What is your answer?
Suppose that you're a happily married man with a family that you love dearly. You are away on a business trip and are tempted to infidelity. Should you do it? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - I won't do it. It's useful here to follow the simple rule: "Never commit adultery." Men in this situation are bad decision makers. Those who calculate consequences often end up destroying their marriage and hurting the people they love.
{ 2 } - I won't do it. It would be wrong in itself to violate my marriage vows.
{ 3 } - I'll do it -- since a one-night stand would be pleasant and have no future bad results.
<= back | menu | forward =>
Directions: Click on a number from 1 to 3.
1 is correct!
Suppose that you're a happily married man with a family that you love dearly. You are away on a business trip and are tempted to infidelity. Should you do it? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - I won't do it. It's useful here to follow the simple rule: "Never commit adultery." Men in this situation are bad decision makers. Those who calculate consequences often end up destroying their marriage and hurting the people they love.
{ 2 } - I won't do it. It would be wrong in itself to violate my marriage vows.
{ 3 } - I'll do it -- since a one-night stand would be pleasant and have no future bad results.
Rule utilitarians think that we ought to follow socially useful rules. And they might hold that a strict rule against adultery will in the long run have the best consequences.
<= back | menu | forward =>
Before continuing, you might try some wrong answers.
2 is wrong. Please try again.
Suppose that you're a happily married man with a family that you love dearly. You are away on a business trip and are tempted to infidelity. Should you do it? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - I won't do it. It's useful here to follow the simple rule: "Never commit adultery." Men in this situation are bad decision makers. Those who calculate consequences often end up destroying their marriage and hurting the people they love.
{ 2 } - I won't do it. It would be wrong in itself to violate my marriage vows.
{ 3 } - I'll do it -- since a one-night stand would be pleasant and have no future bad results.
A nonconsequentialist might answer this way. Rule utilitarians don't think that any kind of action is wrong in itself.
<= back | menu | forward =>
3 is wrong. Please try again.
Suppose that you're a happily married man with a family that you love dearly. You are away on a business trip and are tempted to infidelity. Should you do it? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - I won't do it. It's useful here to follow the simple rule: "Never commit adultery." Men in this situation are bad decision makers. Those who calculate consequences often end up destroying their marriage and hurting the people they love.
{ 2 } - I won't do it. It would be wrong in itself to violate my marriage vows.
{ 3 } - I'll do it -- since a one-night stand would be pleasant and have no future bad results.
A foolish act utilitarian might answer this way -- and possibly destroy his marriage in the process. A rule utilitarian would talk about what rule is most useful for people in this situation to follow.
<= back | menu | forward =>
the end