UTILITARIANISM Flashcards
What type of ethical theory is Utilitarianism?
It is consequentialist, relativist and teleological
What are the two different types of Utilitarianism and who are the main thinkers for them?
Act Utilitarianism - Jeremy Bentham
Rule Utilitarianism - John Stuart Mill
What is a quote Bentham said about ethics and human nature and what does the quote mean?
‘Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we out to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.’ - An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation
This quote is saying that pain and pleasure control us humans.
What is the Hedonic Calculus?
A method of working out the sum total of pleasure and pain produced by an act, and thus the total value of its consequences
What are the 7 features of the Hedonic Calculus?
- Intensity of pleasure or pain
- Duration of pleasure or pain
- Certainty of pleasure or pain
- Propinquity of pleasure or pain (how soon)
- Fecundity of pleasure or pain (how likely to lead to further pleasure or pain)
- Purity of it (will the pleasure lead to pain)
- Extent (how many people will be affected)
What is a quote Bentham said about happiness for the numbers?
’ The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation.’
What are some problems with Act Utilitarianism?
- You can justify any action as long as it brings pleasure to the majority
- Disregards the minority
- Damaging actions can make some people happy (community of sadists)
- Hard to measure whether or not the action will actually bring the greater good
What did Mill say about humans?
’ It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied’ - it is better for humans to desire higher pleasures even if it involves some form of dissatisfaction
What is the difference between higher and lower pleasures according to Mill?
Higher: pleasures that are mentally stimulating such as intellect
Lower: bodily pleasures/pleasures which are not concerned with out mental lives such as eating food
How does Mill disagree with Bentham’s views?
Mill rejects Bentham’s view that humans are unrelentingly driven by narrow self-interest
What are problems with Rule Utilitarianism?
Jack Smart - it will always break down into rule utilitarianism due to no ethical authority of the rules and the changeable nature of the rules.
How does Philippa Foot argue against Utilitarianism?
Through the ‘Trolley Problem’ - if there was a man on a bridge and you could push him off onto a train track to save 5 lives, would you?
What is ‘Preference’ Utilitarianism?
What is a strength of ‘Preference’ Utilitarianism?
What is a weakness of ‘Preference’ Utilitarianism?
How is the Principle of Utility useful in utilitarianism?
How is the Principle of Utility not useful in utilitarianism?
Why might the Hedonic Calculus be a weakness of Act Utilitariansim?
