Utilitarianism

Consequentialism

whether an action is right or wrong depends on the consequences of the action; intentions are irrelevant ( train problem )

Hedonism

what defines a successful life is directly related to the amount of pleasure in that life; no other factors are relevant ( skipping class to go to the beach )

Impartiality

It doesn’t matter who something is good or bad for ( doctor in disaster treats people who can be saved, rather than their own family or wealthier people )

Mill’s Qualities of Pleasure

not all pleasure is equal and humans are capable of better pleasure than animals; intellectual, social, sensual

Act Utilitarianism

a morally right action is an action that maximizes overall utility ( telling a lie to cheer up a sad friend because it produces more overall happiness than telling the truth would )

Rule Utilitarianism

the best way to maximize utility is to follow rules that tend to produce more utility than other rules ( telling the truth because, in general, following the rule “always tell the truth” leads to more trust and happiness in society )

Morally Relevant Difference

a distinction between two situations that justifies a difference in their moral status or treatment ( drowning kid vs starving kids)

What is the difference between act and rule utilitarianism?

Act - it is right to break moral rules when it maximizes utility

Rule - it is wrong to break moral rules even when it would maximize utility in order to minimize errors

What are possible challenges for act utilitarianism?

challenging because it’s hard to predict outcomes, measure happiness, and it can justify unfair or overly demanding actions

What are possible challenges for rule utilitarianism?

challenging because following general rules can sometimes lead to actions that don’t create the most happiness in specific situations

What is Mill’s ranking of pleasure and reason behind it?

Intellectual, social, then sensual; see which action is preferred by those who have experience in both

Explain Singer’s view on our obligations towards those facing hunger and poverty

If it is in your power to prevent something bad happening, without sacrificing anything nearly as important, it is wrong not to do so

Objections to Singer and his replies

Objection - people have a right to spend their money how they want

Reply - having a right to do something doesn’t always mean it is the right thing to do

Objection - donating causes more problems in the long run, creating dependency and preventing systematic change

Reply - our obligation to help those in need may also involve promoting systematic change

Objection - donating our disposable income would damage the economy and reduce the amount you can give

Reply - if everyone donated, this might be true but we are nowhere near that point

Explain Arthur’s criticism of Singer’s views

Singer ignores people’s entitlements—like the right to keep what they’ve earned—and that morality should balance both duty to help others and personal rights or fairness, not focus only on maximizing good outcomes.

Which claim of Singer’s is Arthur challenging?

He thinks Singer’s view wrongly assumes we should always maximize overall good, even when it’s unfair or unrealistic

How does Arthurs criticism of Singer illustrate rule utilitarianism?

he believes following general moral rules (like respecting rights and fairness) leads to better overall happiness and social trust than judging each act only by its immediate consequences

How does Singer’s views on obligations illustrate act utilitarianism? 

Singer judges each action—like donating or not donating—by how much it directly reduces suffering and increases overall happiness in that specific situation