Question 1

One alternative to classical utilitarianism is preference utilitarianism, which

Accepted Answer

A)  is essentially the same as egoism. 
B)  makes the right act in each case whatever a person prefers to do at the time. 
C)  only calculates utility for those with whom one has a relationship. 
D)  treats utility in terms of what people most value. 
A)  is essentially the same as egoism. 
B)  makes the right act in each case whatever a person prefers to do at the time. 
C)  only calculates utility for those with whom one has a relationship. 
D)  treats utility in terms of what people most value. D

Question 2

Which of the following is true regarding the difference between happiness and pleasure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Experiencing pleasure does not ensure or equate to happiness. 
B)  Pleasure is usually a long-term experience that relates to fulfillment. 
C)  Happiness is "fleeting"-usually a fairly brief experience. 
D)  Happiness mainly depends on the senses while pleasure is more a state of mind. 
A)  Experiencing pleasure does not ensure or equate to happiness. 
B)  Pleasure is usually a long-term experience that relates to fulfillment. 
C)  Happiness is "fleeting"-usually a fairly brief experience. 
D)  Happiness mainly depends on the senses while pleasure is more a state of mind. A

Question 3

Given that that we usually desire pleasure, does it follow that we ought to promote pleasure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes, it follows directly. 
B)  No, it does not follow. 
C)  In certain cases, depending on the circumstances. 
D)  There is no way to be sure. 
A)  Yes, it follows directly. 
B)  No, it does not follow. 
C)  In certain cases, depending on the circumstances. 
D)  There is no way to be sure. B

Question 4

Act utilitarianism may be correctly labelled

Accepted Answer

A)  objectivist. 
B)  relativist 
C)  subjectivist. 
D)  hedonist. 
A)  objectivist. 
B)  relativist 
C)  subjectivist. 
D)  hedonist.

Question 5

Which of the following has to do with how many persons are affected by an action?

Accepted Answer

A)  Duration 
B)  Probability 
C)  Quality 
D)  Scope 
A)  Duration 
B)  Probability 
C)  Quality 
D)  Scope

Question 6

According to act utilitarianism, lying can be wrong in some cases but morally right in other cases.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

In assessing duration for act utilitarianism, we look at how

Accepted Answer

A)  long it takes to act a certain way. 
B)  long an effect lasts. 
C)  strong or forceful an effect is. 
D)  long one has been planning the act. 
A)  long it takes to act a certain way. 
B)  long an effect lasts. 
C)  strong or forceful an effect is. 
D)  long one has been planning the act.

Question 8

Act utilitarianism defines the morally right act for any situation as the act that produces the greatest overall utility for the person doing the act.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

In a hedonistic utilitarianism, pain and suffering count as

Accepted Answer

A)  having utility. 
B)  having disutility. 
C)  having both utility and disutility. 
D)  nothing-hedonists only consider pleasure and happiness. 
A)  having utility. 
B)  having disutility. 
C)  having both utility and disutility. 
D)  nothing-hedonists only consider pleasure and happiness.

Question 10

The objection of moral perfectionism-that act utilitarianism makes everything a moral issue and insists that it is our duty to always to maximize utility-falls primarily under which criterion?

Accepted Answer

A)  Completeness 
B)  Explanatory power 
C)  Moral confirmation 
D)  Practicability 
A)  Completeness 
B)  Explanatory power 
C)  Moral confirmation 
D)  Practicability

Question 11

According to Mill, "higher" pleasures

Accepted Answer

A)  should count more than "lower" pleasures. 
B)  can be experienced universally. 
C)  are the only valuable pleasures in life. 
D)  None of the above 
A)  should count more than "lower" pleasures. 
B)  can be experienced universally. 
C)  are the only valuable pleasures in life. 
D)  None of the above

Question 12

Hedonists maintain that values other than pleasure are all

Accepted Answer

A)  instrumental values leading to pleasure. 
B)  foundational values. 
C)  foundational values that are less important than pleasure. 
D)  irrelevant. 
A)  instrumental values leading to pleasure. 
B)  foundational values. 
C)  foundational values that are less important than pleasure. 
D)  irrelevant.

Question 13

Which of act utilitarianism's difficulties primarily fails moral confirmation?

Accepted Answer

A)  Calculations 
B)  The quality objection 
C)  Defining utility 
D)  Promises, justice and rights 
A)  Calculations 
B)  The quality objection 
C)  Defining utility 
D)  Promises, justice and rights

Question 14

Act utilitarians often extend scope to include nonhumans, such that

Accepted Answer

A)  any nonhuman belongs within scope. 
B)  humans and nonhumans are equally relevant to utilitarian calculations. 
C)  nonhumans experience pain to the same degree (duration and intensity) as humans under the same conditions. 
D)  nonhumans can adopt act utilitarianism in their own decision-making. 
A)  any nonhuman belongs within scope. 
B)  humans and nonhumans are equally relevant to utilitarian calculations. 
C)  nonhumans experience pain to the same degree (duration and intensity) as humans under the same conditions. 
D)  nonhumans can adopt act utilitarianism in their own decision-making.

