Lesson test: What makes an outcome good

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What makes an outcome good

1.[3p]
Match each theory of welfare to what it says a life going well consists in.

Hedonism
Preference satisfaction
Objective list
Hybrid views

getting what you want, whatever that is
pleasure and the absence of pain
items such as knowledge, friendship and achievement, wanted or not
an objectively worthwhile activity that the person also endorses

Show the answer

Hedonism: pleasure and the absence of pain Preference satisfaction: getting what you want, whatever that is Objective list: items such as knowledge, friendship and achievement, wanted or not Hybrid views: an objectively worthwhile activity that the person also endorses

2.[3p]
What does the experience machine aim to show?

That we value doing things and contact with reality, not just the experience of them, which hedonism cannot accommodate

Correct

That pleasure is impossible to measure

The answer is: That we value doing things and contact with reality, not just the experience of them, which hedonism cannot accommodate

That people are bad at predicting their own happiness

The answer is: That we value doing things and contact with reality, not just the experience of them, which hedonism cannot accommodate

That preferences are usually misinformed

The answer is: That we value doing things and contact with reality, not just the experience of them, which hedonism cannot accommodate

3.[2p]
De Brigard's 2010 result, that people told they are already in the machine mostly choose to stay, suggests part of the usual reaction is status quo bias.

True

Correct

False

The answer is: True

4.[3p]
What is the adaptive preference problem?

People in long deprivation adjust their wants downwards until they are met, so preference satisfaction makes oppression invisible

Correct

People prefer things that are bad for them

The answer is: People in long deprivation adjust their wants downwards until they are met, so preference satisfaction makes oppression invisible

Preferences change too often to measure

The answer is: People in long deprivation adjust their wants downwards until they are met, so preference satisfaction makes oppression invisible

People cannot report their preferences accurately

The answer is: People in long deprivation adjust their wants downwards until they are met, so preference satisfaction makes oppression invisible

5.[3p]
What is Railton's alienation objection to objective lists?

Something cannot be good for a person if it leaves them entirely cold

Correct

Lists always include too many items

The answer is: Something cannot be good for a person if it leaves them entirely cold

Lists cannot be compared between people

The answer is: Something cannot be good for a person if it leaves them entirely cold

Objective goods cannot be measured

The answer is: Something cannot be good for a person if it leaves them entirely cold

6.[3p]
A world of $10^{15}$ people at 0.01 units each has what total welfare, as a power of ten? Give the exponent.

CorrectNot quite: 13

7.[3p]
What is the Repugnant Conclusion?

That a vast population with lives barely worth living is better than a smaller population with excellent lives

Correct

That adding any person to a world makes it worse

The answer is: That a vast population with lives barely worth living is better than a smaller population with excellent lives

That welfare cannot be compared between people

The answer is: That a vast population with lives barely worth living is better than a smaller population with excellent lives

That the average view is incoherent

The answer is: That a vast population with lives barely worth living is better than a smaller population with excellent lives

8.[3p]
Which problems afflict the average view of population?

Select all that apply

Adding a person whose life is worth living but below average makes the world worse

Correct

It can favour adding a few suffering lives over many modest ones

Correct

The value of an act depends partly on people long dead

Correct

It entails the Repugnant Conclusion

The answer is: Adding a person whose life is worth living but below average makes the world worse, It can favour adding a few suffering lives over many modest ones, The value of an act depends partly on people long dead

9.[3p]
What is Rawls's separateness of persons objection?

Utilitarianism extends to society a principle of choice fit for one person, so one person's loss is treated as compensated by another's gain

Correct

Utilitarianism cannot rank outcomes at all

The answer is: Utilitarianism extends to society a principle of choice fit for one person, so one person's loss is treated as compensated by another's gain

Utilitarianism ignores consequences to future people

The answer is: Utilitarianism extends to society a principle of choice fit for one person, so one person's loss is treated as compensated by another's gain

Utilitarianism requires an objective list of goods

The answer is: Utilitarianism extends to society a principle of choice fit for one person, so one person's loss is treated as compensated by another's gain

1.[3p] Match each theory of welfare to what it says a life going well consists in.

2.[3p] What does the experience machine aim to show?

3.[2p] De Brigard's 2010 result, that people told they are already in the machine mostly choose to stay, suggests part of the usual reaction is status quo bias.

4.[3p] What is the adaptive preference problem?

5.[3p] What is Railton's alienation objection to objective lists?

6.[3p] A world of 1015 people at 0.01 units each has what total welfare, as a power of ten? Give the exponent.

7.[3p] What is the Repugnant Conclusion?

8.[3p] Which problems afflict the average view of population?

9.[3p] What is Rawls's separateness of persons objection?

1.[3p]
Match each theory of welfare to what it says a life going well consists in.

2.[3p]
What does the experience machine aim to show?

3.[2p]
De Brigard's 2010 result, that people told they are already in the machine mostly choose to stay, suggests part of the usual reaction is status quo bias.

4.[3p]
What is the adaptive preference problem?

5.[3p]
What is Railton's alienation objection to objective lists?

6.[3p]
A world of $10^{15}$ people at 0.01 units each has what total welfare, as a power of ten? Give the exponent.

7.[3p]
What is the Repugnant Conclusion?

8.[3p]
Which problems afflict the average view of population?

9.[3p]
What is Rawls's separateness of persons objection?