PHIL 106 Midterm Exam Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025 Graded A+
What is hedonism? - Answers The view that the only thing that determines whether life is going well or
not is happiness/pleasure.
What is the distinction between intrinsic and instrumental value? - Answers intrinsically valuable:
valuable in itself
instrumentally valuable: valuable as a means to bringing about something good.
What is the distinction between physical and attitudinal pleasures and why is relevant to hedonism? -
Answers physical pleasures: sensations of pleasure
attitudinal pleasures: what you enjoy, they do not need to feel like anything in particular.
How could hedonists respond to the objection that immoral pleasures don't contribute to one's well-
being? - Answers pleasure, unless its morally wrong, is the only thing that is intrinsically valuable
What are some reasons to believe hedonism? - Answers 1. hedonism seems intuitively plausible (it
explains the items on our list of good things)
2. hedonism allows for many ways to live well
3. but it also allows that we could be wrong about what's good in life
4. it explains common sense rules for living a good life
Explain Mill's distinction between "higher" and "lower" pleasures and its relevance to hedonism. -
Answers higher pleasures make a greater contribution to well being than other pleasures
How do we know which pleasures are the higher ones? - Answers the higher pleasures are those
preferred by competent judges (those who have experienced the relevant pleasures)
What is Robert Nozick's idea of the "experience machine"? - Answers if you plug in you can experience
whatever you want. His point is that that happiness doesn't seem to make our life go as well as the same
experiences and happiness in a real life. We want to actually do stuff, not just have the experience of
doing it.
Why is it an objection to hedonism? - Answers according to hedonism, 2 lives would go equally well if
they involved the same experiences of pleasure and paint. but, a life outside the machine would go
better than a life plugged in, even if they both involved the same experiences of pleasure and pain.
Therefore, hedonism is false.
Explain the "False Happiness" objection to hedonism. - Answers if hedonism is true, happiness makes
the same contribution to well-being whether it is based on false or try beliefs. but, happiness based on
false beliefs contributes less to well being. therefore, hedonism is false.
, What is autonomy, and how could someone fail to have autonomy? - Answers autonomy is being able to
live a life dictated by your own decisions.
things that would undermine autonomy:
excessive political controls
misinformation
interference with one's mental abilities
How does the value of autonomy present a problem for hedonism? - Answers if hedonism is true,
autonomy makes a person's life go well. But, autonomy makes a person's life go well, even if it doesn't
make them happier. Therefore, hedonism is false.
Explain the "Life's trajectory" and "Unhappiness
as a symptom" objections to hedonism. - Answers unhappiness as a symptom:
what makes a life go badly is not that one is happiness, as hedonism claims, but the underlying reasons
for one's unhappiness.
you can be harmed even if you are not sad about it. If hedonism is true, you can be harmed by
something only because it saddens you. so, hedonism is false.
trajectory of a life:
the total amount of happiness of two lives is the same. but the better life is the one that started off with
low happiness and ended with high amounts of happiness.
What is the desire satisfaction theory? - Answers the view that your life goes well to the extent that you
get what you want. if something satisfies your desires, then its good for you. if something doesn't satisfy
your desires, then its not good for you.
How does the DST differ from hedonism? - Answers
is it better for us to satisfy some desires rather than others? - Answers
what are some advantages of the DST view? - Answers 1. it allows for there to be a variety of good lives
2. its up to each individual to determine what makes his or her life go well
3. it doesn't have trouble explaining how we know what's good for us
What is hedonism? - Answers The view that the only thing that determines whether life is going well or
not is happiness/pleasure.
What is the distinction between intrinsic and instrumental value? - Answers intrinsically valuable:
valuable in itself
instrumentally valuable: valuable as a means to bringing about something good.
What is the distinction between physical and attitudinal pleasures and why is relevant to hedonism? -
Answers physical pleasures: sensations of pleasure
attitudinal pleasures: what you enjoy, they do not need to feel like anything in particular.
How could hedonists respond to the objection that immoral pleasures don't contribute to one's well-
being? - Answers pleasure, unless its morally wrong, is the only thing that is intrinsically valuable
What are some reasons to believe hedonism? - Answers 1. hedonism seems intuitively plausible (it
explains the items on our list of good things)
2. hedonism allows for many ways to live well
3. but it also allows that we could be wrong about what's good in life
4. it explains common sense rules for living a good life
Explain Mill's distinction between "higher" and "lower" pleasures and its relevance to hedonism. -
Answers higher pleasures make a greater contribution to well being than other pleasures
How do we know which pleasures are the higher ones? - Answers the higher pleasures are those
preferred by competent judges (those who have experienced the relevant pleasures)
What is Robert Nozick's idea of the "experience machine"? - Answers if you plug in you can experience
whatever you want. His point is that that happiness doesn't seem to make our life go as well as the same
experiences and happiness in a real life. We want to actually do stuff, not just have the experience of
doing it.
Why is it an objection to hedonism? - Answers according to hedonism, 2 lives would go equally well if
they involved the same experiences of pleasure and paint. but, a life outside the machine would go
better than a life plugged in, even if they both involved the same experiences of pleasure and pain.
Therefore, hedonism is false.
Explain the "False Happiness" objection to hedonism. - Answers if hedonism is true, happiness makes
the same contribution to well-being whether it is based on false or try beliefs. but, happiness based on
false beliefs contributes less to well being. therefore, hedonism is false.
, What is autonomy, and how could someone fail to have autonomy? - Answers autonomy is being able to
live a life dictated by your own decisions.
things that would undermine autonomy:
excessive political controls
misinformation
interference with one's mental abilities
How does the value of autonomy present a problem for hedonism? - Answers if hedonism is true,
autonomy makes a person's life go well. But, autonomy makes a person's life go well, even if it doesn't
make them happier. Therefore, hedonism is false.
Explain the "Life's trajectory" and "Unhappiness
as a symptom" objections to hedonism. - Answers unhappiness as a symptom:
what makes a life go badly is not that one is happiness, as hedonism claims, but the underlying reasons
for one's unhappiness.
you can be harmed even if you are not sad about it. If hedonism is true, you can be harmed by
something only because it saddens you. so, hedonism is false.
trajectory of a life:
the total amount of happiness of two lives is the same. but the better life is the one that started off with
low happiness and ended with high amounts of happiness.
What is the desire satisfaction theory? - Answers the view that your life goes well to the extent that you
get what you want. if something satisfies your desires, then its good for you. if something doesn't satisfy
your desires, then its not good for you.
How does the DST differ from hedonism? - Answers
is it better for us to satisfy some desires rather than others? - Answers
what are some advantages of the DST view? - Answers 1. it allows for there to be a variety of good lives
2. its up to each individual to determine what makes his or her life go well
3. it doesn't have trouble explaining how we know what's good for us
