3D: Classical Utilitarianism - Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism

Question 1

Background to utilitarianism:

Answer 1

• Jeremy Bentham is usually accepted as the originator of utilitarianism, however it can also be traced back to Ancient Greece and Aristotle. Main aim of humanity is the pursuit of happiness.
• Bentham was a social reformer and developed an ethical theory which would benefit majority of people within a society rather than the social elite.
• the theory can be seen as a 19th century rebellion against deontological religious ethics.

Question 2

Background to Act Utilitarianism:

Answer 2

• takes the teleological approach where morality of an action is judged on the outcome
• similarly to SE, it is a non-legalistic approach but doesn’t have any rules. Instead there is a single guiding principle which is the principle of utility.

Question 3

The principle of utility:

Answer 3

• influenced by J.B. Priestley, ‘the greatest happiness of the greatest number’
• an action is right if it promotes and maximises happiness
• morality should be judged on whether it promoted a balance between pleasure and pain.
• good action: actions which create a pleasure outcome rather than pain
• bad action: actions who’s outcomes create pain over pleasure.

Question 4

Additional information:

Answer 4

• individuals shouldn’t just only consider their own happiness, but do the action that dreatee mor pleasure than pain. Even if it results in their own unhappiness. I.e. an individual should cause themselves pain if it means creating generally more pleasure than pain.
• negative act utilitarianism: what happens if all possible actions would bring about more pain than pleasure. Bentham argued in situations like this you have to do the action that would bring about the least amount of oain.

Question 5

What is the hedonic calculus?

Answer 5

• Bentham accepted that measuring happiness consequences was not necessarily straight forward
• Therese he believed that the Principle of Utility could be calculated. E.g. Hedonic Calculus

Question 6

Parts of the hedonic calculus?

Answer 6

1) its intensity: how intense will the happiness be
2) it’s duration: how long the happiness will last
3) it’s certainty: how likely will the happiness happen
4) it’s propinquity: how long will it take for happiness to occur
5) its richness: the more chances the pleasure will be recreated or will result in other different pleasures the better
6) its purity: actions that bring around a constant experience of pleasure rather than pain
7) its extent: the more people who experience the pleasure the better, especially as a shared pleasure can enhance the impact of the original pleasure.

Question 7

Additional information on the hedonic calculus?

Answer 7

• each of the seven criteria have equal value, no hierarchy
• we should do the action that creates the biggest difference between pleasure and pain rather than what creates most pleasure. It is no good doing an action that that will create lots of pleasure but also creates an equal amount of pain
• Bentham argued, using the hedonic calculus, that it was possible to work out the right course of action in every moral situation.