Question

on which of the following statements would a hedonic utilitarian and an idealist utilitarian disagree?some goods can be compared.some goods can't be directly compared.consequences are the only important consideration.some goods are preferable to others.

Answer 1

A hedonic utilitarian and an idealistic utilitarian would likely disagree on whether some goods can't be directly compared, with the idealist acknowledging qualitative differences in the value of different pleasures, which hedonic utilitarianism doesn't prioritize.

Step-by-step explanation:

A hedonic utilitarian and an idealistic utilitarian would most likely disagree on the statement 'some goods can't be directly compared.' Hedonic utilitarians, following Bentham's tradition, believe that all pleasures can be quantitatively compared, however, it is more challenging to provide an exact measure for various kinds of pleasure or happiness. On the other hand, idealistic utilitarians, inspired by John Stuart Mill, argue that pleasures can differ both quantitatively and qualitatively. Mill emphasized that some forms of pleasure, the higher pleasures such as intellectual and emotional joys, are preferable and cannot be directly compared to the lower forms of pleasure. This introduces a qualitative aspect to utility that hedonic utilitarians do not prioritize.

It is known that consequences are critical within utilitarian thought, and both hedonic and idealistic utilitarians consider them the main factor when assessing actions. Utilitarianism at its core involves considering whether actions will yield the greatest happiness for the greatest number, whether those happiness measures are qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of both.