FINAL REVIEW

Mill:
Q:What is nature of Mills version of utilitarianism (hedonist utilitarianism)
A:Maximize happiness, maximize pleasure-decrease pain
Q:The worthy only of swine objection: What is it? How does Mill Answer it?
A: Says that many think that the idea that life has no better object of desire and
pursuit than pleasure is a doctrine worthy only of swine. The objection is that
pleasure is not the only good nor is it the highest good. There are other things that
we should care about. Humans experience higher pleasures and it is better to
have a smaller amount of higher pleasures than having a large amount of lower
pleasures.
Q:What objection relating to lying does Mill consider and how does he answer it?
A:The object is that his doctrine will permit one to lie to get over a temporary
embarrassment. Mill says that one should consider the long term effects over short
term happiness and thus one should not lie.
General:
Q: King of utilitarianism other than hedonistic are?
A:Perference and ideal utilitarianism. Respectively; maximize preference
satisfaction, maximize the good.
Q:Some standard objections to hedonistic utilitarianism?
A:It gives unsatisfactory results with respect to many examples, e.g the emergency
room case. In other words, given what most people think is right or wrong in these
cases, maximizing the happiness in the world is not all that matters. It is wrong to
equate the good with pleasure: some things other than pleasure are good; adding
pleasure to a situation does not always make it good (sadistic torturer).
Q:Examples that have been used to suggest that utilitarianism gives unsatisfactory
results include?
A: Emergency room case, the scapegoat-unjustly punished to quell a riot and save
lives, the secret promise to a person who then dies, when you can produce a lot
more happiness by breaking the promise, 2 societies such that one has more
pleasure altogether but in that there are some desperately unhappy people,
whereas in the other most are reasonably happy, utility monster, sadistic torturer.
Q:Responses to these objections:
A: We cant depend on the judgements
Kant:
Q:What is the only thing of value?
A:A good will.
Q:When is a will good?
A:When it acts from duty.

Q:How do we know what is our duty?

A: Text our maxims by reference to the categorical imperative.
Q: The categorical imperative comes in 2 versions. What are these versions?
A: formula of universal law, formula of the end in itself
Q:In applying the formula of universal law, you must consider 2 things.
A: Would your maxim be a viable law of nature, even if answer is yes, will this
maxim act as a law of nature.
Q: What is a hypothetical as opposed to a categorical imperative?
A:Hypotheical, conditionaly on what you want
One example Kant uses to express his law?
Feinberg on his rights:
Thought of a place where no rights wer e acknowledged, people still think in terms
of their legal and moral duties and act accordingly.
Whar kinds of duties are correlated with rights according to Feinberg?
duties towards others, directed duties
What activity does Feinberg associate with rights?
Claiming.
Distinguish between propositional and performative claiming?
One may claim that such and such is the case or claim something e.g some action
Why is it important to a person self-concept to have and understand that he/she has
rights
To have a sense of self-respect, of ones dignity as a human being.