Deck 4: Utilitarianism

Question 1

The reason that Mill believes that pleasure is the only intrinsic good is because he believes that it is the only thing that everyone desires for its own sake.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Both Bentham and Mill hold that some pleasures are better in kind than others.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to act utilitarianism, if it produces more net utility or pleasure to give money that I had promised to return to a friend to famine relief instead, then I ought to give it to the relief fund.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In his work, Utilitarianism , Mill's test or basis for distinguishing higher from lower pleasures is the preference of those who have experience of both.

Question 5

In the reading from Utilitarianism Mill writes that we have learned by experience that murder and theft are wrong because they are generally injurious to human happiness.

Question 6

According to Bentham, some pleasures may be more valuable than others but only in so far as they are of greater intensity or duration.

Question 7

Which of the following is not included in calculating the amount of happiness?

A) Cost.
B) Intensity.
C) Likelihood.
D) Duration.

Question 8

According to utilitarian moral theory, happiness is an instrumental good.

Question 9

The following is an example of the reasoning of a rule utilitarian: "If the practice of lying is bad, then one ought not to lie now, even if in this case to lie would actually bring about better consequences."

Question 10

Utilitarianism is an egoistic moral theory.

Question 11

According to the text, approximately how many people have leaped to their death from the Golden Gate Bridge?

A) 400
B) 900
C) 1300
D) 2400

Question 12

According to utilitarianism which of the following is an intrinsic good?

A) Love.
B) Justice.
C) Pleasure.
D) Power.

Question 13

Utilitarianism is a relativistic moral theory, for it recognizes that what is good in some circumstances is not always good in others.

Question 14

MacKinnon used the story of the Golden Gate Bridge to illustrate which of the following?

A) The complexity of calculating morality using a cost benefit analysis.
B) How to regulate rush-hour traffic.
C) The morality of living in suburbia.
D) The cost of building a bridge compared to building a tunnel.

Question 15

According to Mill, the only way to prove that something is desirable in itself (as an end) is to notice that people do desire it.

Question 16

In his Utilitarianism Mill answers those who say that his theory is a crass pleasure theory fit only for beasts by noting that though it is a pleasure theory it acknowledges a wide variety of pleasures including those that only humans can experience.

Question 17

Utilitarianism is a moral theory that holds that we ought to promote utility and not pleasure.

Question 18

What has value because people value it has intrinsic value.

Question 19

Which of the following was not one of the founders of utilitarianism?

A) James Mill.
B) Jeremy Bentham.
C) John Stuart Mill
D) Rene Descartes.

Question 20

According to utilitarianism, an act that makes some people happy and others unhappy can never be morally right.

Question 21

Of which kind of reasoning , Act (A) or Rule (R) Utilitarianism, are the following examples? I ought to get more sleep because if I don't I will be no good to myself or others.

Question 22

According to utilitarianism which of the following is useful for evaluating the morality of an action?

A) People's intentions.
B) The nature of he act.
C) The process of accomplishing the result.
D) The result.

Question 23

Of which kind of reasoning , Act (A) or Rule (R) Utilitarianism, are the following examples? We ought to observe copyright rules because if we did not then no one's intellectual property would be safe and this would be a very bad outcome.

Question 24

What is the name of the basic principle of utilitarianism? How is it supposed to be useful in determining what I ought to do?

Question 25

Label as the better choice on utilitarian calculations , A or B, using a scale of -10 (very painful) to +10 (very pleasurable) for degrees of pleasure or happiness. A makes 10 people very happy and 2 people very unhappy, B makes 8 people moderately happy and 1 person mildly unhappy.

Question 26

Label as the better choice on utilitarian calculations , A or B, using a scale of -10 (very painful) to +10 (very pleasurable) for degrees of pleasure or happiness. A will bring 5 people each 8 days of pleasure and 3 people each 2 days of pain, B will bring 8 people each 3 days of pleasure and 1 person 3 days of pain.

Question 27

How could cost-benefit analysis be used to determine whether or not to build the barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge?

Question 28

Which of the following is not necessary to act morally according to utilitarianism?

A) To consider all the variables involved in an action.
B) To act as the majority wishes.
C) To consider all people to be of equal value.
D) To produce a result that produces the greatest good for the greatest number.

Question 29

Of which kind of reasoning , Act (A) or Rule (R) Utilitarianism, are the following examples? If everyone cut in that line, then there would be chaos and that would be bad, so I ought not cut in the line but go to the end.

Question 30

Rule Utilitarianism asks that we consider the consequences of each act

A) Separately.
B) According to a clear set of rules.
C) As a general practice.
D) On the greatest number.

Question 31

What is preference utilitarianism, and how is it different from traditional utilitarianism?

Question 32

Label as the better choice on utilitarian calculations , A or B, using a scale of -10 (very painful) to +10 (very pleasurable) for degrees of pleasure or happiness. A makes 5 people happy and no one unhappy, B makes 9 people happy and me unhappy.

Question 33

The cost benefit analysis is used by in all of the following circumstances except.

A) Choosing to build an airport.
B) Deciding if one society is better than another.
C) Deciding if taxes are being spent wisely.
D) Deciding what type of punishment will result in better adults