Lisa- Ethical theroies Flashcards
Bentham believed happiness was…
Pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain
Psychological Hedonism…
The belief that… Humans are motivated by pleasure
Ethical Hedonism …
Morality should be motivated by pleasure
Utility Principle …
Right actions are those which are most useful in maximising happiness. Rightness/wrongness of an action is determined by its utility/usefulness
Deontological theories…
Rules ~ don’t consider consequences ~ ‘right’ action itself
Teleological/ Consequentialist …
Goals ~ doesn’t consider intentions ~ ‘Good’ state of affairs
Virtue Theories…
Roles ~ consider living good life by making a virtuous character ~ virtuous/excellent character
Hedonists…
Right thing to do is Perdue pleasure; it’s the only thing intrinsically good (pleasure)
Utilitarianism…
Happiness is the supreme ethical value … Bentham- “governance of two sovereign masters, pleasure and pain”
The Utility Calculus …
Duration- how long will it last
Remoteness- how far away it is
Purity- is it free from pain
Richness- lead to more happiness
Intensity- strength of sensation/pleasure
Certainty- how certain we are it will happen
Extent- how many other people affected
Utilitarian Claims … (3)
- Act Consequentialism- actions are morally right/wrong depending on their consequences. An act is right if it maximises the good
- Value theory- only thing that is good is happiness
- Equality- no ones happiness counts more than anyone else
Act Utilitarianism … (Bentham)
Looks at consequences of each individual act and calculates utility each time the act is performed
Rule Utilitarianism … (elements in Mill)
Looks at the consequences of having everyone follow a particular rule and calculates the overall utility of accepting or rejecting the rules
Rule Utilitarianism claim: What’s wrong with Act Utilitarianism?
They can justify disobeying important moral rules and violating individual rights, also take too much time to calculate
Act Utilitarianism Claim: Whats wrong with Rule Utilitarianism?
Following a rule in a particular case when the overall utility demands that we violate the rule is just rule-worship
