Bentham's Utilitarianism Flashcards
What part of ethics is utilitarianism part of?
Normative ethics
What understanding does Divine Command Theory come for?
Something is good because God commands it and wrong because he forbids it
What is normative ethics?
Normative ethics looks at how moral theories decide upon right and wrong actions
What is utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is a relative ethical theory which means that there is no fixed view of right and wrong. It is the outcome of the action that makes an action right or wrong not the rule
Who was Bentham influenced by?
The Greek philosopher Epicurus and his theory of Hednoism
What did Epicurus argue?
He argued that something was good if it gave you pleasure and that you should focus on pleasurable things
What did Epicurus call this?
Hedonism
How did Bentham adapt Epicurus’ idea of hedonism?
Instead of pleasure he put emphasis on happiness
Something is morally good if it leads to the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
What did Bentham say about how we are governed?
” we are under the governance of 2 sovereign masters, pleasure and pain “
What is the hedonic calculus?
A tool to help you decide what decisions will generate the most happiness
What are the 7 points of the hedonic calculus?
Intensity Purity Certainty Duration Nearness/remoteness Fecundity/ fruitfulness Numbers
Intensity
The more intense the feeling of happiness the better
Purity
The purer the pleasure the better - least amount of pain caused the better
Certainty
The more certain you are that the action is going to bring you happiness the better
Duration
The longer the pleasure lasts the better
