1. Consider again The Experience Machine from Week 2. Would you get in the machine? Carefully explain why or why not. 2. Utilitarianism is a deceptively simple moral theory that has quite a bit of intuitive appeal. But it also has its share of problems. How plausible do you find this account of the right making feature of acts? Clearly and carefully explain your answe Solution 2. Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the best moral action is the one that maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways, but is usually related to the well-being of sentient entities.Utility is the aggregate satisfaction of all involved in any action. John Stuart Mill explained the concept of utility to include not only the quantity, but quality of satisfaction, while focusing on rules, instead of individual moral actions. Others have rejected that pleasure has positive value and have advocated negative utilitarianism, which defines utility only in terms of suffering. As opposed to this hedonistic view, some define utility with relation to preference satisfaction whereas others believe that a range of values can be included in its definition. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, which states that the consequences of any action are the only standard of right and wrong. This view can be contrasted or combined with virtue ethics which holds virtue as a moral good. Some believe that one\'s intentions are also ethically important. Utilitarianism is distinctly different from other forms of consequentialism such as egoism as it considers all interests equally. Proponents of utilitarianism have been split about whether individual acts should conform to utility or whether agents should conform to ethical rules. Utilitarians additionally remain split about whether utility should be calculated as an aggregate or an average. Bentham is credited with founding utilitarianism when he wrote An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Since Bentham, prominent utilitarians have included John Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick, R.M. Hare and Peter Singer. The philosophy has been applied to modern issues including the suffering of non-human animals. Specifically, utilitarianism has been applied to the ethics of raising animals for food and the ethics of wild animal suffering. Effective altruism is a philosophy aimed at improving the world through evidence based means, which has been supported on utilitarian grounds. Opponents of utilitarianism have criticized it for many reasons. Some have said that utilitarianism ignores justice while others contend that utilitarianism is impractical. Others have said that pleasure is not commensurable across people with varying identities and thus the idea of aggregating utility is impossible..

1. 1. Consider again The Experience Machine from Week 2. Would you get in the machine?
Carefully explain why or why not.
2. Utilitarianism is a deceptively simple moral theory that has quite a bit of intuitive appeal. But
it also has its share of problems. How plausible do you find this account of the right making
feature of acts? Clearly and carefully explain your answe
Solution
2. Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the best moral action is the one that
maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways, but is usually related to the well-being of
sentient entities.Utility is the aggregate satisfaction of all involved in any action. John Stuart Mill
explained the concept of utility to include not only the quantity, but quality of satisfaction, while
focusing on rules, instead of individual moral actions. Others have rejected that pleasure has
positive value and have advocated negative utilitarianism, which defines utility only in terms of
suffering. As opposed to this hedonistic view, some define utility with relation to preference
satisfaction whereas others believe that a range of values can be included in its definition.
Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, which states that the consequences of any action are
the only standard of right and wrong. This view can be contrasted or combined with virtue ethics
which holds virtue as a moral good. Some believe that one's intentions are also ethically
important. Utilitarianism is distinctly different from other forms of consequentialism such as
egoism as it considers all interests equally. Proponents of utilitarianism have been split about
whether individual acts should conform to utility or whether agents should conform to ethical
rules. Utilitarians additionally remain split about whether utility should be calculated as an
aggregate or an average.
Bentham is credited with founding utilitarianism when he wrote An Introduction to the
Principles of Morals and Legislation. Since Bentham, prominent utilitarians have included John
Stuart Mill, Henry Sidgwick, R.M. Hare and Peter Singer. The philosophy has been applied to
modern issues including the suffering of non-human animals. Specifically, utilitarianism has
been applied to the ethics of raising animals for food and the ethics of wild animal suffering.
Effective altruism is a philosophy aimed at improving the world through evidence based means,
which has been supported on utilitarian grounds.
Opponents of utilitarianism have criticized it for many reasons. Some have said that
utilitarianism ignores justice while others contend that utilitarianism is impractical. Others have
said that pleasure is not commensurable across people with varying identities and thus the idea of
aggregating utility is impossible.