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Utilitarianism - notes
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- 1What is Utilitarianism? - Utilitarianism is an ethical theory behind justifications. - U. is a teleological theory of ethics, the opposite of deontological ethical theories (based on moral rules, whether the action is right/wrong)- Teleological theories look at the consequences of an action. Whether is it right or wrong.
- Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory. - 2- Theory of U. began w/ J. Bentham -> a way of working out how good/bad consequence of an action would be. - Bentham: concerned w/ social and legal reform & he wanted to develop an ethical theory which established whether something was good/bad -> benefit for the majority of the people.- Called the principle of utility.
- p.o.u: often expressed as 'the greatest good of the greatest number'
- 'good' -> pleasure of happiness.
- an act is right/wrong according to the good/bad that results from the act and the good act is most pleasurable. - 3- greater number -> B's theory is quantitative. - J. Bentham developed his system around the idea of pleasure -> based on ancient Hedonism (Hedonism pursued physical pleasure and pain)- most moral acts max. pleasure and min. pain. <- called the 'utilitarian calculus'.
- 4The origins of Hedonism - idea of 'good' is defined in terms of pleasure & happiness -> makes u. a hedonistic theory. - Greek philosophers - eudaimonia - 'well-being'. - Plato & Aristotle agreed: 'good' = the greatest happiness.- Epicureans stressed 'pleasure' as main aim of life.
- ultimate end of human desires + actions (Aristotle thought) = happiness through pleasure, but not the chief aim of life.
- Pleasure not the same as happiness. - 5Pain vs. pleasure - Bentham said "the p.o.u aims to promote happiness -> the supreme ethical value. - Nature placed us under the governance of two sovereign masters: pain & pleasure. - An act is right if it delivers more pleasure than pain.- Happiness = pleasure - pain.
- 6The hedonic calculus - Bentham provided a way of measuring good and bad: The hedonic calculus. - it has seven elements: 1. intensity of pleasure (how deep) 2. duration of the pleasure caused (how long)3. certainty of the pleasure (how certain/uncertain)
4. remoteness of the pleasure (how near/far)
5. chance of a succession of pleasures (how continuous)
6. purity of the pleasure (how secure) - 77. extent of the pleasure (how universal) - The calculus gave Bentham a method of testing whether an action is morally right -> if it was good it would have the most pleasurable outcome. - Whatever is good/bad can be measured in a quantitative way.- B's U. is a universal hedonism - highest good is greatest happiness for the greatest number.
- Actions judged as a means to an end.
-What is right, calculated to bring about the greatest balance of good over evil -> evil is defined as pleasure/happiness. B's view is described as Act Utilitarianism
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- Beschreibung
- Some quick notes on utilitarianism and Jeremy Bentham
- Erstellt von
- Maisha Bongo
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