In ancient Rome, Christians were fed to the lions in a public spectacle intended to entertain the masses. Which of the following sounds most like something that Mill might say about this situation?:
a) Since all pleasures are of the same quality, all that matters, morally speaking, is the quantity of pleasure that the crowd derives from the spectacle minus the quantity of pain experienced by the Christians who are being fed to the lions.
b) The principle of utility is a good theory in most situations. But in extreme situations like this, we need to do what is moral rather than what the principle of utility tells us to do. For this reason, it is wrong to feed the Christians to the lions.
c) Some pleasures, because they are of a low quality, do not deserve to be given equal weight or priority when deciding what to do. The pleasure obtained from watching someone being fed to a lion is likely to be one such pleasure. So the pain suffered by the Christians should factor into my deliberations more heavily than the pleasure enjoyed by the spectators.
d) b and c.
e) a and c.
The correct answer is letter C
D) b and c
B&c
To determine which option sounds most like something that Mill might say about the situation of Christians being fed to lions in ancient Rome, we should consider Mill's ethical framework of utilitarianism.
Mill's utilitarianism states that the morally right action is the one that produces the greatest amount of overall happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people. Let's assess each option in light of this principle:
a) Option a suggests that the moral assessment of the situation should be based on the total amount of pleasure the crowd derives from the spectacle minus the quantity of pain experienced by the Christians being fed to the lions. This aligns with the utilitarian idea that the overall quantity of pleasure and pain should be considered when evaluating the morality of an action. However, the statement "all pleasures are of the same quality" is not in line with Mill's view, as he believed that some pleasures were of higher quality than others.
b) Option b acknowledges the general validity of the principle of utility but argues that extreme situations may require actions contrary to utilitarianism. This sentiment is not in line with Mill's views, as he believed that the principle of utility applies universally and guides moral decision-making in all situations.
c) Option c recognizes that some pleasures may have lower quality and argues that the pain suffered by the Christians should be given more substantial consideration compared to the pleasure of the spectators. This statement aligns with Mill's idea that not all pleasures are of equal quality and that the higher quality pleasures should be prioritized.
d) Option d combines options b and c, neither of which fully captures Mill's position.
e) Option e combines options a and c. While the consideration of the quantity of pleasure and pain aligns with Mill's utilitarianism, the assertion that "all pleasures are of the same quality" in option a goes against his view.
Considering the above analysis, option c ("Some pleasures, because they are of a low quality, do not deserve to be given equal weight or priority when deciding what to do. The pleasure obtained from watching someone being fed to a lion is likely to be one such pleasure. So the pain suffered by the Christians should factor into my deliberations more heavily than the pleasure enjoyed by the spectators.") sounds most like something that Mill might say about this situation.
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