Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
11 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is Mill’s goal and method in Utilitarianism (the book you read excerpts from)?
|
Mill’s Goal
To identify and defend the supreme principle of morality (SPM): The most general statement of what makes acts right or wrong Mill’s Method 1)State his candidate for the SPM 2)Refute objections to his candidate for the SPM 3)In the process of refuting objections, Mill will clarify his candidate for SPM. |
|
|
State the Greatest Happiness Principle.
|
Acts are right as they tend to promote happiness and wrong as they tend to promote the opposite of happiness
|
|
|
How does Mill define happiness?
|
Happiness- pleasure and the absence of pain
|
|
|
What is the Swine objection to the Mill’s moral theory?
|
1)The GHP implies that human’s are no more noble or better than pigs. Pigs aim solely at pleasure and the GHP says that this is what humans should do.
2)Humans are clearly more noble than pigs. C)Since the GHP implies an obviously false claim, it cannot be a correct account of the SPM. |
|
|
What is Mill’s response to that objection?
|
1)This objection assumes that humans can only experience the pleasures that pigs do. But Mill never said this.
2)Rather humans can experience lower (bodily pleasures) and higher (mental pleasures) pleasures. 3)What kind of pleasure we should aim to promote depends on the type of pleasure that can be experienced by the creature our actions will affect. C)If your actions will affect humans, you should aim to promote higher pleasures. |
|
|
What is the difference between higher and lower pleasures?
|
Lower Pleasures- Bodily Pleasures- food, sex, health
Higher Pleasures- Mental Pleasures- Friends, Family, Make others happy |
|
|
What is the Motivational Interpretation of the Too Demanding objection to the GHP?
|
The GHP demands too much it requires that we always be motivated by a desire to promote overall happiness.
|
|
|
How does Mill respond to this (GHP) objection?
|
GHP is not a theory of moral motivation but a theory of right action. You should be motivated by whatever desire will get you to act rightly.
|
|
|
What is the Right Action Interpretation of the Too Demanding objection to the GHP?
|
GHP demands too much of us when it requires that we sacrifice all of our personal projects and commitments in order to promote overall happiness.
|
|
|
What is Mill’s response to this objection?
|
1)Acts are right as they tend to promote overall happiness.
2)For most people of all the acts they can do, the one that will best promote overall happiness is caring for your near and dear. C)Therefore, most people act rightly as long as they care for their near and dear. |
|
|
Is his response a good one (to the right action interpretation of the too demanding objection)?
|
This response is valid but is not sound therefore it is not a good argument.
|
