ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Applied Ethics
1. How can we define “good” actions? What is the good life? How do human
beings actually think about and make moral decisions?
2. How can short pieces of literature -- through narrative structure (flashback,
pacing, frames), plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution),
imagery, narrative point of view, metaphor, characterization, setting, irony
– suggest, describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to ethical dilemmas?
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
1. Paraphrasing
2. Analysis
3. Use of literary elements in writing
4. Transitions and Recursivity
5. Comparison and Connection
Utilitarianism
The Pursuit of Happiness


18th century – David Hume
Classical utilitarianism's two most influential contributors are Jeremy Bentham and
John Stuart Mill. Bentham, who takes happiness as the measure for utility, says, "it is
the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and
wrong".[1]
Foundational Utilitarianism
 The moral quality of action should be judged by its
consequences on human happiness – the sum of pleasures
and pains. We should aim at the ‘greatest happiness for the
greatest number’.
 Ethics should be studied rationally, like a science.
 When making a decision the happiness of all people must be
considered, not just the individual directly making the
decision. Moral decision-making involves adding up the
likely pleasure and pain that will likely be a consequence of
the action. The fancy term for this is consequentialism.
 It is possible that the exact same action – say, killing a man –
can be moral in one instance – shooting an unarmed Hitler in
1939 – because it overall increases the pleasure and
minimizes the pain of the most number of people and
immoral in another instance – shooting an unarmed
pedestrian.
 Bethem proposed something called Hedonic Calculus – to
consider how ultimately pleasurable an action is, and thus
how moral, Benthem proposed we work our way through
this formula. Benthem even came up with a new word for
the goal – something “felicific” brings the greatest
happiness to the greatest number. Here’s are two
examples of this:
Action # 1: eating a
Scapp’s Chicken
Parm sandwich for
lunch
Intensity – how strong is the
pleasure?
reasonably
pleasurable
Duration – how long will the
pleasure last?
the way I eat, five
minutes
Certainty – how certain is it that
pleasure will result from the
action?
those sandwiches
are pretty good, but
sometimes I eat too
fast and get
hearburn.
Propinquity – how soon will the
pleasure occur?
Immediate
Fecundity – How probable is it
that the action will be followed by
more pleasure, for you and for
others?
Very slim. Once it
is gone, I’m left
with nothing.
Purity – How free from pain is
the action, for you and for others
This is pretty benign
– I guess it causes
pain to the chicken
killed and maybe to
the wage -workers
who process the
chicken.
Extent – How many people will
be impacted by this action?
Me and the Scapp’s
family, the chickens,
and the workers
(although minimally
– if I stopped eating
the sandwich, it
would probably
make no difference)
RESULT
This action is
basically felicific
and thus reasonably
moral.
Action # 2: State’s
decision to execute a
murderer.
Action # 3: Decision to
save the baby’s life.
Utilitarianism
The Pursuit of Happiness (note sheet)
Foundational Utilitarianism
 Major Figures and Time Period =
 Moral Action =
 How should morality be assessed?
 Consequentialism =
 Are any actions universally good?

Hedonic Calculus =
Applied Ethics
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1. How can we define “good” actions? What is the good life? How do human
beings actually think about and make moral decisions?
2. How can short films -- through narrative structure, point of view, titling,
characterization, plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution), setting,
atmosphere, soundtrack, cinematography (movement, framing, focus, color,
composition) -- suggest, describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to
complex ethical dilemmas?
3. How can short pieces of literature -- through narrative structure (flashback,
pacing, frames), plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution), imagery,
narrative point of view, metaphor, characterization, setting, irony – suggest,
describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to ethical dilemmas?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Applied Ethics
1. How can we define “good” actions? What is the good life? How do human
beings actually think about and make moral decisions?
2. How can short films -- through narrative structure, point of view, titling,
characterization, plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution), setting,
atmosphere, soundtrack, cinematography (movement, framing, focus, color,
composition) -- suggest, describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to
complex ethical dilemmas?
3. How can short pieces of literature -- through narrative structure (flashback,
pacing, frames), plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution), imagery,
narrative point of view, metaphor, characterization, setting, irony – suggest,
describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to ethical dilemmas?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Applied Ethics
3. How can we define “good” actions? What is the good life? How do human
beings actually think about and make moral decisions?
4. How can short pieces of literature -- through narrative structure (flashback,
pacing, frames), plot (exposition, conflict, rising action, resolution),
imagery, narrative point of view, metaphor, characterization, setting, irony
– suggest, describe, exemplify, and/or add complexity to ethical dilemmas?
Utilitarianism
The Pursuit of Happiness
Foundational Utilitarianism
 The moral quality of action should be judged by its
consequences on human happiness – the sum of pleasures
and pains. We should aim at the ‘greatest happiness for the
greatest number’.
 Ethics should be studied rationally, like a science.
 When making a decision the happiness of all people must be
considered, not just the individual directly making the
decision. Moral decision-making involves adding up the
likely pleasure and pain that will likely be a consequence of
the action. The fancy term for this is consequentialism.
 It is possible that the exact same action – say, killing a man –
can be moral in one instance – shooting an unarmed Hitler in
1939 – because it overall increases the pleasure and
minimizes the pain of the most number of people and
immoral in another instance – shooting an unarmed
pedestrian.
 Bethem proposed something called Hedonic Calculus – to
consider how ultimately pleasurable an action is, and thus
how moral, Benthem proposed we work our way through
this formula. Benthem even came up with a new word for
the goal – something “felicific” brings the greatest
happiness to the greatest number. Here’s are two
examples of this:
Action # 1: eating a
Scapp’s Chicken
Parm sandwich for
lunch
Intensity – how strong is the
pleasure?
reasonably
pleasurable
Duration – how long will the
pleasure last?
the way I eat, five
minutes
Certainty – how certain is it that
pleasure will result from the
action?
those sandwiches
are pretty good, but
sometimes I eat too
fast and get
hearburn.
Propinquity – how soon will the
pleasure occur?
Immediate
Fecundity – How probable is it
that the action will be followed by
more pleasure, for you and for
others?
Very slim. Once it
is gone, I’m left
with nothing.
Purity – How free from pain is
the action, for you and for others
This is pretty benign
– I guess it causes
pain to the chicken
killed and maybe to
the wage -workers
who process the
chicken.
Extent – How many people will
be impacted by this action?
Me and the Scapp’s
family, the chickens,
and the workers
(although minimally
– if I stopped eating
the sandwich, it
would probably
make no difference)
RESULT
This action is
basically felicific
and thus reasonably
moral.
Action # 2: State’s
decision to execute a
murderer.
Action # 3: Decision to
save the baby’s life.
Utilitarianism
The Pursuit of Happiness (note sheet)
Foundational Utilitarianism
 Major Figures and Time Period =
 Moral Action =
 How should morality be assessed?
 Consequentialism =
 Are any actions universally good?

Hedonic Calculus =