Notes or Thursday 11/01/2001

Grade Estimate Scale (based off of the
test)
A= 38-45 points
B= 31-37 points
C=24-30 points
D=20-23 points
F=0-19 points
The number of points that you got on your
test is an estimate of what your grade is.
-Next exam will be 11/15/01, he will hand
out a study guide next class period. It will
cover Utilitarianism and Deontology.
-Assignments for next week:
-Rosenstand 211-248
-Pojman 292-293; 297-317
-For the paper, if you want to start, will be
to take one of the broad ethical theories
that we have studied and defend it. He
will give more guidelines next week.
Should be 5 pages double spaced.
-he handed out an extra credit
assignment due by 11/15/01, 5 points
extra credit to be added to your test score
Utilitarianism-
-Utility: Pleasure and the absence of
pain. Net pleasure. Happiness.
-Utilitarian theory of value: Hedonism:
The view that only pleasure is intrinsically
valuable
-Intrinsic values: Valuable for their own
sake (eg. Laughing, happiness)
-Extrinsic/Instrumental values: Valuable
only as means to something else (eg
money, college degree, running)
Hedonism says pleasure is the only
intrinsic value.

Other intrinsic goods?
Education/Knowledge Art
Freedom Spirituality/Wisdom
Achievement
Expression/communication

Nozick’s experience machine: you could
program this machine to experience
anything you want. It’s all in your mind.
You wouldn’t live anything that you
experience. Would you give up the rest of
your life for that??

-Are pleasurable experiences the only
thing intrinsically valuable?

Theory of action: Consequentialism
-The rightness or wrongness of an act
consists in its consequences or results.
NOT in some quality in the act itself
-In your actions you must maximize utility
and happiness.
-MILL: The greatest good for the greatest
number
What’s better bringing ten units of
happiness to ten people, or one unit each
to one hundred people??
-An act which produces more happiness
than unhappiness. Per utilitarianism, is
that act morally right?
-If you are note producing the most
amount of happiness possible, than the
act is wrong. Even if you are producing
more happiness than unhappiness.
Criticism’s:
-Too difficult to calculate consequences,
no certainty
-Bentham, Mill would say: You can’t
expect perfection, make an educated
guess, and you can use rules of
thumb-practical guidelines.