utilitarianism Flashcards
hedonic calculus
Intensity Duration Certainty Remoteness Fruitfulness Purity Extent
Bentham
- teleological, normative ethical theorist
- relative and consequentialist
utilitarianism
the act that produces the most happiness for the most people is the best act
utility
how useful an actions result is
rule utilitarian
adopting general rules about the kinds of action that tend to produce happiness
the motivation of human beings
- pain and pleasure are the 2 sovereign masters
- pleasure is sole good
- pain is sole evil
Mill
- the harm principle
- we have freedom as long as no one is harmed
- harm and offence are different
- must protect children and adults of not sound mind
Roger Crisp
- life of a composer vs an oyster
- infinite life of simple pleasures for oyster
- short life of extreme pleasure for composer
strengths of Bentham
- seeks the fairest result
- strong straightforward method
- secular
- universal
weakness of Bentham
- can’t measure happiness
- can’t predict the outcome
- reductionist
- subjective
- ignores minority
higher pleasures
social and aesthetics pursuits science understanding culture creativity
lower pleasures
eating
drinking
sex
resting
Kant’s view of ethics
- absolutist
- deontology based (act and duty)
- rationalist
- ethical realist
Kant’s Axe
a sinister man knocks on your door asking for your friend, is it wrong to lie?
telling the truth is always right no matter what
categorical imperative
- an absolute moral duty
- goes beyond consequences
- not based on intentions
= command that applies in all cases
hypothetical imperative
applies to someone who wants to achieve a certain ends (not moral decisions)
deontology
the ethical value of an act can be judged intrinsically (in itself
neumonal realm
- ethics comes from here as this has knowledge beyond experience
- metaphysical
- necessary
- intrinsic
- unchanging
Formula of Law of Nature
the act should be the right thing for everyone to do in this situation
Formula of the End in Itself
everyone should benefit from the act and should not be using someone as a means to an end
Formula of Autonomy
don’t act through emotions and intentions
Formula of the Kingdom of Ends
act as if you were making a universal rule for everyone
weaknesses of Kant
- difficult to apply
- ignores consequences
- ignores other good motivations for acts
- duties can conflict
