Utilitarianism Flashcards
What is Act Utilitarianism?
Devised by Bentham, it is the first form of Utilitarianism. It was the first atheistic theories and suggested we were under the masters of “pain and pleasure.” It follows that we should avoid pain and pursue pleasure.
What is the Principle of Utility?
An action is good if it leads to the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
What is the Hedonic Calculus?
It is a means of measuring the amount of pleasure derived from an action.
- How strong the pleasure is.
- How long the pleasure lasts.
- The amount of people affected.
- How likely it is that the pleasure will occur.
- When in time will the pleasure occur.
- The likelihood that pleasure leads to more pleasure.
- The likelihood that pleasure leads to pain.
How does Mill distinguish between higher and lower pleasures?
Higher pleasures: Pleasures of the mind that only humans can partake in. I.e. literature, art, philosophy, culture. They can be enlightening long-term.
Lower pleasures: Animalistic pleasures that don’t require the mind. I.e. sex, food, relaxation. They are fleeting and addictive.
What is Mill’s quote regarding the importance of the distinction between higher and lower pleasures?
“It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.”
What is a criticism of Mill’s higher/lower pleasures and how does Mill respond?
It could be said that even the most mentally cultivated people fall into addiction of the lower pleasures or even just fall back on them. People don’t always prefer higher pleasures.
Mill responds that everyone prefers the higher pleasures, but not everyone chooses to follow them. Higher pleasure enjoyment requires careful cultivation which is easily lost.
What is generic/strong/weak Rule Utilitarianism?
Generic: An action is good if it follows the rules to maximise happiness. If a rule promotes more happiness than if it were not followed, we should follow it.
Strong: Rules should be stuck to no matter the circumstances.
Weak: Rules can be broken if it maximises happiness to do so.
What are the first and second principles of Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism?
The First Principle: The principle of utility, first put forward by Bentham, that Mill agrees with “entirely.”
The Second Principle: More general rules and guidelines. No murder or stealing as they are injurious to happiness.
What is the harm principle?
It essentially states that people should be free to do what they want so long as it doesn’t hurt others. People should be free to realise their own happiness.
How could secondary principles conflict?
The trolley problem: the harm principle contradicts the secondary principle to help others.
What is the problem with calculation for Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism requires that we know the future. We need to know the consequences of our actions to deduce the amount of pleasure that results from it. It requires that we make complex calculations of the subjective materials of pleasure and pain under time constraints. It seems like Utilitarianism is impractical when tested in real situations.
How do Bentham and Mill respond to the issues with calculation?
Bentham: An action is good if it has “the tendency which it appears to have” to maximise pleasure. We only need an approximate idea of consequences. We can also measure subjective feelings. Doctors will ask how much pain we are in out of 10. Whilst this isn’t perfect, it gives a viable approximation.
Mill: He seems to avoid issues of calculation entirely, saying that we just need to follow our society’s secondary principles to the best of our ability. The principle of utility is sometimes unable to be followed perfectly, but we should just try.
Does Utilitarianism justify immoral actions on the basis of pleasure?
YES: If ten people gained pleasure from torturing one person, that would be more pleasure than if they were not to torture one person, even if torture is immoral.
NO: Bentham argues in the case of ten torturers that whilst it is a lot of pleasure, his principle is looking for maximum pleasure. The one person would not receive pleasure, so we should find alternatives where everyone is pleasured.
Mill says the harm principle would prevent the ten torturers from hurting the person at all. Mill doesn’t believe in rights, but believes that people should remain unharmed because this promotes more happiness.
What is the issue of consequences and character for Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism only considers the consequences of an action, rather than the character of the person. If someone was to stab a child, for example, and it was discovered they had a brain tumour whilst in hospital, stabbing the child was a good act because it led to the removal of a tumour.
MILL WOULD ARGUE that the character does matter because it defines future actions. The man who stabbed a child should be condemned because he might stab more children in future. Having a good character also makes you happier.
What is the issue of partiality for Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism seems to disregard personal bonds, as even though a mother would save her own child over two strangers, Utilitarianism would see that as wrong because saving two people promotes more happiness than one.
