Category: Answers: (phrases or short sentences only)

1. Goal of Utilitarianism: To attain the greatest happiness for all the

people involved in the situation.
2. As a theory: Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory,
wherein the consequence of an action is more
important than the moral agent’s intention.
Depending on the results of a decision, an action
is either correct or wrong.
3. Rational principle The principle of utility or greatest happiness
principle states that “actions are right when they
produce happiness, and wrong when they
promote unhappiness.”
4. Types: (define each) a. Act Utilitarianism- concerned with the
morality of an action is based on its utility
b. Rule Utilitarianism- concerned in following
the rules that brings out happiness to the
majority.
5. Utilitarianism for Bentham The moral value of an act was determined by the
pleasure or pain it produced considering the
quantity of pleasure.
6. Utilitarianism for John Stuart Mill An act's moral value was determined by the
pleasure or pain it produced, taking into
consideration the quality of pleasure.
1. Using the table below, fill out the grid with the details. Copy paste answers will not be corrected.
Summarize your points/details a. As a theory what is utilitarianism? Fill out the table with correct
answers. (14pts)

2. Using your knowledge on the types of Utilitarianism, classify the following as: ACT UTILITARIANISM or
RULE-UTILITARIANISM (8 pts)

a. a. If I do not go to the meeting, then others will not go either. If that happens, then there would not
be a quorum for the important vote, which would be bad. Thus, I ought to go to the meeting.
CHOSEN TYPE OF UTILITARIANISM: ACT UTILITARIANISM
b. b. If doctors generally lied to their patients about their diagnoses, then patients would lose trust in
their doctors. Because that would be bad, I should tell this patient the truth.
CHOSEN TYPE OF UTILITARIANISM: RULE UTILITARIANISM
c. c. We ought to keep our promises because it is a valuable practice.
CHOSEN TYPE OF UTILITARIANISM: ACT UTILITARIANISM
d. d. If I cheat here, I will be more likely to cheat elsewhere. No one would trust me then. So, I should
not cheat on this test.
CHOSEN TYPE OF UTILITARIANISM: RULE UTILITARIANISM

3. As a principle, what is the Utilitarian Calculus proposed by Jeremy Bentham. (2 pts)

Utilitarian Calculus is a method of determining which course of action is morally preferable by weighing
the costs and advantages. It includes seven factors that must be taken into consideration which are
intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent.

4. Using utilitarian calculation, which choice in each of the following pairs is better, X or Y?(10 pts)

a. X makes four people happy and me unhappy. Y makes me and one other person happy and three
people unhappy. Chosen action: X
b. X makes twenty people happy and five unhappy. Y makes ten people happy and no one unhappy.
Chosen action: Chosen action: X
c. X will give five people each two hours of pleasure. Y will give three people each four hours of pleasure.
d. X will make five people very happy and three people mildly unhappy. Y will make six people
moderately happy and two people very unhappy

e. What do your choices indicate about happiness in the Utilitarian Calculus? Explain in two sentences
only.
Based on our choices, with the concept of Utilitarian Calculus, the greater the value of pleasure and the
majority who feels pleasure, the preferable an action is. We chose the option with the greatest number
of people that are described as happy or pleasured.

5. How does John Stuart Mill define the Utility Principle? Explain. ( 2 pts)

According to Mill, the utility principle states that when given a set of options, that action which
promotes the greatest possible happiness or pleasure is the morally right action. The context of
happiness is a pleasure and a lack of pain. However, in contrast with Bentham, Mill believed that
cognitive pleasures are more desirable than other pleasures and that bodily pleasures are lower quality
than cognitive pleasures.
a. Cite your own example to illustrate Mill’s Utility principle. (4 pts)

Mike had a stressful day and planned to relieve his stress through drinking alcohol and smoking
cigarettes or go to an opera concert with his girlfriend. In Mill's Utilitarian view, Mike should choose to
go to an opera concert with his girlfriend since Mill believed that cognitive pleasures are better than
bodily pleasures.