Bentham & Kant

• what is the sole intrinsic good in act utilitarianism?

  Happiness/pleasure
• what was the purpose of the hedonic calculus ?

  To help people measure pleasure and pain
• why do some people think there is the potential for injustice in Benthams theory ?

  it would be unjust to favor minority rights over those of the majority . In the case of injustices often cited,e.g rape, applying all the calculus criteria would mean that such injustices could never be justified .
• give a strength of Benthams act utilitarianism ?

  each person affected by the action was to have equal consideration .
• What is the categorical imperative?

  Kant's statement of the basic moral principle by which we determine what we ought and ought not to do.
• What's a postulate?


  an assumption that is made to make sense of moral choices
• what is known as the supreme good and the reward of perfect happiness ?

  the summum bonum
• According to kant why should humans do what is right ?


  It is part of what it means to be a rational human

  being.
• why did Kant reject humes idea of ethics as linked to self interest desires emotions and consequences ?

  Because all of them are subject to change.
• What are the three formulations of the categorical imperative ?

  Universalisability of the principle underlying

  the action; people never to be treated solely as

  a means to an end; act as if making rules for a

  society that treated people as ends in themselves.
• Give two ways in which Benthams theory is compatible with christian approaches

  -Compassion is a key feature in both; Jesus on

  occasion set rules aside, when human need

  demanded it, and this is in line with Bentham's

  views.
• give two points in which kants theory is compatible with christian approaches ?

  - Both Kant's Categorical Imperative and Aquinas'

  natural moral law are based on the use of

  reason; Kant's first formulation of the Categorical

  Imperative (universalisability) is similar to Jesus'

  Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have

  them do unto you)
• Give two points which suggest that kants ethical theory is not compatible with christian approaches .

  -it is a secular theory in line with eighteenth century thought . Our sense of moral obligation comes from our nature as rational beings and has nothing to do with god.

  - cold theory about duty not love