Virtue ethics

0.0(0)
studied byStudied by 0 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/68

encourage image

There's no tags or description

Looks like no tags are added yet.

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

69 Terms

1
New cards

What is the main focus of Bentham's Utilitarianism when deciding how to behave?

The end purpose or goal (the outcome) of an action.

2
New cards

According to Bentham’s Utilitarianism, what should moral judgments be based on?

The consequences or outcomes of an action.

3
New cards

Does Bentham’s Utilitarianism believe in absolute moral rules?

No, it does not believe in absolute rules that apply to all people at all times.

4
New cards

How are moral decisions made in Bentham’s Utilitarianism?

Decisions are made relative to the situation.

5
New cards

Who developed the ethical theory of Utilitarianism?

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

6
New cards

What principle is at the heart of Utilitarianism?

Right actions are those that produce the greatest total happiness or pleasure for everyone affected by the consequences.

7
New cards

According to Utilitarianism, what makes an action wrong?

An action is wrong if it does not produce the greatest total happiness or pleasure.

8
New cards

What does Act Utilitarianism focus on first when determining morality?

Specific actions, which are considered moral or immoral based on their outcomes.

9
New cards

How does Act Utilitarianism develop general rules?

From specific cases—it moves from specific actions to general principles.

10
New cards

When is a rule not enforced in Act Utilitarianism?

When following the rule would not lead to the greatest happiness.

11
New cards

What is a key criticism of Act Utilitarianism?

It could justify actions that are generally considered unacceptable if they lead to greater happiness.

12
New cards

Where does the word "utilitarian" come from, and what does it mean?

It comes from the Latin word utilis, meaning "useful."

13
New cards

What is the guiding principle of Utilitarianism called?

The Principle of Utility.

14
New cards

What does the Principle of Utility state?

The right action is the one that produces the greatest happiness (or least pain) for the most people when a moral choice is made.

15
New cards

What phrase is often used to summarize Utilitarianism?

"The greatest good for the greatest number."

16
New cards

What ethical theory did Jeremy Bentham develop?

Universal ethical hedonism.

17
New cards

What does universal ethical hedonism claim?

That everyone is equal and has an equal right to happiness.

18
New cards

According to Bentham, when is an action considered right?

When it brings or increases happiness.

19
New cards

What does Bentham mean by the quote: "Prejudice apart, the game of push-pin is of equal value with the arts and sciences of music and poetry"?

All pleasures are of equal value, regardless of their source—no pleasure is inherently superior to another.

20
New cards

What inspired Bentham to develop his ethical theory?

Reading Priestley’s On Government, where he encountered the phrase "the greatest good of the greatest number."

21
New cards

What historical context influenced Bentham’s ideas?

The Industrial Revolution, which brought poverty, disease, and overcrowded living conditions.

22
New cards

Why did Bentham become disillusioned with the legal system?

He believed it was more focused on making money than helping people.

23
New cards

What social institutions particularly concerned Bentham?

Prisons and hospitals.

24
New cards

What was Bentham’s view of the established Church?

He believed it supported inequality and preserved the social status quo.

25
New cards

What lines from a hymn illustrate Bentham's criticism of the Church’s support for inequality?

“The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them high and lowly,
And ordered their estate.”

26
New cards

What were some of Bentham’s early academic and personal talents?

He could read scholarly works at 3, played the violin at 5, and studied Latin and French at 6.

27
New cards

What radical group did Bentham lead, and what did they found?

The Philosophical Radicals, who founded the Westminster Review.

28
New cards

What happened to Bentham’s body after he died?

It was dissected, and his clothed skeleton is displayed at University College London.

29
New cards

What kinds of reforms did Bentham’s Utilitarianism help encourage?

Prison reform, anti-slavery laws, and the introduction of a postal service.

30
New cards

What did Bentham argue in Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789)?

That actions should be judged based on their benefit to the majority—this is known as the principle of utility.

31
New cards

Why is Bentham’s Utilitarianism considered scientific or Enlightenment-based?

Because it uses calculation (e.g., Hedonic Calculus) to assess morality, like a scientific method.

32
New cards

According to Bentham, what are the "two sovereign masters" that govern human behavior?

Pain and pleasure.

33
New cards

What role do pain and pleasure play in determining right and wrong, according to Bentham?

They point out what we ought to do and determine what we shall do; the standard of right and wrong is tied to them.

34
New cards

What does the principle of utility recognize about human nature?

That humans are subject to pain and pleasure, and morality should be built upon this foundation using reason and law.

35
New cards

What is Bentham's criticism of systems that ignore the principle of utility?

