Utilitarianism Flashcards
(38 cards)
Was Bentham rule or act?
Act
Was Mill rule or act?
Rule
What did Bentham create to quantify pleasure?
The Hedonic calculus
What are the key principles now the hedonic calculus?
Purity Extent Certainty Fecundity Duration Intensity Remoteness
What is Bentham’s quote?
We are governed by two sovereign masters: pleasure and pain.
What is the greatest happiness principle?
All actions should aim to create the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
What is Mill’s quote?
It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied. Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.
Is Bentham’s utilitarianism absolute or relative?
Relative
Is Mill’s utilitarianism absolute or relative?
Absolute
Who came up with utilitarianism?
Jeremy Bentham
What are the key principles of Bentham’s utilitarianism?
An action is morally good if it leads to a consequence of maximum happiness
The values of happiness is the only thing that matters
No one persons happiness is more important than another’s
What did mill change about utilitarianism?
He said there are higher and lower pleasures
Bentham was wrong to assume all pleasures are equal
“Pushpin is not equal to poetry”
What is the sadist problem?
It’s dangerous to treat all pleasures the same because according to Bentham a group of sadists total pleasure would outweigh the pain caused to one person, making the action moral
What are examples of the two types of pleasure?
Higher
Reading, maths, poetry
Lower
Violence, sex, food
What is universal happiness?
Mill believed that every action people made was about increasing the happiness of others
He was influenced by the golden rule of Christianity
What is the harm principle?
We should be free to choose our actions as long as it doesn’t cause harm to others
This means mill is against sadism
What makes rule utilitarianism different to act?
Mill thinks the hedonic calculus was too time consuming and argued that there are general rules (secondary principles) that we have established over time that increase happiness
Eg do not murder
Strengths of utilitarianism?
Leads to greater happiness Egalitarian -everyone is equal Each situation considered individually It’s democratic Concentrated on the effects The harm principle No moral absolutes Reflects thoughts of contemporary society Greatest happiness principle
Weaknesses of utilitarianism?
Sadist problem -not always safe
Hedonic calculus is time consuming
Too simplistic -pain and pleasure are subjective
Looks at maximum happiness not the distribution of happiness
Rule is not relative
What about justice?
Not for religious people
Gives no credit to motive
Leaves out the minority
Robert Nozick’s experience machine proves people value things other than pleasure
What are the types of euthanasia?
Passive
Active
Voluntary
Non voluntary
What is the uk law about euthanasia?
The murder act of 1965 says intentional killing is illegal
Suicide act of 1971 says assisted suicide is illegal
Euthanasia case studies?
Tiny bland
Hillsborough disaster, persistent vegetative state, artificial nutrition and hydration were withdrawn, passive
Miss B
Paralysed from neck down, ventilator turned off, voluntary
Dax Cowart
Badly burnt in gas explosion in car, 10 years of treatment, blind can’t use his hands but is healthy, still thinks he should have been euthanised
Arguments for legalising euthanasia
Ends suffering Have a right to choose Prevent suicide Successfully in other countries Safer Stops family getting in trouble Financially sensible Quality of life Put animals down
Arguments against legalising euthanasia
Sanctity of life Could change their mind Could be abused Slippery slope Law is ambiguous, better to be clear cut Goes against Hippocratic oath
