Activities in Chapter 5 Lesson 2

ACTIVITY 1
Make a critique of Utilitarianism. List down the advantages and disadvantages of utilitarianism
on their perspective column below:
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGE
1. Promotes a Happier World 1. Society does not solely focus on
happiness when making choices.
Utilitarians, in a nut shell, want
everyone and everything to be happy. Utilitarianism suggests that the only
This method of decision making could item of intrinsic worth is happiness,
be very beneficial, because it helps but there are also other commodities
that are worth considering. Having life
people to truly think about the effects
is something that provides value to
of their actions.
people. Being free to make your own
choices has a certain worth that
2. Strong Sense of Purpose. shouldn’t be ignored. When love is in
the picture, the relationships that
When you look at every decision cause this emotional reaction are also
you make with a utilitarian view, present.
every decision becomes very
2. Outcomes are unpredictable when
important to you.
dealing with the future.
3. Utilitarianism follows Utilitarianism wants people to look

democratic principles. into the future, and then predict
today what will bring them a
The fastest and fairest way to maximum level of happiness today.
make decisions on a nationwide Because nothing beyond the present
scale is to balance the differing moment is guaranteed, there is no
feasible way to implement the
interest of people through a
concepts of this theory. You are
majority vote. When there is a always working from an assumption.
majority present for a vote, then
the outcome is considered the 3. We Can’t Predict The Future
“right” course of action to take. If
there is not, then the measure If you are judging your actions based
under consideration is “wrong.” on the outcome, then there is no way
That doesn’t mean you need to to make an accurate judgment. It is
extremely difficult to correctly
agree with the outcome, but it
determine what the exact
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does suggest that you must consequences of your actions will be.
accept it. This makes the ideals behind
utilitarianism a mute point.
4. It uses an objective process to
4. Favoritism Is Natural
decide what is right or wrong.
How can someone make a utilitarian
When we make a choice, then there
decision if their own loved ones are
is always a consequence for our on the line? This is not possible,
actions. The outcome might bring because your instincts will take over
something positive, something and you will make the decision that is
negative, or a mixture of the two. It is in the favor of those you love.
through these measurements that
Utilitarianism seeks to define
morality. By recognizing the
outcomes that bring happiness more
often, we can all work toward an
independent and objective way to
determine what is right and wrong
on a personal level.
ACTIVITY 2
Bentham’views the law as not monolithic and immutable. What does it mean? When do we
change a law?
 Bentham is a utilitarian, which means that he judges the moral rightness or wrongness
of an action based on the outcome. According to this viewpoint, “good” laws will result
in the greatest good (as variously defined) for the greatest number of people. Because
societies change, if laws do not change to keep up, they may stop producing the greatest
good. A monolithic and immutable Law would not be able to adapt, and, in fact we do
change our laws as times change, thus Law cannot be considered as such.
ACTIVITY 3
Utilitarians focus their attention on happiness or pleasure as the ultimate end of moral
decisions. What does this mean? Cite examples of pleasure that makes human happy?
 Utilitarianism is a theory that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its
contribution to overall utility in maximizing happiness or pleasure as summed across all
people. The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is, therefore, the total
utility of individuals that is important here. Also it starts from the basis that pleasure and
happiness are intrinsically disvaluable, and that anything else has value only in its
causing happiness or preventing suffering or as means to an end. They’re focus on
happiness or pleasure as the ultimate end of moral decisions because they believe that
the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of good things in
the world and decreasing the amount of bad things. And based on my research, here are
some examples of pleasure that makes human happy. For example, the mesolimbic
dopamine system linked to addiction also makes people feel pleasure when they give to
others. If you measure hormones and activity in the body and the brain when people are
being helpful or cooperating, you can see that pleasure happens.
TEST YOURSELF
1. B
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. D
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ACTIVITY 1

3. Utilitarianism follows Utilitarianism wants people to look

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