They deal in "sounds instead of sense," "caprice instead of reason," and "darkness instead of light."

36
New cards

How does Bentham define the principle of utility?

As the principle that approves or disapproves of actions based on their tendency to promote or oppose happiness.

37
New cards

Whose actions does the principle of utility apply to, according to Bentham?

Both private individuals and governments.

38
New cards

How does Bentham define "utility"?

The property of something that produces benefit, pleasure, or happiness—or prevents pain, evil, or unhappiness.

39
New cards

According to Bentham, what does the interest of the community consist of?

The sum of the interests of the individuals who compose it.

40
New cards

Why is it meaningless to talk about the interest of the community without understanding individual interest?

Because community interest is made up entirely of individual interests.

41
New cards

When does an action conform to the principle of utility?

When it tends to increase the happiness of the community more than it tends to lessen it.

42
New cards

What kind of action do governmental measures represent in Bentham’s view?

A type of action performed by individuals that should also conform to the principle of utility.

43
New cards

How might someone describe an action that conforms to utility for practical discussion?

As following a "law or dictate of utility."

44
New cards

What does it mean to be a partisan of the principle of utility?

To approve or disapprove of actions based on their tendency to increase or lessen happiness.

45
New cards

What can be said about an action that conforms to the principle of utility?

It ought to be done, or at least is not wrong to do—it is a right action.

46
New cards

Why must the legislator understand the value of pleasure and pain?

Because pleasure and pain are the tools with which laws work and the goals they aim to regulate.

47
New cards

What four factors determine the value of a pleasure or pain for an individual?

Intensity, duration, certainty/uncertainty, and nearness/remoteness.

48
New cards

What two additional factors must be considered when assessing the consequences of an action?

Fecundity (chance of being followed by the same kind of sensation) and purity (chance of not being followed by the opposite kind).

49
New cards

What is meant by "extent" when evaluating pleasure and pain?

The number of people affected by the pleasure or pain.

50
New cards

How should one assess the total tendency of an act on an individual?

Sum the values of all pleasures and pains it causes, directly and indirectly, and compare the balance.

51
New cards

How does Bentham suggest assessing the impact of an action on the community?

Repeat the assessment for each affected person and sum all results to see if the overall tendency is toward pleasure or pain.

52
New cards

Is Bentham’s calculation process meant to be applied in every case?

No, but it should always be kept in view; the closer a judgment comes to this method, the more precise it is.

53
New cards

According to Bentham, how are pleasure and pain referred to under different names?

Pleasure as good, profit, convenience, benefit, happiness; pain as evil, mischief, disadvantage, loss, unhappiness.

54
New cards

How does Bentham justify the practical value of his theory?

It reflects how people naturally evaluate the worth of things like property, based on their ability to bring pleasure or avoid pain.

55
New cards

Why is the intensity of pleasure often ignored when assessing property value?

Because it depends on personal use, which can't be predicted without knowing the specific pleasures or pains involved.

56
New cards

What did Bentham believe was the fundamental purpose of human life?

The pursuit of happiness.

57
New cards

According to Bentham, what should be promoted and what should be suppressed?

Promote factors that increase pleasure and suppress those that produce pain.

58
New cards

What did Bentham introduce in Chapter 4 of Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation?

The hedonistic (hedonic) calculus.

59
New cards

What role should the law play according to Bentham’s utilitarianism?

Enforce actions and impose sentences that most effectively maximize pleasure and minimize pain.

60
New cards

How did Bentham believe pleasures and pains could be used in decision-making?

They could be constructed into a calculus of value to evaluate actions.

61
New cards

What are the seven factors considered in Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus?

Intensity, duration, certainty, remoteness, richness (fecundity), purity, and extent.

62
New cards

What is purity in Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus?

The chance that a pleasure will not be followed by pain, or a pain will not be followed by pleasure.

63
New cards

What is remoteness in the context of Hedonic Calculus?

The nearness or remoteness of a pleasure or pain in time—how soon it will occur.

64
New cards

What does richness (fecundity) refer to in the Hedonic Calculus?

The chance that a pleasure will be followed by more pleasures (or pain by more pain).

65
New cards

What is intensity in Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus?

The strength or degree of the pleasure or pain.

66
New cards

What is meant by certainty in the Hedonic Calculus?

The likelihood that the pleasure or pain will actually occur.

67
New cards

What does extent mean in Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus?

The number of people affected by the pleasure or pain.

68
New cards

What does duration refer to in the Hedonic Calculus?

The length of time that a pleasure or pain lasts.

69
New cards