Question 15

The involuntary organ donation story illustrates how act utilitarianism can approve of something that violates peoples' rights. This reveals that act utilitarianism has a problem with

Accepted Answer

A)  completeness. 
B)  explanatory power. 
C)  moral confirmation. 
D)  practicability. 
A)  completeness. 
B)  explanatory power. 
C)  moral confirmation. 
D)  practicability.

Question 16

Mill proposed that we assign weights to different kinds of experiences based on what _______ prefer.

Accepted Answer

A)  all members of society 
B)  people who could appreciate both higher and lower pleasures 
C)  people only able to appreciate lower pleasures 
D)  people only able to appreciate higher pleasures 
A)  all members of society 
B)  people who could appreciate both higher and lower pleasures 
C)  people only able to appreciate lower pleasures 
D)  people only able to appreciate higher pleasures

Question 17

Mill suggested that we factor in _______ to best determine an act's overall utility.

Accepted Answer

A)  duration 
B)  probability 
C)  quality 
D)  scope 
A)  duration 
B)  probability 
C)  quality 
D)  scope

Question 18

The problem with _______ argues that determining the act with the greatest overall utility can sometimes be very difficult.

Accepted Answer

A)  promises, justice, and rights 
B)  rules of thumb 
C)  moral perfectionism 
D)  calculations 
A)  promises, justice, and rights 
B)  rules of thumb 
C)  moral perfectionism 
D)  calculations

Question 19

It seems unavoidable that act utilitarianism will run into a serious problem with justice and rights as long as it

Accepted Answer

A)  allows majority interests to outweigh minority interests. 
B)  includes intensity and duration in its calculations. 
C)  weighs effects in terms of their probabilities. 
D)  uses rules of thumb to make complicated decisions more easily. 
A)  allows majority interests to outweigh minority interests. 
B)  includes intensity and duration in its calculations. 
C)  weighs effects in terms of their probabilities. 
D)  uses rules of thumb to make complicated decisions more easily.

Question 20

We can make the calculations of act utilitarianism easier by switching from actual to expected utility, which

Accepted Answer

A)  reflects what really happens. 
B)  reflects what one believes is likely to happen as a result of their action. 
C)  always reflect different outcomes. 
D)  takes the burden of calculations off of us completely. 
A)  reflects what really happens. 
B)  reflects what one believes is likely to happen as a result of their action. 
C)  always reflect different outcomes. 
D)  takes the burden of calculations off of us completely.

Exam 8: Consequentialism Act Utilitarianism

One alternative to classical utilitarianism is preference utilitarianism, which

Which of the following is true regarding the difference between happiness and pleasure?

Given that that we usually desire pleasure, does it follow that we ought to promote pleasure?

Act utilitarianism may be correctly labelled

Which of the following has to do with how many persons are affected by an action?

According to act utilitarianism, lying can be wrong in some cases but morally right in other cases.

In assessing duration for act utilitarianism, we look at how

Act utilitarianism defines the morally right act for any situation as the act that produces the greatest overall utility for the person doing the act.

In a hedonistic utilitarianism, pain and suffering count as

The objection of moral perfectionism-that act utilitarianism makes everything a moral issue and insists that it is our duty to always to maximize utility-falls primarily under which criterion?

According to Mill, "higher" pleasures

Hedonists maintain that values other than pleasure are all

Which of act utilitarianism's difficulties primarily fails moral confirmation?

Act utilitarians often extend scope to include nonhumans, such that

The involuntary organ donation story illustrates how act utilitarianism can approve of something that violates peoples' rights. This reveals that act utilitarianism has a problem with

Mill proposed that we assign weights to different kinds of experiences based on what _______ prefer.

Mill suggested that we factor in _______ to best determine an act's overall utility.

The problem with _______ argues that determining the act with the greatest overall utility can sometimes be very difficult.

It seems unavoidable that act utilitarianism will run into a serious problem with justice and rights as long as it

We can make the calculations of act utilitarianism easier by switching from actual to expected utility, which

Part I-Introduction: Theory and Practice

Part II-Introduction: Ethical Theories and Perspectives

Part III-Introduction: Applied Ethics

Morals and Values

Moral Relativism

Autonomy, Moral Agency, and Self-Identity

Making Moral Judgments

Psychology and Morality

Egoism

Consequentialism Rule Utilitarianism

Deontology

Natural Law Theory

Social Contracts and Rights

Virtue Ethics

Feminism and Care Ethics

Ethics and Religion

Medical Ethics Futility

Organizational Ethics Whistleblowing

Environmental Ethics Pollution and Resource Use

Obligations to Future Generations

Filters