the text?
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According to utilitarianism, what is the basis for judging the rightness of an action?
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Who are the two proponents of utilitarianism?
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What is the principle of utility in utilitarianism concerned with?
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According to Bentham, what are the two sovereign masters that govern human behavior?
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What distinguishes higher pleasures from lower pleasures in utilitarianism?
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Which concept in utilitarianism states that an action is considered right if it brings happiness to the greatest number of people?
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Study Notes
Utilitarianism
- A moral/ethical theory that emphasizes the maximization of overall happiness or pleasure
- Founded by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
- Key principle: Right action/Moral act = Results to a useful consequence = Results to happiness or good
Principle of Utility
- Actions are judged based on their usefulness to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness
- Focuses on the consequences of an action
Sovereign Masters
- Two supreme powers that drive human behavior: Pleasure and Pain
- Examples of Pleasure: Ice cream, gifts, vacation, perfect score
- Examples of Pain: Hunger, being fired, no money, heartbreak
Higher and Lower Pleasures
- Higher pleasures: Intellectual pleasures unique to humans (e.g., music, art)
- Lower pleasures: Base pleasures also present in beasts (e.g., food, sex, self-gratification)
Principle of the Greatest Number
- An action is right when it brings happiness/pleasure to the greatest number of people
- Examples: Bulldozing someone's home for a highway, redistributing excess money from the rich to the poor
Ethics
- Combines with Science and Art
- Definition: The science and art of learning, teaching, cooking, management, etc.
- Ethics as a Science: The study of the morality of human acts
- Ethics as a branch of knowledge: Deals with moral principles that govern a person's behavior
Human Acts
- Intentional actions, such as walking, reading, playing
- Distinguished from instinctual acts, such as blinking, dreaming, feeling full or hungry
Ethics and Morality
- Ethics studies man as a moral being, able to distinguish between right and wrong
- Immoral actions: Cheating, answering back to parents
- Moral actions: Trying dogs to serve as guards
Philosophers
- People who seek wisdom and enlightenment
- Examples: Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Jesus, Socrates, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Emmanuel Kant
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Description
Learn about Utilitarianism, the moral/ethical theory by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Understand how the principle of utility determines right actions based on producing happiness or good consequences.