Utilitarianism Flashcards
(23 cards)
Hedonism - Bentham
“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”
The Hedonic Calculus
Intensity: how strong will the pleasure be? - the stronger the better.
Duration: how long the pleasure will last? - the longer the better.
Certainty: how likely it is the pleasure will happen? - the more likely the better.
Remoteness: how close is the pleasure? – the present is better than the future
Richness (a.k.a. Fecundity): will the pleasure be repeated or lead on to other pleasures? – the more knock-on pleasure the better
Purity: will our actions bring pure pleasure or is it mixed with pain? - the more pain produced, the less pure the pleasure will be.
Extent: how many people will experience the pleasure? - the more the better.
Pleasure - Bentham
“The quantity of pleasure being equal, push-pin is as good as poetry.”
Animal testing and utilitarianism
Examine the particular situation and specific illnesses / conditions that animals are being tested on for.
Using animals for research to cure diseases such as cancer also reflects the consequentialist and teleological nature of utilitarianism.
Animal testing - intensity
The pain may be quite intense for the animal, particularly as they may have a low quality of life.
However, if for instance a cure for cancer was to be found saving millions of loved ones would also bring an intense amount of pleasure.
Animal testing - duration
The happiness of saving a loved one from what today is an incurable disease could last a lifetime.
The animals pain would soon be over as they are soon euthanised after research is complete.
Animal testing - certainty
By definition a test or an experiment is to find evidence for something that we are not actually certain about but simply suspect.
Animal testing - remoteness
The immediate impact may seem cruel and painful to subject an animal to painful experimental trials, however in the long run it will yield great benefits to a large number of people, but this is a more remote pleasure.
Animal testing - richness
Medical research using animals will lead further pleasures for a great number of people.
However this will require more animals for medical research and pain for them.
Animal testing - purity
Medical research involves both pain for the animal and pleasure for the human so it can not be considered a pure action.
Animal testing - extent
Animal research has helped with treatments that help save peoples lives. The extent is exceptionally wide reaching and even animals themselves have benefited.
However, how many animals have to feel pain in order for us to arrive at this position?
Higher vs lower pleasures
Higher Pleasures = pleasures of the mind e.g. having friends, aesthetic appreciation, forgiveness, love etc.
Lower Pleasures = pleasures of the body e.g. violence, sex, indulging in food or drink etc.
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
And if the fool, or the pig, is of a different opinion, it is only because they only know their own side of the question.” - Mill
Good vs bad actions
Ethically good action = Following a rule that creates the maximum amount of happiness for the maximum number of people in society.
Ethically bad action = Breaking a rule that creates the maximum amount of happiness for the maximum number of people in society.
Harm principle
An action is only good if it prevents harm to others - Mill
Animal testing and rule utilitarianism
If the suffering of the animals is outweighed by the overall quantity and intensity of happiness for the people then it should be allowed.
Strong rule utilitarianism would always stick to this rule and never deviate from this principle
Weak rule utilitarianism would on occasion allow us to deviate from this rule. For example, if alternative methods of medicine can be developed that do not involve the experimentation on animals
Nuclear deterrence - intensity
An end to all conflict could be considered an intense pleasure certainly.
This pleasure is far more intense than the pain of feelings of tension and anxiety that people express with countries such as North Korea with their nuclear weapons
However it may help people feel safe with nuclear weapons, if lots of countries have them
Nuclear deterrence - duration
They serve their function to reduce conflict then clearly this will produce a long lasting pleasure.
Nuclear deterrence - certainty
There is no certainty however in relation to holding nuclear weapons as a deterrent. We don’t know that it is the nuclear deterrent that has prevented wars escalating
Nuclear deterrence - remoteness
May act as an efficient deterrent meaning it could increase the sum total of happiness both now and in the longer term
Nuclear deterrence - richness
Holding nuclear weapons as an effective deterrent may not lead to further pleasures.
This is because of the natural tendency for competition between nations for superiority in the development and accumulation of weapons.
Nuclear deterrence - purity
There is a mixture of pleasure and pain here.
Reducing conflict will lead to an increase in pleasure, however there may be anxiety
Nuclear deterrence - extent
If nuclear weapons prevent war as they are a successful deterrent then clearly it has a far reaching impact and can bring pleasure to many.
However it is based on the threat of killing huge numbers and causing environmental damage on a massive scale, and not all countries have nuclear weapons
Nuclear deterrence and rule utilitarianism
Strong rule utilitarianism may not allow nuclear deterrence under any circumstance due to the potential disaster, weak rule utilitarianism may allow certain responsible forces such as the UN to hold nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
