What is your answer?
Suppose that you're a teacher. A student with a low grade brings you a story about how a higher grade would help in getting into law school. Should you raise the grade for this reason? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - Sorry, but no. It's a useful practice for teachers to give accurate grades and for law schools to use these in deciding whom to admit. It's not a good practice for teachers to let themselves be talked into changing grades through student stories.
{ 2 } - Sorry, but no. It's unfair and wrong in itself to give a higher grade to you than to someone else who did the same level of work.
{ 3 } - Yes, I'll raise the grade -- since doing so will have the best consequences in this situation.
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Directions: Click on a number from 1 to 3.
1 is correct!
Suppose that you're a teacher. A student with a low grade brings you a story about how a higher grade would help in getting into law school. Should you raise the grade for this reason? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - Sorry, but no. It's a useful practice for teachers to give accurate grades and for law schools to use these in deciding whom to admit. It's not a good practice for teachers to let themselves be talked into changing grades through student stories.
{ 2 } - Sorry, but no. It's unfair and wrong in itself to give a higher grade to you than to someone else who did the same level of work.
{ 3 } - Yes, I'll raise the grade -- since doing so will have the best consequences in this situation.
Rule utilitarians think that we ought to follow socially useful rules.
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Before continuing, you might try some wrong answers.
2 is wrong. Please try again.
Suppose that you're a teacher. A student with a low grade brings you a story about how a higher grade would help in getting into law school. Should you raise the grade for this reason? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - Sorry, but no. It's a useful practice for teachers to give accurate grades and for law schools to use these in deciding whom to admit. It's not a good practice for teachers to let themselves be talked into changing grades through student stories.
{ 2 } - Sorry, but no. It's unfair and wrong in itself to give a higher grade to you than to someone else who did the same level of work.
{ 3 } - Yes, I'll raise the grade -- since doing so will have the best consequences in this situation.
A nonconsequentialist might answer this way. Rule utilitarians don't think that any kind of action is wrong in itself.
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3 is wrong. Please try again.
Suppose that you're a teacher. A student with a low grade brings you a story about how a higher grade would help in getting into law school. Should you raise the grade for this reason? Which of these responses might you give if you were a rule utilitarian?
{ 1 } - Sorry, but no. It's a useful practice for teachers to give accurate grades and for law schools to use these in deciding whom to admit. It's not a good practice for teachers to let themselves be talked into changing grades through student stories.
{ 2 } - Sorry, but no. It's unfair and wrong in itself to give a higher grade to you than to someone else who did the same level of work.
{ 3 } - Yes, I'll raise the grade -- since doing so will have the best consequences in this situation.
An act utilitarian might answer this way. A rule utilitarian would talk about socially useful rules.
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the end