Utilitarianism Flashcards
what is some context of utilitarianism?
- utilitarianism was first created by Jeremy Bentham, who was fascinated by how legal structures impact peoples lives
- was during philosophical radicalism, where people wanted to shift society towards benefitting the majority as he wanted a reduction of aristocratic power and privilege
what is utilitarianism?
- utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that attempts to give clarity for moral decision making
- utilitarianism is a a teleological ethical system, which means the action in itself is neither good nor bad
what is the principle of utility?
the principle of utility is a way in which actions are based on how useful they are
- through the principle of utility, Bentham determines the right way to make moral decisions is by producing the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people
What is the trolley problem?
PHILIPPA FOOT:
- a trolley coming through, and you can either prevent one person from being crushed by the trolley or prevent five people from being crushed
can the morality of an action be based on utility?
YES:
- it makes sense to link happiness and morality together as humans naturally seek pleasure
- its easy to understand wanting the best for the majority
- it stops you doing actions which you think may be harmful
NO:
- happiness is too relative
- it could justify an action that is morally wrong (the trolley problem)
- we don’t always know what the consequences of an action may be
what is the purpose of the hedonic calculus?
the purpose of the hedonic calculus is to bring about pleasure in our moral decisions
PLEASURE/PAIN X QUANTITY AFFECTED = HEDONIC SCORE
what are strengths of the hedonic calculus?
- removes the ambiguity often found with moral decision making
- quantifies pleasure in an empirical way, making it practical
what are weaknesses of the hedonic calculus?
- its impractical to calculate the consequence of every action before making a decision
- it can justify actions that are morally wrong (the sadistic guard), so is therefore to abstract and subjective
What is Mill’s Sadistic Guard Example?
an innocent man being wrongfully imprisoned and three guards take pleasure out of torturing him while he is in prison
what would bentham say in regards to MIll’s sadistic guard example?
He argues that if the hedonic calculus is applied correctly, you would not reach the conclusion that torturing the prisoner is acceptable, due to the purity placed on pleasure
what is act utilitarianism?
act utilitarianism is maximising pleasure and minimising pain, which should be the motivating factor behind all behaviour (based on the consequences)
What scholars criticise act utilitarianism?
J.S.MILL
- he states that act utilitarianism can justify the “tyranny of the majority”
- he states that it justifies immoral behaviour (swine ethics)
what is rule utilitarianism?
rule utilitarianism is following rules that will generally bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people over time (based on the consequences that result after following a rule of conduct)
what scholars criticise rule utilitarianism?
KANT:
- kant believes that we must follow our duty at all times through the categorical imperative
- the action in itself is what has moral value as we can never be clear of the consequences
what are strengths of utilitarianism?
- allows for autonomy as you don’t just have to blindly follow rules
- gives your actions moral value
- can be applied in all contexts
- its realistic as it prioritises human nature meaning that it uderstands human nature
what are weaknesses of utilitarianism?
KANT:
- he believes that its irrational to expect people to determine the outcome of their action, since the consequences are hard to determine
AUGUSTINE: (particularly useful for rule utilitarianism)
- humans are fallen and prioritise cupidatis(pleasure)
- it is not realistic to think that humans will behave morally as that’s not within human nature
BERNARD WILLIAMS:
- an ethical theory should never justify people doing unethical things (seen through through the example of (jimmy and the Indians)
