Utilitarianism Flashcards
Quote from Bentham on pain and pleasure
“Nature has placed us under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.
Who was Bentham
A political leader who wanted reform in a time that the poorest in society had no say and got treated abhorrently by the government. He created the ethical theory accidentally, really just wanting the poorer to have less harsh treatment.
What did bentham say could make Pleasure quantitative
The Hedonic Calculus
Did Bentham distingush between types of pleasure?
No, “pushpin is equal to poetry”
Who believed that pleasure was qualitative
Mill, “Better to be a man dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”
What are some factors of the Hedinic calculus?
Intensity, duration
What did Bentham believe about animals
That like us, they can feel paina nd pleasure . A revoloutionary idea at the time.
Why is Singer a Preferance Utilitarian?
It includes animal rights
Strengths of Utilitarianism
- Its pragmatic and is actually the foundation of the U.Ks democracy.
- It was created to help the poor.
- It includes animal rights
Weaknesses of Utilitarianism
- It can cause harm to a minority, discriminating against the smaller pleasure.
- If enough pleasure is gained, it allows for it to overule anothers pain. Eg. Rape
- Pleasure is subjective
What is negative Utilitarianism?
It focuses on what brings most pain, not pleasure. This overcomes many weaknesses of utilitarianism. E.g. that pleasure is subjective, but pain isn’t and immoral acts are committed due to the pleasure gained.
