Chapter 10
Consequentialism and Utility
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
1. Teleological or utilitarianism are two terms that define ________-based ethical
thinking.
2. ________________ took the theories of Jeremy Bentham with a more nuanced set of
insights for people using teleological thought.
3. A deontologist thinker focuses on the ___________ that a person might have.
Answers to fill-in-the-blank questions
1. “Teleo–“ is a term that relates to “duty.”
2. Most mass communicators, without deep thinking, tend to use consequentialism as
their focus when facing an issue.
3. A person using teleological theory recognizes that people may be hurt sometimes by
your decisions.
4. Clifford Christians and others argue that teleology is inappropriate because it does
not take a person’s motives or moral obligations into account.
5. A person using act utilitarianism thinking is more likely to choose the right result
than someone using general utilitarianism thinking.
6. If we face the choice of stopping to help an accident victim or keep a lunch date, a
deontologist might say that a greater good will be served by helping the victim, while a
teleologist might suggest we have a duty to keep our promises.
7. A crude way to say it is that a consequentialist says “the ends justify the means.”
Answers to true/false questions
1. Everything is situational under the principles of:
A. the categorical imperative.
B. act utilitarianism
C. general utilitarianism
D. rule utilitarianism
E. Peirce’s epistemology
2. Most consequentialist thinking focuses on all of these EXCEPT:
A. the duties you have.
B. what might happen.
C. how to do the most good for the most people.
D. how to do the least harm.
E. how to maximize happiness.
3. Which philosopher outlined a “hedonic calculator” of pleasures and pains?
A. John Stuart Mill
B. Immanuel Kant
C. Jeremy Bentham
D. John Rawls
E. William David Ross
4. Of the seven dimensions of utility defined by Bentham, which one does NOT apply to
individuals but instead applies to groups?
A. intensity
B. duration
C. extent
D. purity
E. certainty
For 5 through 7, match the category of utilitarianism with its description.
5. Rule
6. General
7. Act
A. Determine which maxims will bring about the best result.
B. No use of rules in determining which action might bring about the best result.
C. Asking “What would happen if everyone were to do this?” when making a decision.
8. William Frankena’s “Theory of Obligation” includes all of these guidelines EXCEPT:
A. One ought not to inflict evil or harm.
B. One ought to prevent evil or harm.
C. One ought to remove evil.
D. One ought to punish those who do evil or harm.
E. One ought to do or promote good.
9. If we say that TV violence leads to desensitization in viewers, then we’re describing
TV’s:
A. utility
B. function
C. disorientation
D. beneficence
E. dysfunction
10. When gatekeepers apply definitions of newsworthiness (impact, conflict, proximity,
prominence, etc.), then their decision-making process is similar to that encouraged by:
A. John Stuart Mill
B. Immanuel Kant
C. Jeremy Bentham
D. John Rawls
E. William David Ross
11. If a journalist publishes a photo of a drunken driver who caused an accident on the
way to the prom, and justifies it by saying “This may embarrass one person, but is
worth it because it will benefit many others in the long run,” then the journalist would
be considered a:
A. deontologist.
B. utilitarian.
C. nihilist.
D. ethical relativist.
E. A and C.
Answers to multiple choice questions
1. Discuss the pros and cons of teleological ethical approaches to a specific mass media
problem in your discipline.
2. Compare and contrast teleological theory with deontological theory. Provide a mass
media-related example.