Rachel Lester

TERM PAPER:

- defend any theory; deontology,
utilitarianism,
absolutism, religious absolutism
- 4 1/2- 5 1/2 pages
- 1 in. margins, 12 pt. font
- site by author or page number or by
book
- depth in arguments for theory, as well
as
counteracting the critisisms


CRITISISMS OF UTILITARIANISM
1. diffucult to calculate
2. justifies preconcieved values
3. how long do you wait?
4. motive is irrelevant; in regards to act
5. too permissive- seems to condone
torture, and/or
murder of innocent under certain
circumstances.
-fatman stuck in cave example
-transplant example (kill one to save
many)
REBUTTAL & BAD SIDE EFFECTS
people would be afraid of hospitals,
wouldn't fill out
donor cards
RESPONSE (to rebuttal)
Publicity requirement; people need to
find out about
it for it to be wrong.
6. no guidance as to how happiness
should be
distributed
- the suffering of the minority can be
justified if it
brings enough happiness to the majority.
- sadistic pleasure also must be
accounted for- counts
as much as positive pleasure.

TWO WAYS TO MAXIMIZE HAPPINESS
1. increase level of happiness in existing
people.
2. increase the number of happy people
(while)
decreasing the average level of
happiness.