Utilitarianism Flashcards
(34 cards)
define utilitarianism?
moral acts which produce the maximum happiness and minimum pain for the maximum number of people
finish the quote by Hutcheson
“The greatest…..”
“The greatest happiness for the greatest number”
why did Bentham argue happiness was the most moral thing to do?
because everyone searches for happiness within life and happiness leads people to make the right ethical decision
what was Bentham’s principle of utility?
maximising pleasure and minimising pain
finish the quote by Bentham about principle of utility
“Pleasure and pain….”
“Pleasure and pain. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do.”
what did Bentham refer to pleasure and pain as?
what did it mean?
‘two sovereign masters’
meant = Bentham is saying that everything we do is motivated by the desire to gain pleasure and avoid pain.
how did pleasure and pain point to what was morally correct and immoral?
pleasure = ultimate good
pain = ultimate evil
who developed the hedonic calculus and why?
Bentham
. a way to seek pleasure
. a way of calculating the benefit or harm of an act through its consequences
state 3 of the ways you could measure pleasure vs pain in the hedonic calculus?
- duration
- certainty
- extent (how many people experience it)
was utilitarianism deontological or teleological?
teleological - looked at the consequences
whats a flaw of the hedonic calculus?
you cannot always predict the outcome of an event, you might think the most pleasure will be brought but in reality its not
ie: chocolate bar you fancied to eat, decide it will taste good and it will last a while , but the chocolate bar has melted and rather instead tastes sickly, instead not pleasurable but you couldn’t have predicted this was going to happen
why did John Stuart Mill agree with Bentham’s argument?
- doesn’t distinguish between sorts of pleasures and pain
- saw pleasures as more like an animal instinct rather than a human one
what is the famous quote by Mill about a pig?
what did Mill argue?
“Is it better to be a human being dissatisfied rather than a pig satisfied? “
Mill argued better to be dissatisfied human because we are still able to learn more things and seek new truths, rather than being a fool in ignorant bliss
why did Mill suggest people don’t opt for high pleasures?
due to ignorance
who did mill argued can experience high pleasures and why?
only humans because stimulates the mind
who argued we need a competent judge? and why?
Mill
need someone who has experiences both high and low pleasures to help define amount of pleasure and pain in action
whats altruism?
unselfishness / love for others
who argued about altruism?
Mill
for mill what did he argue was a high pleasure and what is a low pleasure?
High = mind stimulating, like reading , art or philosophy
Low = eating , physical comfort
how did Mills argument differ from Bentham when they both argued about pleasure and pain?
distinguished between high and low pleasures , with high pleasures being superior to low pleasures
finish the quote by Bentham
“it is the greatest happiness …..”
“it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number
that is the measure of right and wrong”
what was Mills principle of utility?
- introduced quality of pleasures experiences
- moral actions should promote happiness in the long run universally , not just for personal gain
- happiness only thing desirable as an end to itself
finish the quote by Mill
“love ones neighbour…..”
“love ones neighbour as oneself, constitutes the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality”
what was W.D Ross main criticism for the utilitarianism argument?
oversimplified moral decision making so wouldn’t be compatible with complex lives and complex moral decisions
morality more than maximising good consequences
