. Act-utilitarianism is the view that a. The rightness of actions depends solely on the character of the agent. b. The rightness of actions depends solely on the relative good produced by individual actions. c. The rightness of actions depends solely on conformity to rules of conduct that produce at least as much utility as any other rule applicable in the situation. d. The rightness of actions depends on a good will. 2. Rule utilitarianism is the view that a. The rightness of actions depends solely on the character of the agent. b. The rightness of actions depends solely on the relative good produced by individual actions. c. The rightness of actions depends solely on conformity to rules of conduct that produce at least as much utility as any other rule applicable in the situation. d. The rightness of actions depends on a good will.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answers:
- b. The rightness of actions depends solely on the relative good produced by individual actions.
- c. The rightness of actions depends solely on conformity to rules of conduct that produce at least as much utility as any other rule applicable in the situation.
Explanation:
Act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism are two branches of the broader ethical theory of utilitarianism, which holds that the morality of an action depends on its consequences—specifically, the amount of happiness or utility it produces.
Act-utilitarianism focuses on individual actions. According to this view, an action is morally right if it produces the greatest amount of good (or utility) compared to any other action available in that situation. The key idea is to evaluate each action based on its specific consequences. For example, if telling a lie in a particular situation would result in greater overall happiness than telling the truth, then the lie is considered morally right in that context. Therefore, option b is correct for act-utilitarianism because it emphasizes the evaluation of each individual act based on the relative good it produces.
Rule-utilitarianism, on the other hand, evaluates the morality of actions based on rules that, when followed generally, lead to the greatest good. Instead of looking at each action separately, rule-utilitarians consider whether the action conforms to a set of rules that, if universally followed, would maximize utility. For example, a rule like “do not lie” might produce more overall happiness if it were consistently followed, even if in some particular cases lying might seem to have better outcomes. This makes option c correct for rule-utilitarianism because it bases morality on conformity to utility-maximizing rules.
In essence, act-utilitarianism is more flexible but potentially unpredictable, while rule-utilitarianism offers more consistency but less situational adaptability. Both aim to maximize happiness but apply different methods of evaluation.
