Self-Quiz 2.3: John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism

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The Greatest Happiness Principle holds that

actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. correct incorrect

happiness is the only thing that is valuable, the reverse of happiness is the only thing that is disvaluable. correct incorrect

this is the best of all possible worlds because in it is the greatest possible happiness. correct incorrect

the greatest happiness comes from praising God and the greatest pain comes from rejecting God. correct incorrect

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According to Mill, which of the following are desirable as ends?

Pleasure correct incorrect

Freedom from pain correct incorrect

Both of the above correct incorrect

None of the above correct incorrect

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Mill maintains that the business of ethics is to

tell us what our duties are. correct incorrect

determine the worth of agents. correct incorrect

identify good motives. correct incorrect

All of the above correct incorrect

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Which of the following actions would Mill categorize as right?

Saving a drowning man for the sake of maximizing happiness correct incorrect

Saving a drowning man for the sake of getting a reward correct incorrect

Saving a drowning man for the sake of pleasing God. correct incorrect

All of the above correct incorrect

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According to Mill, to be virtuous, a person must always

consider the happiness of society at large. correct incorrect

be motivated by the Greatest Happiness Principle. correct incorrect

actually maximize happiness. correct incorrect

None of the above correct incorrect

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Mill argues that, according to the utilitarian doctrine, lying is

always morally permissible. correct incorrect

always morally impermissible. correct incorrect

usually morally permissible. correct incorrect

usually morally impermissible. correct incorrect

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According to Mill, what is the function of secondary moral principles?

To guide decisions via intermediate generalizations correct incorrect

To encode exceptionless rules of conduct correct incorrect

To determine who is virtuous and who is vicious correct incorrect

None of the above (they have no function) correct incorrect

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According to Mill, when should the first principles of morality be appealed to in decision-making?

Always correct incorrect

Never correct incorrect

When secondary principles conflict correct incorrect

When happiness is irrelevant correct incorrect