Utilitarianism Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is a teleological ethical theory that judges whether an action is morally right or wrong based on its consequences, specifically how much happiness or pleasure it produces
What is Bentham’s act utilitarianism?
-Jeremy Bentham developed Act Utilitarianism, a teleological theory that judges the morality of an action by its ability to maximise pleasure and minimise pain in each specific case
-Bentham believed that “nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure
-He argued that we should use the Hedonic Calculus to measure different aspects of pleasure—such as intensity, duration, and certainty—to guide moral decisions
-For Bentham, “pleasure is pleasure,” regardless of its source, meaning all types of pleasure are equally valid.
How is Bentham’s act utilitarianism quantitative ?
-Bentham’s theory is quantitative: the more total pleasure produced, the better the action
-There is no hierarchy of pleasures, watching TV counts just as much as reading philosophy, if it leads to more happiness
-His principle of utility is grounded in ethical naturalism, as he believed we can observe pleasure and pain and calculate what produces the greatest good for the greatest number
-Act Utilitarianism provides a straightforward, egalitarian method for moral decision-making, though it can justify harmful acts if they increase overall pleasure
What is Rule Utilitarianism?
-Mill argued that “it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied,” showing that he valued quality of pleasure over mere quantity
-He believed pleasures of the mind (e.g., reading, art, learning) are more valuable than pleasures of the body (e.g., eating, sex), because they develop our moral and intellectual nature
Is Mill’s version of utilitarianism quantitative or qualitative?
-Mill’s version is qualitative and protects against morally questionable actions (like torture) being justified just because they cause mass happiness
-He also proposed Rule Utilitarianism, where we follow general moral rules (like not lying or stealing) because they usually promote happiness, but in exceptional cases we can fall back on the utility principle if needed
-Mill’s theory adds moral depth and avoids the blunt calculations of Bentham, making it more consistent with human dignity and long-term flourishing
What is preference utilitarianism?
-Preference Utilitarianism, developed by Peter Singer, argues that morality should be based on satisfying the preferences of individuals rather than simply maximising pleasure or minimising pain
-Singer believed that everyone’s preferences must be considered equally and impartially, including those of minorities, animals, and even future generations. For example, if a deceased person expressed a wish for their money to be donated to a cat shelter, preference utilitarianism holds that we should respect this wish, even though the person is no longer alive to experience happines
How could you argue preference utilitarianism is more flexible ?
-Preference Utilitarianism is more flexible and respectful of autonomy than classical hedonistic utilitarianism
-Instead of only focusing on physical feelings, it considers what individuals actually value
-It also expands the moral circle to include the environment and non-human animals, which makes it more suitable for modern ethical dilemmas like climate change.
Why is utilitarianism better than deontological approaches?
-unlike deontological theories that follow rigid rules, utilitarianism is grounded in consequentialism—what matters is the result. If lying prevents suffering, then lying is morally right in that case
-Bentham’s emphasis on “observable facts of pain and pleasure” means morality becomes measurable and testable, making the theory useful in real-life ethical dilemmas like triage in hospitals or resource distribution
How could you argue utilitarianism is a good way to establish good?
-Utilitarianism defines ‘good’ as what brings about pleasure, happiness, or preference satisfaction. This avoids vague or subjective definitions and instead grounds morality in something measurable
-Because pain and pleasure are empirically observable, Utilitarianism presents ‘good’ as something that exists in the real world, not as an abstract ideal. This supports a naturalist and realist account of ethics
-Unlike theories that define the good through divine command or intuition (e.g. Natural Law or Intuitionism), Utilitarianism needs no appeal to God or mysterious moral knowledge. Bentham and Mill argue that we can determine what is good by observing consequences and using reason. This makes Utilitarianism secular and accessible, especially in pluralist or non-religious societies.
What are some wekaneses of utilitarianism?
-naturalist fallacy
-In Preference Utilitarianism, the good is what satisfies preferences. But some preferences are harmful, irrational, or based on misinformation. For example, if someone prefers to harm themselves or others, satisfying that preference may not be morally right
-subjective
While Utilitarianism claims to be objective, pleasure and happiness are experienced differently by different people and cultures. What makes one person happy might distress another. This weakens its claim to a clear or consistent definition of the good. It also leads to difficulty in measuring or comparing levels of happiness, which makes the good less precise in practice
