Theme 3 (Utilitarianism) Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is Utilitarianism?
+ John Stuart Mill quote
- possible problems with this?
an ethical theory that maintains that an action is right if it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number
- theory of usefulness
- social utility (useful for welfare of society)
+ “actions are right to the degree that they tend to promote the greatest good for the greatest number”
- may justify suffering of others e.g bullying or gang rape
- “good” is also very subjective
What is a consequentialist theory?
+ what does this mean?
a theory which understands rightness & wrongness of an action by looking at the consequences
- for some, decisions can be influenced by religion e.g committing sin & gaining bad karma
- for some, decisions can be influenced by the outcome- hurting someone’s feelings
- for some, decisions can be influenced by the law
What is a teleological theory & what does this mean?
+ what is a relativist theory?
a theory which argues all ethical actions are directed towards achieving a goal or purpose
- for some, this goal is Heaven
- for some, this goal is living their best life
- for some, this goal is happiness for all/majority
+ a theory which doesn’t follow any absolute universal rules. Each situation has to be looked at independently
Who is Jeremy Bentham?
+ when was he alive & how would this era have influenced him?
English philosopher, jurist & social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism
+ Victorian England & time of Industrial Revolution
+ no welfare state or adequate help for the poor (workhouses)
+ lack of equal rights for women
+ child labour & poor working conditions
+ bad prison conditions
Why & how was Jeremy Bentham considered a social reformer?
- supported equal opportunity & education (helped to found UCL)
- involved in making prisons more humane
- helped to bring about laws on child labour in Public Health Act
- thought animal rights should be considered
- called for the abolishment of slavery
- called for an early version of welfare
- called for equal rights for women
+ “greatest happiness of the greatest number”
+ “create all the happiness you are able to create”
+ “the question is not can animals speak but can they suffer”
What is Act Utilitarianism?
+ what is Hedonism & where did it originate from?
Idea associated with Bentham:
- each situation is different so must be calculated afresh
- no universal moral norms or rules (relativist)
- applies hedonic calculus to each ‘act’ to see if it fulfills the ‘principal of utility’
- actions are right if they produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number
- considers the consequences of an action
+ the view that pleasure is the chief good
+ came from Plato & Aristotle who argued ‘good’ equated with the greatest happiness
What is Bentham’s hedonic calculus?
+ what are the 7 elements (DR PEPCI)
Measurement of happiness (pleasure-pain) & the seven elements that must be considered when calculating the amount of happiness
1) Intensity: stronger=better e.g eating nice food
2) Duration: longer-lasting=better (link to Egoism)
3) Certainty:
4) Extent: more people=better e.g pilgrimage
5) Propinquity: nearer to you=better
6) Richness: more chance of repetition=better
7) Purity: least amount of pain=better
What does Bentham think about happiness?
+ Bentham quotes
- Pleasure & the absence of pain
- there is no hierarchy of the different types of happiness
- our two sovereign masters are pleasure & pain
- empirical observation shows we desire pleasure & seek to avoid pain
+ “happiness… is the supreme ethical value”
+“an act is ‘right’ if it delivers more pleasure than pain
+ “greatest happiness of the greatest number”
+ “create all the happiness you are able to create”
+ “actions are right in proportion when they tend to promote happiness”
Who was John Stuart Mill?
- philosopher, political economist, civil servant & MP
- developed Bentham’s version of Utilitarianism
- focused more on quality of pleasure not quantity
- greatly influenced by Aristotle & resonated with the idea of eudaimonia
What is Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism?
+ developed from Act Utilitarianism
+ concentrates on quality of pleasure
+ The community must follow agreed rules for it to work e.g Ten Commandments or laws
+ a pleasure should not be pursued if it causes harm to anyone
+ there are two types of pleasure:
- higher pleasure (pleasures of mind e.g reading and music)
- lower pleasure (pleasures of body e.g sex and eating)
Key Quotes from Mill on higher and lower pleasures & the Harm Principle
“some kinds of pleasures are more desirable and valuable than others”
“it would be absurd that quality not be considered as well as quality”
“it is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”
“over his on body and mind, the individual is sovereign”
What is strong rule Utilitarianism?
+ what is weak rule Utilitarianism?
the view that rules should be stuck to no matter what the situation is
+ the view that rules can be broken if it maximises the happiness to do so
What are the weaknesses of Act Utilitarianism?
+ how does Rule Utilitarianism combat this?
1) The Hedonic Calculus is too difficult to apply to every situation
+ RU uses universal rules which are easy to apply
2) Could allow for things such as gangrape or bullying
+ RU careers about quality of happiness and includes the Harm Principle
