Philosphy 101 - Philosophy of Ethics - Take Home Exam

Johnny Korn

Philosophy of Ethics

2005006

Take Home Exam.

Short Response:

1.          J.S. Mill claims that it is ‘better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied. Mill’s point is one that seems fairly intuitive. Mill asserts there are ‘better’ and ‘worse’ pleasures. With all things being equal he states you would prefer the better pleasures to the worse from the highest being moral pleasure and the lowest being sensual pleasure. In fact, when it comes to doing philosophy or pigging out. the pleasure of philosophy is far much better that you would prefer than to eat out and for us, sleep all day. He would rather live as a being that knows he is miserable than to be one who is happy but not know he/she is miserable. .In making this point Mill is arguing against Jeremy Bentham who held the view that all pleasures should be counted the same in the ‘hedonic calculus’ that we use to determine the morally right course of action. Intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent. Mill’s counter argument is that there are some qualitative differences. That simply increasing the quantity of happiness is not enough.
2.          According to kant, good will is the only good without qualification. The good will is a will that acts for the sake of duty, as a "good-in-itself." It is only good when the will is Unconditional, Universal, absolute categorical imperative. It must follow three formulations. Act according to the maxim that at the same time you will be a universal law of nature, act in such a way to others always as a ends and never as mean. All maxims are rejected which is not consistent with one’s own legislation of the universal law. Virtue, power, wealth, health, and happiness are not good without qualification because Kant claims that anyone can have all those things but may not good and that only good will on its one can make something good.

Essay Question:

        The greatest happiness principle of Utilitarianism states at actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. According to Bentham’s hedonic calculation for utilitarianism is dispassionate because it’s based on quantitative differences. Which means it all about the numbers and lacks sentient or personal value. Along with that reason, it is also scientific. Utilitarianism assumes that the well-being of more will always be better than just the one. That as long as it deals with the good of the masses it is the “right” thing to do. With those things in mind, it is clearly objective. The goal is always to get the most amount of good for more people ( least wrong/ pain).