Name: Low Pik Koon

Student ID: 0310365

FORUM 2 : Online Discussion ( Individual)
Date: 19 MARCH 2014
Time: 2.00 4.00PM

Instructions:
a. Please ensure that you post your answer within the stipulated time
(2.00p.m. 4.00p.m.)
b. Besides your feedback, do please ensure that you comment (review) on
your friends postings as well.
c. Marks will be deducted for late postings.

Question
What is the difference between act and rule utilitarianism? Please illustrate
the difference using examples/situations.
The difference between act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism is that
act utilitarianism doesn't judge the value of an action in terms of laws. Besides
that, act utilitarianism believes that the right action makes more people happy.
The principle of act utilitarianism is applied directly to a particular action in a
particular circumstance. One must decide what action will bring about the
greatest good for the greatest number in the circumstance that would have
arisen. For example, if you are in a situation where lying would bring about
the greatest good then, you should lie. Act Utilitarianism support the view that
it is the value of the consequences of the particular act that count, so if
breaking the law would lead to the greatest good for the majority then it
would be the correct act to follow.
For rule utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism judges the value of an action
in terms of laws. Rule utilitarianism also believes that an action can be morally
right if it conforms to the rules that lead to happiness. The principle of rule
utilitarianism is applied to a selection of a set of rules which are in turn used
to determine what to do in particular situations. Rule Utilitarianism, states
that you must follow the rules even if it doesnt lead to the greatest pleasure
for the individual at the time. It focuses solely on the idea that you should
follow the rule that will bring about the greatest good within the community.
For example, you are sitting in an exam, and you realize that you have
revised the wrong questions. But then you realize that you have left your
revision notes in your pocket, so you have the choice of sneaking them out and
cheating in your exam. In this situation, ascribed to Act Utilitarianism, you
would look at the consequences of that single action. You would say that
cheating would produce the most happiness for you and for your family, as
you would get a good grade which would allow you to go to a good college and
get a good job etc. By calculating the outcome of this single action, you would
think it was worthwhile. So you would cheat.
If you ascribed to Rule Utilitarianism, you would need to consider what
the long term consequences would be if everyone cheated in their exams. You
would think that if everyone cheated, you would have doctors, lawyers,
teachers who weren't able to do their jobs properly, resulting in chaos and a
break down in trust in society, as people wouldn't trust that their doctors
knew how to heal them. So by calculating the eventual outcome, you would
decide that there would be far more harm in cheating in the long run, and you
would fail your exam.