Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

1. Act- Bentham

   • Principle of utilty
     • Usefulness of the outcome of an action
     • the greatest good for the greatest number
   • An act is moral if it causes pleasure and reduces pain
   • 'nature has placed us under the governance of two sovereign masters: pleasure and pain'
   • Hedonic Calculus
     • Intensity
     • Duration
     • Certainty
     • Propinquity
       • how near/immediate it will be
     • Fecundity
       • how continous it is/will it cause pain or pleasure in the future
     • Purity
       • if it's mixed with pain
     • Extent
   • Bentham
     • child prodigy
     • concerned with social reforms
   • about benefitting the majority
   • Humans are motivated by an increase in pleasure
   • Published in the principles of moral legislation

2. Rule-Stuart-Mill

   • Placed importance on happiness not pleasure
   • Followed Bentham but disagreed with some ideas
     • Act utilitarianism could allow immoral acts
     • Act utilitarianism ignore minority rights
   • Qualiaitive
     • Higher and lower pleasures
     • intellectual/cultural/spiritual pleasures vs. physical pleasures
     • 'Better to be a human being disatisfied than a pig satisied, better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied
   • Greatest happiness for the greatest number
   • Secondary Principles
     • we shouldn't evaluate each action but develop rules which make the greatest number happy
     • prevents immoral acts being allowed
     • Protects individual rights
     • If followed universally would produce the greatest happiness
   • Universability
     • Everyone should aim for the happiness for everyone else
     • We should protect the common good
   • Strong/ weak
     • Strong utilitarians- should always follow rules
     • Weak utilitarians- it's okay to break them sometimes

3. Preference

   • A good action is one which is in the best interests of most
   • Hare
     • 'equal preferences count equally'
     • everyone should be treated with impartiality
     • we should 'stand in someone else's shoes'
   • Singer
     • It's preference not human life which should be valued
     • our own preferences should have the same weight as those of others
     • animals also experience pain- should be given the same consideration as humans
   • Brandt
     • Morality should be objective- not based on feelings
     • Talks about the preferences one would have if you went through cognitive psychotherapy: explored the reasons for preferences

4. Basic principles

   • teleological
     • actions are right or wrong dependant on the consequences
   • Based on hedonism
     • Pleasure is good
   • Based on ideas of eudaimonia-living well
   • Consequentialist

5. Evaluation

   • Preference
     • Strengths
       • Takes cultural diversity into account
       • Doing something in someone's best interests can be better than that which makes them happy
       • Doesn't seek authority from a higher power- rooted in humanity
       • Gives animals rights
     • Weaknesses
       • has the potential to justify any action
       • Impractical to suggest we can work out what's best for us in the long term
       • We don't always know what others' preferences are
       • Requires you to predict consequences
   • Rule
     • Strengths
       • Promotes happiness
       • Tries to take the minority into account as well
       • About benefitting people
       • Don't need to use the hedonic calculus
       • Doesn't allow immoral acts
       • More intellectual
       • Doesn't seek authority from a higher power:rooted in humanity
     • Weaknesses
       • Ignores importance of duty
       • can't predict consequences
       • Deontological
       • Higher/lower pleasure
         • Who can decide which pleasures are worth more
         • why are intellectual pleasures worth more?
         • shouldn't physical pleasures be more important
         • Elitist
       • How much lower pleasure is equal to higher pleasure
   • Act
     • Strengths
       • About happiness
       • Makes you consider consequences
       • Easy principle to understand
       • Realistic-understands not everyone can be happy
       • Can be applied to all situations
       • Can be used by all cultures and religions
       • Not selfish- about what benefits the majority
       • Natural- we naturally do what will cause happiness
       • Not reliant on a deity /divine knowledge
     • Weaknesses
       • An evil majority could prevail e.g. allow immoral acts
       • No concept of duty
       • Difficult to predict consequences
       • Doesn't consider intentions
       • Doesn't consider individuals
       • what about pain which is good for us?
       • Difficult to use the hedonic calculus
       • Use of the hedonic calculus is subjective
         • Easy to make a decision and twist the hedonic calculus to fit this decision