Self Quiz Chapter 7: Consequentialist Ethics: Act Utilitarianism

. Hedonists maintain that values other than pleasure are all

instrumental values leading to pleasure.

foundational values.

foundational values that are less important than pleasure.

irrelevant.

. Which of the following is true regarding the difference between happiness and pleasure?

Experiencing pleasure does not ensure or equate to happiness.

Pleasure is usually a long-term experience that relates to fulfillment.

Happiness is "fleeting"-usually a fairly brief experience.

Happiness mainly depends on the senses while pleasure is more a state of mind.

. _______ has to do with the likelihood of a particular effect resulting from an action.

Duration

Probability

Quality

Scope

. According to Mill, "higher" pleasures

should count more than "lower" pleasures.

can be experienced universally.

are the only valuable pleasures in life.

None of the above

. Act utilitarians argue that the calculation problem can largely be sidestepped. This is because

doing calculations are good for everyone.

doing calculations results in a "higher" pleasure.

we can simply do what we are told is right.

we can do what experience shows will usually produce greater overall utility.

. Act utilitarians often treat "scope" as including

only autonomous humans.

only human adults.

any being that can experience pain (e.g., is sentient).

any living being.

. For a concept of utility, we need something that is fairly predictable, observable, and measurable.

True

False

. According to act utilitarianism, lying can be wrong in some cases but morally right in other cases.

True

False

. Act utilitarianism defines the morally right act for any situation as the act that produces the greatest overall utility for the person doing the act.

True

False

. Preference utilitarianism is questionable as an ethical theory, since it is possible for people to prefer or want just about anything.

True

False

Quiz Content