factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus.

Answers to quiz 1. An autonomous person: a) is socially isolated from other people. b) directs his or her actions on the basis his or own basic values, beliefs, etc. c) is able to get by without the help of others d) places the greatest emphasis on being a member of a larger social unit. Definition of autonomy on slide emphasizes self-direction, indicating that (b) is correct. It was emphasized that individualism is not socially isolated (Gauthier) nor was it suggested that an individual was entirely self-reliant. (D) would be part of the definition of communalism. An ethical hedonist necessarily holds that a) the ultimate value in life are physical pleasures b) one should always act upon one's impulse c) we are by our biological nature motivated by pleasure d) we should always seek to maximize long term long term pleasures An ethical hedonist is defined in the slides as: We should always seek pleasure and avoid pain. (c) was the definition of psychological, not ethical, hedonism. It was noted several times in class that pleasure here was not identified with physical pleasures, as (a) suggests. There was repeated use of the example of the need to factor in the likely hangover in making a decision to get drunk, suggesting that long term pleasures rather than impulses are emphasized by the ethical hedonist. This is suggested in the 4 th and 5 th factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus. Answers to quiz 1. An autonomous person: a) is socially isolated from other people. b) directs his or her actions on the basis his or own basic values, beliefs, etc. c) is able to get by without the help of others d) places the greatest emphasis on being a member of a larger social unit. Definition of autonomy on slide emphasizes self-direction, indicating that (b) is correct. It was emphasized that individualism is not socially isolated (Gauthier) nor was it suggested that an individual was entirely self-reliant. (D) would be part of the definition of communalism. An ethical hedonist necessarily holds that a) the ultimate value in life are physical pleasures b) one should always act upon one's impulse c) we are by our biological nature motivated by pleasure d) we should always seek to maximize long term long term pleasures An ethical hedonist is defined in the slides as: We should always seek pleasure and avoid pain. (c) was the definition of psychological, not ethical, hedonism. It was noted several times in class that pleasure here was not identified with physical pleasures, as (a) suggests. There was repeated use of the example of the need to factor in the likely hangover in making a decision to get drunk, suggesting that long term pleasures rather than impulses are emphasized by the ethical hedonist. This is suggested in the 4 th and 5 th factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus. Answers to quiz 1. An autonomous person: a) is socially isolated from other people. b) directs his or her actions on the basis his or own basic values, beliefs, etc. c) is able to get by without the help of others d) places the greatest emphasis on being a member of a larger social unit. Definition of autonomy on slide emphasizes self-direction, indicating that (b) is correct. It was emphasized that individualism is not socially isolated (Gauthier) nor was it suggested that an individual was entirely self-reliant. (D) would be part of the definition of communalism. An ethical hedonist necessarily holds that a) the ultimate value in life are physical pleasures b) one should always act upon one's impulse c) we are by our biological nature motivated by pleasure d) we should always seek to maximize long term long term pleasures An ethical hedonist is defined in the slides as: We should always seek pleasure and avoid pain. (c) was the definition of psychological, not ethical, hedonism. It was noted several times in class that pleasure here was not identified with physical pleasures, as (a) suggests. There was repeated use of the example of the need to factor in the likely hangover in making a decision to get drunk, suggesting that long term pleasures rather than impulses are emphasized by the ethical hedonist. This is suggested in the 4 th and 5 th factors in Bentham's hedonic calculus.

