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What
Philosophy Is
Hedonistic Utilitarianism
As you read the material for the next class, keep the questions below
in mind. To answer these questions you will have to reflect critically
on what you have read and possibly re-read important passages. Keep in
mind that there are two basic kinds of information that you need to look
for in the readings.
- What are the main points or conclusions that an author accepts with
respect to a particular issue?
- What are the reasons or important considerations that lead the author
to accept that conclusion?
For our purposes, it is information of the latter sort (2) that
will be our primary concern since our most basic task is to evaluate
the reasons that are offered to support accepting one possible
conclusion about an issue, rather than another.
Although I strongly suggest that you write out brief answers to these
questions, you do not have to turn in written responses. You do, however,
need to be prepared to speak intelligently to these issues in the next
class meeting. Also, it is reasonable to assume that the final exam’s
questions will be drawn from these questions—particularly those
in bold.
Readings:
- Jeremy Bentham, “The Principle of Utility” (handout).
- Robert Nozick, “The Experience Machine” from Stephen M.
Cahn (ed.), Philosophy for the 21st Century, pp. 580-581.
Questions:
- According to Jeremy Bentham, what is pleasure? How would you describe
the “calculus” of pleasures that he lays out? Why is he
concerned with pleasure, i.e., what role is it supposed to play in his
moral theory? Bentham maintains that an action should be evaluated by
the net pleasure of all involved, and not just by the amount of pleasure
the person performing it receives. What argument could he have to reject
egoism? Does this mean we have to care about animals, which also experience
pleasure?
- Robert Nozick claims that “we learn that something matters to
us in addition to experience by imagining an experience machine and
then realizing that we would not use it”. What is his argument
to justify this claim? Do you believe it is true or would you rather
use the machine? Why or why not?
- Assuming that pleasure and pain are kinds of experiences (how
could they not be?), then does Nozick’s argument refute Bentham’s
claim that “it is from them alone to point out what we ought to
do”? Which position is supported by the strongest and most compelling
argument?
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