Philosophy 150 - Exam #3

Lectures from Nov. 6 -

Preference Utilitarianism

The right action is the one that maximizes the degree to which people get their preferences satisfied

Avoids Experience Machine Objection —> people prefer real life 

Apples and Oranges Problem

If preferences conflict, how can they be compared or quantified? 

The Fanatical Majority

If you have an objection to people’s preferences, you moral objection does NOT allow you to ignore these preferences

Fanatical Majority Objection

A nonconformist minority may have to tolerate morally objectionable actions/laws in a society where fanatics are the majority

Mill’s Response to FMO in “On Liberty”

People should be free to do what they want as long as doing so does not hurt others

Why do people think utilitarianism is too demanding?

1. Demanding —> requires complicated calculations

2. Motivation (no rest) —> requires us to be benevolent all the time

3. Action —> forbids us from doing things like vacations

Decision Procedure

A method that allows us to reliably make the right decisions about what to do

Standard of Rightness

Tells us the conditions under which actions are morally right

Supererogatory Action

Actions that are morally praiseworthy, but not wrong to not do

Utilitarianism & Justice Claim

Utilitarianism can conflict with commonsense views about justice

Vicarious Punishment 

Target innocent people as a way to deter the guilty 

Exemplary Punishment

Makes an “example” of somebody

Act Utilitarianism

The moral action is the one that directly produces the best balance of happiness over unhappiness

Rule Utilitarianism

The morally right action is the one that, if everyone accepted as a general rule, it would be optimific

The Problem of Impartiality

No one is more morally important than anyone else

One is not allowed to weight the interests of loved ones more than strangers