Question 1

Some utilitarians respond to the charge that act-utilitarianism conflicts with common moral intuitions by:

Accepted Answer

A) switching to natural law theory. 
B) rejecting commonsense morality. 
C) denying that act-utilitarianism is a true moral theory. 
D) rejecting rule-utilitarianism.

Question 2

The utilitarian principle,or principle of utility,is also called the:

Accepted Answer

A) principle of minimal happiness. 
B) principle of diminishing returns. 
C) hedonistic formula. 
D) greatest happiness principle.

Question 3

Suppose for someone there are only two possible actions: (1)read Aristotle or (2)spend a weekend on a tropical isle in intensely pleasurable debauchery.In this situation,the classic utilitarian would likely choose:

Accepted Answer

A) (1). 
B) (2). 
C) neither (1) nor (2). 
D) both (1) and (2).

Question 4

John Stuart Mill says that humans by nature desire happiness and nothing but happiness; therefore happiness is the standard by which we should judge human conduct,and therefore the principle of utility is the heart of morality.But this argument is controversial,because:

Accepted Answer

A) it reasons from what is to what should be. 
B) it has no premises. 
C) utilitarianism is not a moral theory. 
D) Mill failed to defend his theory.

Question 5

Defenders of act-utilitarianism insist that the scenarios that seem to show utilitarianism in conflict with commonsense morality are:

Accepted Answer

A) misleading and implausible. 
B) likely to occur at least some of the time. 
C) too realistic. 
D) common but inconsequential.

Exam 5: Consequentialist Theories: Maximize the Good

Some utilitarians respond to the charge that act-utilitarianism conflicts with common moral intuitions by:

The utilitarian principle,or principle of utility,is also called the:

Suppose for someone there are only two possible actions: (1) read Aristotle or (2) spend a weekend on a tropical isle in intensely pleasurable debauchery.In this situation,the classic utilitarian would likely choose:

John Stuart Mill says that humans by nature desire happiness and nothing but happiness; therefore happiness is the standard by which we should judge human conduct,and therefore the principle of utility is the heart of morality.But this argument is controversial,because:

Defenders of act-utilitarianism insist that the scenarios that seem to show utilitarianism in conflict with commonsense morality are: