What is utilitarianism quizlet?

Utilitarianism: a theory in normative ethics holding that the moral action is the one that maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways, including as pleasure, economic well-being and the lack of suffering. The Good: All things are are good either because they are pleasures or are connected with pleasure.

What is the basic belief of utilitarianism quizlet?

Basic moral principle of Utilitarianism; actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.

What is utilitarian and examples?

When individuals are deciding what to do for themselves alone, they consider only their own utility. For example, if you are choosing ice cream for yourself, the utilitarian view is that you should choose the flavor that will give you the most pleasure.

What are the main characteristics of utilitarian ethics?

Conclusion. All ethical theories belonging to the utilitarian family share four defining characteristics: they are consequentialist, welfarist, impartial, and additive aggregationist. Within this family, there are many variants of utilitarian theories.

How is utilitarianism determined quizlet?

the right course of action is determined by its consequences; what is intrinsically good is happiness/pleasure, and ‘rightness’ is to be determined by the amount of happiness an action creates for everyone, balanced against the harms this action also causes.

What type of ethics is utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism is a species of consequentialism, the general doctrine in ethics that actions (or types of action) should be evaluated on the basis of their consequences.

What is the utilitarian theory?

Utilitarianism is a theory of morality that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm. … Utilitarianism would say that an action is right if it results in the happiness of the greatest number of people in a society or a group.

Which of the following best describes the overview of Kant’s moral philosophy?

Kant’s theory is an example of a deontological moral theory–according to these theories, the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they fulfill our duty. Kant believed that there was a supreme principle of morality, and he referred to it as The Categorical Imperative.

What is ideal utilitarianism?

Ideal utilitarianism is a form of utilitarianism which states, minimally, that pleasure or the satisfaction of desire is not the only good. Though G. E. Moore’s ideal utilitarian theory is widely admired, he does not say enough about what sorts of things are good.

Which of the following do most utilitarians believe determines the morality of actions?

Which of the following do most utilitarians believe determines the morality of actions? … The expected consequences of the action.

What is a common misconception about utilitarian philosophy?

Another common misconception about utilitarianism highlighted by Mill stems from the confusion of happiness and contentment. People with higher capabilities are often less content and happy because they have an understanding about the limitations of the world.

What is utilitarianism in criminology?

The utilitarian theory of punishment seeks to punish offenders to discourage, or “deter,” future wrongdoing. … Under the utilitarian philosophy, laws should be used to maximize the happiness of society. Because crime and punishment are inconsistent with happiness, they should be kept to a minimum.

What do most utilitarians regard utilitarianism as?

What attitudes do most utilitarians take toward moral rules? Moral rules can be helpful but can be broken if doing so is optimific. … Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism.

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

Which of the following would the utilitarian regard as wrong in all possible circumstances? Performing an action that is not optimific.

What determines the morality of the intentions?

Moral intent is the desire to act ethically when facing a decision and overcome the rationalization to not be ethical “this time.” Even if a person sees the ethical aspects of a decision and has the philosophical tools to make the right choice, he or she still needs to want to do the right thing.

When a utilitarian evaluates an action which of the following is most important?

When a utilitarian evaluates an action, which of the following is most important? The action’s effects on everyone.

What is Bentham theory of utilitarianism?

Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher, economist, jurist, and legal reformer and the founder of modern utilitarianism, an ethical theory holding that actions are morally right if they tend to promote happiness or pleasure (and morally wrong if they tend to promote unhappiness or pain) among all those affected by them.

Do intentions matter to a utilitarian?

Mill explained in his essay that according to Utilitarianism, the moral value of an action relies solely on the outcome of the event, making the theory consequentialist (55, Bennett). Furthermore, he believes that intentions behind actions are insignificant. The only thing that is important is the good deed.

What makes an act a moral act?

A human act is moral in so far as it is subject to reason. … The object of a moral act is that to which the action tends by its very nature. For example, the object of murder is the taking of the life of an innocent person. It is the object, so understood, that primarily specifies an action as morally good or bad.