Answers to quiz 2 1) c. sees human relationships as voluntary commitments. Gautier (Individualism (Gautier) slide page: The liberal individual does not lack emotional ties to other persons, but those she has are of her own volition, or more properly, represent the joint volition of the persons tied. a: an egoist seeks to maximize his own utilities but calculates that to do this he must accept constraints on his action, at least against force and fraud. This is the point of accepting the social contract. From social contract slide: Social contract theory suggests that it is in an egoist s self interest to accept the moral and legal limitations of the social contract. Unbridled pursuit of self-interest is not a way of maximizing utility, of maximizing self-interest. B: page on ethical and psychological egoism: Note: self-interest is not the same as selfishness nor is it identical to immediate or short-term self-interest. If I define my self-interest in terms of concern for others it may still be my self-interest. Ethical egoism does not demand that we be selfish, but it does make our concern for others a voluntary matter. : d: this is the definition of communitarianism, which is opposed to individualism. 2) b: is a place of ongoing conflict and lack of trust In the readings, lectures, and slides the state of nature is characterized as one of unconstrained war of all against all where life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. This is in line with (b) and rules out (a) and (d). Because society does not exist until the social contract there are no communities in it, ruling out (d). 3) Individual calculation of rational self interest. Human society is justified by the social contract in which each person rationally calculates that they themselves do better by accepting the rules of the social contract: Social contract theory suggests that it is in an egoist s self interest to accept the moral and legal limitations of the social contract. Unbridled pursuit of self-interest is not a way of maximizing utility, of maximizing selfinterest. a) Hobbes, unlike Locke, denies that there is a natural human sympathy: Again, men have no pleasure (but on the contrary a great deal of grief) in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all. (Individualism / self-interest Hobbes slide) c) Hobbes (unlike Locke) assumes that the social contract will result in handing over power to an absolute monarch but this is justified by the rational calculation that doing so will lead to a maximization of self interest. d) The natural state of human beings for Hobbes is the state of nature, which for him is a state prior to any human society. Answers to quiz 2 1) c. sees human relationships as voluntary commitments. Gautier (Individualism (Gautier) slide page: The liberal individual does not lack emotional ties to other persons, but those she has are of her own volition, or more properly, represent the joint volition of the persons tied. a: an egoist seeks to maximize his own utilities but calculates that to do this he must accept constraints on his action, at least against force and fraud. This is the point of accepting the social contract. From social contract slide: Social contract theory suggests that it is in an egoist s self interest to accept the moral and legal limitations of the social contract. Unbridled pursuit of self-interest is not a way of maximizing utility, of maximizing self-interest. B: page on ethical and psychological egoism: Note: self-interest is not the same as selfishness nor is it identical to immediate or short-term self-interest. If I define my self-interest in terms of concern for others it may still be my self-interest. Ethical egoism does not demand that we be selfish, but it does make our concern for others a voluntary matter. : d: this is the definition of communitarianism, which is opposed to individualism. 2) b: is a place of ongoing conflict and lack of trust In the readings, lectures, and slides the state of nature is characterized as one of unconstrained war of all against all where life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. This is in line with (b) and rules out (a) and (d). Because society does not exist until the social contract there are no communities in it, ruling out (d). 3) Individual calculation of rational self interest. Human society is justified by the social contract in which each person rationally calculates that they themselves do better by accepting the rules of the social contract: Social contract theory suggests that it is in an egoist s self interest to accept the moral and legal limitations of the social contract. Unbridled pursuit of self-interest is not a way of maximizing utility, of maximizing selfinterest. a) Hobbes, unlike Locke, denies that there is a natural human sympathy: Again, men have no pleasure (but on the contrary a great deal of grief) in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all. (Individualism / self-interest Hobbes slide) c) Hobbes (unlike Locke) assumes that the social contract will result in handing over power to an absolute monarch but this is justified by the rational calculation that doing so will lead to a maximization of self interest. d) The natural state of human beings for Hobbes is the state of nature, which for him is a state prior to any human society.

