Utilitarianism Flashcards
Who was Utilitarianism created by
Jeremy Bentham
What is Utilitarianism
The idea that we should always seek to achieve the greatest balance of good over evil
What ethical approach is utilitarianism
Teleological (outcome over action)
What is Jeremy Bentham’s idea of utilitarianism
That the more pleasure (quantity) is better, even if a minority must suffer
What did Jeremy Bentham create which judges an action according to the results it produces
The principle of unity
What does the principle of unity argue
If the action maximises pleasure and minimises pain, then it is useful and therefore morally good
What did Bentham argue about actions which benefit, give pleasure, good or happiness?
That they are good
(things are good if they produce good results)
What would Bentham argue about torture
That torture may be OK depending on the situation, yes its morally wrong but if the outcome of torture would mean saving innocent people it would mean it is good
What does Bentham believe about duties and consequences
Consequences are primary and duties are secondary
What did Bentham create to help judge moral actions
Hedonic Calculus
What terms within the hedonic calculus help to measure if actions are good or bad
Intensity - how intense is the suffering
Duration - Low long is it
Certainty - how certain are we that pleasure/pain is an outcome
Propinquity - How long do we have to wait
Fecundity - will pleasure lead to more pleasure
Purity - will the pleasure possibly lead to pain
Extent - how many people would be effected by our decisions
What is Mills utilitarianism
Everything but the hedonic calculus. As for Mill, the quality of pleasure is more important than the quantity. There are ‘higher pleasures’ and ‘lower pleasures’
What is a higher pleasure for Mill
Intellectual and social
What is a lower pleasure for Mill
Food, sex, sleep
What is Act utilitariansim
Looking at situations differently each time and assessing them with the hedonic calculus, it allows time to weigh things up (Bentham)
