2.1 Utilitarianism - concepts Flashcards
how The Enlightenment contributed to the origins of utilitarianism
rejection of theological dogma and emphasis on empiricism and reason influenced util replacement of God as the author of morality with the principle of utility since pleasure and pain cant be doubted but God is empirically unproven
how The French Revolution contributed to the origins of utilitarianism
challenging of elite aristocracy and change of political structure in France meant sentiments of sympathy for the well being and happiness of others became a central aim of ethics throughout Europe
how Industrial Revolution Era contributed to the origins of utilitarianism
Dickens brought attention to societal issues in his ‘Hard Times’; pioneers of util including Bentham and Mill campaigned for social changes including Penal and Electoral reform to promote structures enabling the majority to live fulfilled and happy lives
Bentham: the Principle of Utility
The good is that which will bring about the greatest sum of pleasure, or the least sum of pain, for the greatest number
Bentham: ‘quantity of pleasure being equal…
…push-pin (a simple child’s game) is as good as poetry’
what is meant by ‘utilitarianism has no intrinsic goods’ and ‘utilitarianism is instrumental’
there is no good irrespective of the consequences - goodness stems entirely from the consequences of an action, therefore the ends justify the means
Bentham: ‘nature has placed mankind under the governance of…
…two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do’
what is psychological hedonism
idea that pleasure and pain determine how people act
what is reductive empiricism
idea that theoretical concepts can be reduced to observable terms
Bentham’s view that ethics was a science
‘good’ can be scientifically proven via having the principle of utility replace metaphysical beliefs, since it offers an understanding of rights based on observable verification
Bentham: why pleasures can be compared quantitatively
believed there is no qualitative difference between pleasures
criteria of Bentham’s Felicific Calculus to scientifically calculate pleasure
1 - duration
2 - intensity
3 - propinquity (how near or remote in terms of physical space and or time)
4 - extent (how widely it covers)
5 - certainty (how probable it is)
6 - purity (how free from pain)
7 - fecundity (does it lead to further pleasure)
democracy and egalitarianism within the felicific calculus
‘everybody is to count for one, and nobody for more than one’
‘no one person’s pleasure is greater than another’s’
two key points of Bentham’s penal reform campaign
- abolition of debtors prisons
- punishment should be sufficient to deter people from reoffending, but not cause unnecessary suffering
why Bentham does not distinguish qualitatively between pleasures
to maintain an egalitarian and non-judgemental theory in which all people’s preferences are of value regardless of differences in what brings people pleasure
Bentham quote demonstrating lack of qualitative distinction between pleasures: ‘the quantity of pleasure being equal, …
… pushpin (a child’s game) is as good as poetry’
overview of rules of conventional morality in Bentham’s util
accepts that in most cases they do serve to increase human happiness, but maintains they must never be followed blindly
sadistic prison guards example as a criticism of Bentham’s util
the theory can be used to condone what are normatively deemed inexcusable actions - eg would allow the sadistic torture of a prisoner by a group of guards if according to the hedonic calculus the pleasure of the guards was greater than the pain of the prisoner
Mill: higher pleasures vs lower pleasures
higher use the mind, only humans are capable of them. lower are base and animalistic. most people prefer higher pleasures to lower, so production of higher pleasures should count for more in the hedonic calculus
how Mill proposes we distinguish higher and lower pleasure
the higher is that which all or most who have experienced both prefer, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it
how Mill’s util overcomes criticisms of Bentham’s such as the sadistic guards problem
qualitative assessment of pleasure prevents morally inexcusable actions - eg pleasure gained by sadistic guards torturing a prisoner is of so low a value that it does not cumulatively outweigh pain of the prisoner
why Mill suggested util is not as time-consuming as Bentham’s work implied
- permits and encourages calculation of rules of action ahead of time
- already know how certain actions are likely to unfold due to experience and history
- therefore can approach most dilemmas with a decision already in mind, adjusting it if it’s obvious the rule is unlikely to lead to greatest happiness for those involved
Mill: how the principle of utility supports all normative ethical theories
all normative ethical theories are concerned with promotion of pleasure and prevention of pain
Mill: why embracing util over other ethical theories is the rational thing to do
argues all secondary principles are built on foundations encapsulated by the principle of utility. secondary principles can change w time and no longer hold, but foundations are constant