Answers to quiz 3 Standard act utilitarianism (what we've mainly been discussing) holds that morally good acts are defined in terms of a) maximizing the number of people made happy who are affected by the act b) making everyone affected by the act happy c) maximizing the total amount of happiness resulting from the act d) making the person committing the act happy. Answer: c. C. The calculations on the second slide are based on the total happiness. The number made happy is not taken into account and some people are made unhappy. In the case of the scapegoat, someone is made unhappy in the interest of the greater happiness of the entire community. (d) is the definition of egoism. If there is a situation where one person can be treated in a way that we would normally consider unjustly, but where the unhappiness of that person is outweighed by the greater happiness of others, standard act utilitarianism would indicate that: a) one should never violate anyone's rights and thus this act should be avoided, b) one should act in a way that leads to the greater happiness of the person who is doing the action c) one should consider only the happiness of the person who is being treated unjustly d) one should engage in the unjust action because given that it leads to the greatest amount of total happiness. Answer: d. This is the conclusion reached in the scapegoat thought experiment. c) violates the impartiality of utilitarianism as does a). The notion of rights mentioned in a) runs up against the difficulty of of devising a utilitarian notion of rights: See the difficult cases slide: Note that the utilitarian has difficulty capturing the notion of a human right, for example to be treated justly by a legal system. b) violates impersonality and in fact is a statement of egoism. Consider a situation in which I can help my friends and family, on the one hand, or a group of strangers on the other. a) I should equally consider the happiness/unhappiness of my friends and family and the happiness/unhappiness of the strangers. b) I should always act to maximize the interest of the strangers not my family and friends. c) I should take the happiness/unhappiness of my friends and family into account and disregard the happiness/unhappiness of the strangers. d) I should weigh my decision-making to give some, but not total, emphasis to the happiness of friends and family over the happiness/unhappiness of the strangers. Answer: a. This conclusion is the basis of the nearest and dearest objection to utilitarianism and is based on the notion that each person should be treated impartially. Each of the other answers disregards this impartiality. ANSWERS TO QUIZ 4 (early class) 1) Kant emphasizes the importance of a good will for ethical merit. By good will he means a) acting in accordance with a rule for the sake of the rule; b) acting to make the world a better place; c) acting with good intention, whether or not the actual consequences are correct; d) acting in a thoughtful, considered manner. Answer: a). From the three principle slide: "An action that is done from duty doesn t get its moral value from the purpose that s to be achieved through it but from the maxim that it involves b) involves consequences, which Kant explicitly rejects. C: Slide: The good will is not good intentions, which have to do with consequences. d) this does not involve a rule, as required by the principles. 2) The origin or moral laws for Kant is: a) the dictates of a diety b) objective calculations about how to make the world a better place c) a process of reasoning conducted by each person d) a process whereby member of a society negotiate the rules by which they live Answer: c: Rational self-legislation was emphasized as a means of demonstrating human autonomy: a: It was noted that divine command morality takes away autonomy. B: this involves consequences, which Kant rejects. D: this is social contract theory.

Quiz 4 (late class) 1) The second categorical imperative indicates that a) one must never use anyone for one own purposes b) in one's actions, one must always take into consideration the autonomy of those involved; c) one must always act to further the interests of all involved d) one must act to further total happiness answer B: to treat others as an instrument is to deny their autonomy. A: this ignores the word merely as an means and would make, for example, hiring someone for a job immoral. C and d involve consequences. 2) A problem identified in class discussion with Kant's ethical view suggests that a) Kant's emphasis on reason provides an unrealistic view of human autonomy b) Kant denies the importance of autonomy for devising ethical standards c) Kant places too much emphasis on individual happiness in his ethics d) Kant too much emphasizes human desires and inclinations in his ethics. Answer A: it was noted that Kant's characterization of the authentic self merely in terms of reason is too narrow; we tend to see our authentic self in terms of our interests, concrete goals, culture, etc., not merely our reason. B: autonomy is central to Kant's ethical thought. C: he explicitly denies that happiness can be the basis of ethics. D: he sees desires and inclinations as coming from outside of our authentic self and thus as denials of autonomy. Quiz 5: Early class 1) A wonton in Frankfort's thought is some who: a) does not act in the interest of the universal good b) avoids acting in his or her own self-interest c) does not use reflection and will to guide actions d) does not act in a rational manner Answer: C: a person uses a reflective capacity to consider one's desires and identify with some and reject others; a wonton does not do that. A: the universal good plays no role in Frankfort's thought; B: a wonton may or may not act in self interest; d: it could be rational or not. 2) A life without caring is for Frankfort a) an immoral life b) an irrational life c) a life without coherence d) a life without preferences Answer C: Frankfort emphasizes that caring unites a life by giving it a goal. A/B: someone who does not care about anything can still act morally and rationally. D: There are preferences that one does not truly care about; watching one tv program rather than another was an example often used in class.. Late class 1)A person in Frankfurt's view a) acts according to moral principles b) is any being with the right kind of reason c) always lives in accord with his or her desires d) is a being who makes choices based on reflection D: reflection on one's first-order desires is central to the notion of a person. A: A person can be moral or immoral; one can reflect and decide to identify with one's criminal impulses. C: rejecting some desires is an important of personhood for most people; b: the reflective decision need not be rational for Frankfort.

