Utilitarianism Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is utilitarianism?
An ethical consequentialist system of that the ‘right’ choice is the one with the most utility derived for the greatest number and the choice that minimises pain for the maximum number.
What was Jeremy Bentham’s (1748-1832) benthamite utilitarianism ?(the central tenet).
“It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong”(Bentham S Fragment of government 1776). principle of utility.
What does Bentham suggest we use to measure the nature of type of pain or pleasure?
The hedonic calculus
What 7 things are in the hedonic calculus?
Intensity Duration Certainty Propinquity or remoteness Purity Extent Fecundity
What is a consequentialist ethical system concerned with?
Outcomes of actions (consequences)
What is J.S Mills utilitarianism?
He takes on the central tenet of Benthamite utilitarianism , he is a follower of bentham’s work. But he suggests that intellectual pleasures have a “greater permanency ,safety ,uncostliness”etc .they are intrinsically purer as they cause purer pleasure in comparison to sensational pleasures.
What is Benthamite utilitarianism often referred as ?
A “philosophy for pigs”
J.S Mill quote
“Some kinds of pleasures are more desirable and more valuable than others”
Why are intellectual pleasures better?
They will produce a purer pleasure and more fecundity
What are advantages of act utilitarianism
-created in a time of great social divide ,treats everyone equally.”each is to count for one ,none to count for more than one”Bentham
What are the difficulties with benthamite utilitarianism? 4
Does this system treat animals as equally as humans?
Too egalitarian
W.d. Ross (1877-1971) life dilemmas are too complicated to rely on a single equation
Hedonic-time aspect ,not realistic.can pleasure be quantified? Is pleasure the same for everyone? Can we successfully make accurate predictions? Or take into account the double effect.
What is preference utilitarianism?
Peter singer ,in practical ethics suggests that pleasure should not be the principle consideration in a utilitarian ethical decision .preference utilitarianism is the “satisfaction of desires” it fulfils interests not simple pleasures.
Who was preference utilitarianism created by?
Peter Singer
What is a problem with preference utilitarianism?
Complex preferences
What would happen to a zygote under preference utilitarianism?
Early abortions or the morning after pill are not usually wrong, unless the mother has a preference not to do so as the zygote has no preferences.
Who was negative utilitarianism put forward by?
Karl popper
What is negative utilitarianism ?
Focus upon the minimisations of suffering rather than the maximisation of happiness. Realistic.
Why is negative utilitarianism good ?(2)
Realistic ,what most people try to avoid,
All humans tend to agree we should try to end human suffering,
What is rule utilitarianism?
“The rightness or wrongness of a particular action is a function of the correctness of the rule or which it is an instance.”(Garner and Rosen).An action is right if it conforms to a rule leading to greatest good. No absolute rules.
Advantage of rule utilitarianism ?
Rules aren’t absolute,
Breaking the rule could lead to greatest good for greatest number,
What is act utilitarianism ?
No rules or guidelines,but greater utility must be produced than pain
What are the problems with the hedonic calculus ?(3)
Can pleasure be quantified?
Is pleasure the same for everyone?
We can’t predict the future
Why is pleasure and pain good and bad respectively ?
“No reason can be given why the general happiness is desirable ,e pact that each person,so far as he believed it to be attainable ,desires his own happiness” UTILITARIANISM by John Stuart Mill
“Each person’s happiness is a good to that person,
And the general happiness,therefore,a good to the aggregate of all persons”UTILITARIANISM by John Stuart Mill
