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- Our ability to choose what we will do on certain things and our reason on doing such thing.
- If we choose to do the morally right thing, we are exercising our good will.
- it is good, because it is good. It is good in itself, not because some other factor that makes it good.
All persons are equal as potentially rational beings. Therefore, if reason dictates that one person, in a
particular situation, has a moral duty to do a particular thing, then any person, in that same situation,
would equally well have a duty to do that same thing.
- Kant’s Categorical imperative is a command without any conditions. Meaning it is a command that
must be done by everyone, there is no exemption.
8. What are the two formulations of the categorical imperative? Explain each.
I ought never to act except in such a way that I can will that my maxim should become a
universal law.” This means that we must assess if our actions can be fitted that everyone
should do it. An example is cheating on an exam. If we agree that everyone would cheat on an
exam, the purpose of giving grades is now irrelevant. Therefore cheating is never the right
thing to do.
-His motivation must never be in accordance to his self-interest, but because it is the right thing to do.
- Perfect duties are absolute duties, there are no exceptions. Imperfect duties on the other hand is not
absolute, meaning it has middle ground.
1. Utilitarianism is also known as the Greatest Happiness Principle. Explain why.
-Utilitarianism suggests that what is good is the one that produces the greatest number to the
greatest number of people, therefore it is called the Greatest happiness principle.
- Utilitarianism defines the good as the one who produces the greatest happiness to the greatest no of
people. Moreover, utilitarianisms also define the good as maximizing happiness and minimizing the
pain.
-The good can be determined if it produces the greatest happiness to the greatest no of people.
4. What is utility?
-Utility is the capability of something to bring you pleasure; it has usefulness, and give you benefits.
-Bentham define the good as pleasure and he addressed that all pleasures are equal.
6. According to Bentham, are all good the same. What is the pain-pleasure calculus about.
-Yes, Acc. to Bentham all good are the same. Pain-pleasure calculus is about a method of working out
the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act, and thus the total value of its consequences
-Bentham’s utilitarianism suggests that all pleasure are equal, Mill is the opposite he said that there
are higher pleasures and lower pleasures. Bentham is more on the quantity and Mill is on the quality
of the pleasure.
- Higher pleasure is pleasure of intellect. Acc. to Mill, pleasure are not equal, there is more weight to
those intellectual pleasure than that of pleasures of the body ( sensual pleasures).
- Number may mean power, but it does not mean that it is the truth.