Deck 10: Consequentialism: Its Difficulties

Question 1

Write an essay developing what you take to be the most powerful objection to utilitarianism. Explain the objection in detail, and then describe how you think a utilitarian would reply. Is the utilitarian reply satisfactory? Defend your answer.

Answer 1

No Answer.

Question 2

What role does measuring well-being play in utilitarianism? What problems does such measurement present? How serious do you think these problems are for the theory? Explain and defend your response.

Answer 2

No Answer.

Question 3

In what ways is utilitarianism thought to be too demanding? Give examples to explain your answer. What do you think the utilitarian would say in response to this objection?

Answer 3

No Answer.

Question 4

Describe a case in which utilitarianism seems to require that someone behave unjustly. Do you think utilitarianism nonetheless gives the correct moral verdict in this case? Why or why not? How might a utilitarian reply to the objection that the theory wrongly licenses injustice?

Question 5

Write an essay comparing and contrasting act utilitarianism with rule consequentialism. Define each theory, and then explain why rule consequentialism is often thought to provide a solution to the problem of injustice that faces act utilitarianism. What objection can be levelled against rule consequentialism? Which theory do you think is preferable?

Question 6

Develop a utilitarian decision procedure-given utilitarianism, how should we decide what to do? Does your account help utilitarianism avoid any of the objections from this chapter? Why or why not?

Question 7

Measuring well-being is difficult for utilitarians because

A) there is no precise unit of happiness.
B) there might be multiple things that directly contribute to well-being.
C) there doesn't seem to be any method to compare the quantities of different benefits.
D) All of the above

Question 8

Some claim that utilitarianism demands more calculation than we are capable of. John Stuart Mill responded to this by claiming that

A) with training, people can learn to make such complicated calculations well.
B) calculations are often unnecessary because we can usually rely on common wisdom.
C) this is equally a problem for every moral theory.
D) this explains why no one has moral knowledge.

Question 9

According to utilitarianism, the preferences and well-being of people with deep-seated prejudices

A) matter much less than the preferences and well-being of oppressed people.
B) matter slightly less than the preferences and well-being of oppressed people.
C) matter equally to the preferences and well-being of oppressed people.
D) matter more than the preferences and well-being of oppressed people.

Question 10

According to the text, which of the following is an objection to rule consequentialism?

A) The theory often requires actions that are considered injustices.
B) The theory requires that we obey rules that are not optimific.
C) The theory demands that we obey rules even when we know that breaking them would yield better results.
D) None of the above

Question 11

Which of the following best represents John Stuart Mill's view of pleasure?

A) All pleasure is equally valuable.
B) Pleasure is one of many things that are intrinsically valuable.
C) Some pleasures are "higher" than others and thus more valuable.
D) Both a and b

Question 12

Why is the lack of a method for measuring well-being a problem for utilitarians?

A) It shows that utilitarianism requires immorality.
B) It renders utilitarianism incapable of giving concrete advice.
C) It proves that the theory is excessively committed to impartiality.
D) All of the above

Question 13

What is a decision procedure in ethics?

A) A theory that tells us which actions are right and which are wrong
B) A calculation of the total benefits of an action
C) A method for making moral decisions
D) A theory that tells us when intentions are morally good or bad

Question 14

What is supererogation?

A) Behaving in a self-interested manner
B) Doing what is morally required of you
C) Violating another person's rights
D) Doing something that is admirable and praiseworthy but not morally required

Question 15

According to the text, how should we regard utilitarianism's commitment to impartiality?

A) It is entirely a strength of the theory.
B) It is entirely a weakness of the theory.
C) It is irrelevant to the merits of the theory.
D) It is in some ways a strength and in others a weakness.

Question 16

Utilitarians can completely avoid the problem of adding up well-being by claiming that well-being consists in

A) how happy you are.
B) how much your desires are satisfied.
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 17

Utilitarianism requires that agents always

A) consider each option and its effects before deciding how to act.
B) always be motivated by maximizing the good.
C) always act to achieve optimific results.
D) All of the above

Question 18

How would most utilitarians characterize the principle of utility?

A) It is a standard of rightness.
B) It is a decision procedure.
C) It describes the single appropriate motivation when making choices.
D) All of the above

Question 19

Which of the following would the utilitarian regard as wrong in all possible circumstances?

A) Violating someone's rights
B) Performing an action that is not optimific
C) Killing an innocent person
D) None of the above

Question 20

What is the primary motivation for rule consequentialism?

A) It is thought to solve the problem of injustice.
B) It avoids the irrational rule worship of act utilitarianism.
C) It allows for more moral flexibility than act utilitarianism.
D) It vindicates all actually existing social norms.

Question 21

What do rule consequentialists demand when breaking a moral rule would yield better results?

A) Break the moral rule.
B) Obey the moral rule.
C) Re-write the moral rules.
D) Obey the moral rule unless it results in an injustice.

Question 22

According to utilitarianism, it is intrinsically morally right to

A) donate to charity.
B) make someone happy.
C) act in your self-interest.
D) None of the above

Question 23

Exemplary punishment is

A) punishment that makes an example of someone.
B) punishment that is a model for other punishments.
C) punishment that rehabilitates the criminal.
D) punishment that is targets innocent people.

Question 24

An optimific social rule is a rule which

A) is optimific whenever it's followed.
B) is optimific when nearly everyone follows it.
C) is optimific most of the time.
D) is optimific for a certain society.