utilitarianism Flashcards
normative ethics
Study of ethical actions. What is right and wrong.
Explain act utilitarianism
We should act so as to maximise pleasure and minimise pain in each specific instance
- Whether an action is right/good or wrong/bad depends solely on its consequences
- The only thing that is good is happiness
- No individual´s happiness is more important than anyone else´s
- The right actions is the one that maximises the total happiness (greatest good for the greatest number)
Explain rule utilitarianism
We should follow general rules that maximise pleasure and minimise pain (even if following these rules does not maximise pleasure in every specific instance)
hedonic calculus
A central idea of Bentham´s Act Utilitarianism.
Used to evaluate how much pleasure and pain an action would produce.
Purity, Remoteness, Extent, Duration, Intensity, Certainty, Fecundity
(Paul Radelt Einen Döner In Colognes Feier)
Explain Jeremy Bentham´s (1748 - 1832) quantitative hedonistic utilitarianism
- Founder of utilitarianism
- He can be seen as an act utilitarian
- He states that all pleasure is of the same worth and that pleasure can be measured through the hedonic calculus
John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)
English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. He can be seen as a rule utilitarian.
hedonism
Happiness is the most beneficial outcome of an action. More pleasure and less pain is ethical.
preference utilitarianism/non-hedonistic utilitarianism
We should act to maximise people´s preferences (even if these preferences do not maximise pleasure and minimise pain)
It can also tie with Mill´s qualitative pleasures.
While Mill says that higher pleasures are inherently more valuable, preference utilitarianism states that we prefer higher pleasures, and so should seek to maximise those.
The satisfaction of these preferences is what makes a “good” life. The greatest good for the greatest number cannot be reduced to pleasure.
two-tier utilitarianism
rule utilitarianism is the “intuition” of moral acting whereby act utilitarianism should be used to decide about “critical” moral situations.
higher pleasure
Pleasure peculiarly suited to our most sophisticated capacities and sensitivities. For example, poetry, music, and complex thinking.
lower pleasure
Pleasures we share with other sentient animals. For example, eating, sex, and consuming intoxicants.
competent judge
experienced both, higher pleasure as well as lower pleasure.
utility
general well-being or happiness
the principle of utility
Pain and pleasure are the driving force in human behaviour. Good is the pleasure whereby evil is the pain. Pleasure and pain are measurable and the act that produces the most pleasure is the right one.
harm principle
actions of individuals should only be limited to prevent harm to other individuals.
means to an end
the way of getting to a specific goal.
end in itself
end result, the ultimate goal, the final conclusion.
Mill´s proof
- Happiness is desirable as an end for an individual
- The “general happiness” is desirable as an end
- Nothing except happiness is desirable as an end
strong rule utilitarianism
always acting in accordance with the rules
weak rule utilitarianism
being able to make the decision to re-evaluate a situation.
deontological
relationship between the duty and the morality of human actions. An action is good not because of the consequences but the characteristics of the action itself.
consequentialism/teleological ethics
only the consequences matter when determining the moral worth of an action
Explain Robert Nozick´s experience machine
- Criticises hedonistic utilitarianism
- Other values might matter as well
Imagine you could be plugged into a virtual reality machine that simulates the experience of a perfect life. In other words, the machine maximises your happiness and minimises your pain. Once plugged in, you don’t know you’re in a virtual reality and you believe your perfect life is completely real.
Yet despite maximising happiness, many people would prefer not to enter the experience machine. These people would prefer to live a real life and be in contact with reality even though a real life means less happiness and more pain compared to the experience machine.
Peter Singer (1946 - present) and his idea of preference utilitarianism
Australian political and ethical philosopher who developed the Preference Utilitarianism.
He thinks that pleasure is a individual preference whereby there is agreement on what is pain.
We should focus on minimising pain rather maximizing pleasure. We need to take everyone´s preference into account.