Some Objections to Utilitarianism Include That It (A) Would Sanction

question 11

Multiple Choice

Some objections to utilitarianism include that it (a) would sanction murder in certain cases, (b) fails to adequately respect the value of persons, and (c) makes many of our everyday pursuits and activities immoral because they fail to optimize consequences. Which of the following best summarizes the common criticism to all three objections?

• A) Utilitarians moral judgments often conflict with the pretheoretical moral judgments we make in everyday life. As a theory, utilitarianism cannot explain them and the degree to which we think our pretheoretical moral judgments are true disconfirms utilitarianism.
• B) Utilitarianism cannot account for the feeling of moral shame or regret that one might feel when performing the act that maximizes utility.
• C) Utilitarianism demands too much of people's cognitive abilities to anticipate consequences.
• D) Agents are more likely to reverse-engineer anticipated consequences to satisfy utilitarian requirements for a course of action they already favor than to actually investigate what consequences they should expect.

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Definitions:

Fetal Movement

The motion or activities of a fetus inside the uterus, often felt by the mother from the second trimester and used as an indication of the fetus's well-being.

Second Trimester

The middle period of pregnancy, spanning from weeks 13 to 26, marked by significant fetal development and physical changes in the mother.

Deep Tendon Reflexes

The involuntary contractions of muscles in response to a sudden stretch caused by a sharp tap to a tendon, used as a diagnostic tool to assess the integrity of the nervous system.

Clonus

A neurological condition characterized by involuntary and rhythmic muscle contractions typically triggered by a sudden muscle stretch.