1) Early in the text Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill (2014) says that that utilitarianism is based on a "theory of life" that some have called "a doctrine worthy only of swine." What is this "theory of life," and how does he draw upon it to defend the utilitarian theory of morality? What do critics mean when they call this a "doctrine worthy only of swine," and how does Mill respond to that criticism? Do you think that his response vindicates this "theory of life", or is he mistaken about what has ultimate value in human life? Finally, does his view make utilitarianism more plausible or less plausible as a moral theory? Your posts should demonstrate that you have read and thought critically about Mill's text.
2) Singer reasons for what he calls the "basic principle of equality". What is this principle and how is it supposed to be applied? What reasoning does he give that this principle should be applied to non-human animals? Do you agree? On what basis do you think we should determine which types of beings should be treated with equal moral consideration?