PHL275H1 Lecture Notes - Consequentialism
Document Summary
Ross"s theory of what is good-objective list theory. The value of a pleasure depends on its duration and intensity. The value of knowledge depends on its generality, knowledge of general laws in science are the best type of knowledge. Ross thinks that pleasure is vastly inferior to virtue. He makes an objection towards hedonism about morally vicious pleasures-rather than having knowledge you just have opinions with no justification. His view is that virtue is infinitely better than pleasure (page 150). The relationship between the value of pleasure and virtue is like the relationship between a finite number and an infinite. Page 151-malicious pleasure in someone else"s pain, if pleasure were not infinitely inferior to virtue, then as the pleasure got more and more intense, my sadistic pleasure would be greater than the evil it involves for being malicious. Virtue is infinitely better than pleasure, and vice is infinitely worse.