2) Caring, according to Frankfort a) is identical to preferring b) is a particularly strong and persistent form of desiring c) is a form of preferring that involves a kind of self-identification d) always involves a conscious choice about what to desire C: in caring one chooses one's authentic self. A: we have preferences we do not care about. D: In his notion of volitional necessity Frankfort points out cases where one finds out what one cares about without making a choice; one discovers one's authentic self rather than choosing it. Quiz 6 Quiz 6 (early class) 1) According to Nozick's theory of distributive justice, libertarianism is supported by a) the individual's right to what he or she legitimately comes into possession of. b) the individual's deserving the fruits of his or her labor. c) the fact that it establishes the highest level of total happiness in society. d) the fact that it gives most resources to those most capable of using those resources. Answer: A. This is the meaning of an entitlement. B: It was noted repeatedly in class and in the slides that deserving plays no role in Nozick's theory: that would, for example, make inheritance unjust and thus would go against his second principle that allows one to distribute one's holdings as one pleases. C: utilitarianism is a form of patterning, of treating a specific type of distribution as just, and the rejection of this is central to Nozick's views. D: this is also a form of patterning. 2) Nozick's official theory of distributive justice holds that a) there should be relative equality between the rich and the poor b) the most just society is one where there is a high level of inequality c) there is no particular just distribution of income in society d) everyone in the society needs to be guaranteed an adequate standard of living. Answer C: as a historical theory how people gain their holdings is what counts not how the holdings are distributed. A, b, and d consider patterns of distribution and thus go against this. Quiz 6 (late class) 1) The following best describes Nozick's justification of his version of libertarianism. a) it ensures that there will be a distribution of income that provides the greatest amount of happiness. b) that it allows those who work hardest to gain the wealth and income that they deserve. c) it protects those who have legitimately gained possessions to use them as they wish d) it provides for the needs of those least well off. Answer: c: if one gained one's holdings in a just manner they are yours to do what you wish to do with them. B: involves deserving which is rejected. A and d) involve particular patterns of just distribition, which Nozick rejects. 2) According to the Wilt Chamberlain thought experiment, taxing the basketball player's high earnings: a) is unjust because Chamberlain worked hard to develop his basketball skills. b) is appropriate because the development of Chamberlain's skills depended upon the efforts of coaches and others. c) interferes with the right of private individuals to engage in free economic transactions. d) would contribute funds that could be used for the development of social programs. Answer c: The fan chooses to provide Chamberlain with the money when he or she chooses to attend the game and no one has a right to interfere with such a transaction. A: This makes mention of deserving, which plays no role in Nozick's theory. B: Nozick's notion of self-ownership denies the importance of such factors. D: the example is used to deny the legitimacy of such taxation, which Nozick sees as a form of theft. Quiz 7 (late class) 1) Rawls' support for a view of distributive just that takes into account the situation of those least advantaged is motivated by a) the claim that this maximizes total happiness in society b) a claim that human beings are naturally altruistic c) a recognition that it is merely an accident that one may not be in such a situation d) the claim that each one of us actually does better in our lives by taking those in need into account. C: the veil of ignorance is used to filter out such accidents of birth. A: Rawls explicitly rejects utilitarianism. B: Rawls accepts that human beings are self-interested. D: by favoring the needs of those least off those more advantaged may get less than they otherwise would have done.

2) Under the veil of ignorance, those convening to determine just principles of society a) come to know nothing about the way society works b) self-legislate those principles knowing only their own interests and characteristics, not those of others c) know and care nothing about the consequences of the principles they determine d) know nothing about their own interests and characteristics D: They consider the social contract under a selective amnesia when keeps them from knowing the particular characteristics that play a role in determining their self-interest. A: but they retain a basic knowledge of society. B: their own characteristics are forgotten while under the veil. C: they do care about the consequences, wanting to have the resources to lead a good life whoever they may turn out to be in the world. Quiz 7 (early class) 1) In holding that justice is fairness, Rawls makes the claim that a) resources are to be distributed in such a way that the least advantaged are benefitted b) everyone should have equal resources c) as long as one obtained resources in a just manner one should be allowed to keep those resources d) resources should be distributed to maximize the total amount of happiness in society A: This is the central point of Rawls system of justice as fairness. B: he rejects egalitarianism because it would deny incentives that would serve to help everyone. C: This is Nozick's opposing view. D: Rawls rejects utilitarianism because it violates self-interest: one cannot agree to a system that could ask you to give up all of the satisfactions available from the one life one has to live. 2) The imposition of a veil of ignorance during the conference for determining the basic principles of the society is designed to ensure that a) intelligence will not provide any advantage in the resulting society b) the conference members will not be able to favor their own self-interest c) knowledge of society and psychology will not interfere with the abstract notions of justice that will be the basis of the decisionmaking during the conference d) the decision will not be based at all on consequences B: one forgets one's characteristics so that one cannot argue for a social contract that favors people like you; it is a way of removing self-interest despite the assumption that humans are self-interested, A: One in fact wants intelligence to be used in the larger society; this is why egalitarianism is rejected. C: it is assumed that basic knowledge of society and psychology will be retained and used in the conference. D: it will be based on the consequence that provides the basic resources needed for a life to everyone, including the least advantaged.