Utilitarianism Flashcards
What quote from Bentham shows his views on utilitarianism?
‘It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong’
Why was Bentham regarded as a social reformer?
He grew up during the industrial revolution where there was constant suffering and inequality.
According to Bentham, who are the two sovereign masters?
Pain and pleasure (we seek pleasure and avoid pain)
What is the principle of utility?
The principle which states that an action should maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
What kind of ethic is Utilitarianism?
Teleological - concerned with consequences.
According to Bentham, what makes an act right?
If it creates more pleasure than pain.
What are the seven parts of the hedonic calculus?
Intensity
Duration
Extent
Propinquity
Fecundity
Purity
Certainty
What does Bentham’s hedonic calculus do?
It is a way to calculate pleasure, looking at the benefit or harm of an act based on its consequences.
What are three weaknesses with the hedonic calculus?
It attempts to quantify happiness - hard to apply to an immediate dilemma.
It relies on you to predict the consequences of a situation.
One persons pleasure may be another persons pain.
What quote from Bentham shows how he believes all pleasures are valuable given that they give that person pleasure?
‘Prejudice apart, the game of push pin is of equal value with the arts and sciences of music and poetry. If the game is push pin furnish more pleasure, it is more valuable’.
Why did some people call Utilitarianism a ‘swine ethic’ or ‘pig philosophy’?
It encourages people to partake in base pleasures.
What problems does Mill point out with Bentham’s ethic?
He does not distinguish between different sorts of pleasures.
He does not account for minorities.
Emphasis on pleasure is little more than animal instincts.
What does Mill distinguish between?
Lower pleasures and higher pleasures.
What are higher pleasures?
Stimulate the mind, can only be experienced by humans.
What does Mill mean when he says ‘It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied’?
We find that beings prefer the highest mental pleasure they are capable of experiencing over lower pleasures.
Who are ‘competent judges’?
People with experience of both higher and lower pleasures.
Mill claims they always prefer higher pleasures to lower pleasures, thus demonstrating their greater quality.
What is WD Ross’s criticism of Mill?
Mill doe snot take into account the complex lives and moral decisions - family takes precedence over reason.
What is Henry Sidgwick’s criticism of Mill?
How do we distinguish between higher and lower pleasures? Which takes priority in decision making?
What is an example of where it is hard to distinguish between higher and lower pleasures?
Food is a lower pleasure, however what about reading a book about food or being a chef?
How does Ursula Le Giun challenge utilitarian ideas?
The story of waking away from Omelus.
Someone lives a pleasurable life in a city but sees a suffering child.
If the person leaves the city then the suffering child will be set free, but if they remain the child will still suffer.
Utilitarian’s argue that the child does not matter.
What is Act utilitarianism?
A person has a moral dilemma and uses the hedonic calculus to establish what the greatest good would be.
What is Rule utilitarianism?
An action is good if it conforms to a rule which maximizes happiness.
The rules should be stuck to no matter the situation.
What is weak rule utilitarianism?
The view that the rules can be broken if it maximizes happiness to do so.
What is Alistair Maclyntre’s criticism of utilitarianism?
Pleasures don’t necessarily cause moral goodness as some pleasures may have a price to pay.
Who coined the phrase naturalistic fallacy?
G.E Moore
How does utilitarianism commit the naturalistic fallacy?
They claim that because we observe things in nature that avoid pain and seek pleasure then this must be good.
What is R.M Hare’s preference utilitarianism?
Focuses on fulfilling the preferences or desires of individuals, rather than strictly maximizing happiness or pleasure.
These preferences are arguably hard to weigh up.
According to John Locke, what are natural rights?
All individuals are equal in the sense that they have base rights which naturally exist.
Why does Mill reject natural rights?
He claimed humans do not have natural rights innately, natural rights are not necessary to reach the principle of utility.
Freedom is what is needed for pleasure.
What is Mill’s harm principle?
The idea that everyone should live freely so long as they do not harm people alongside this liberty.
On what basis may Hume reject utilitarianism?
He claimed ‘reason is and ought to be the slave of passions’
Reason does what the passions want which may not be moral.
What is Mary Wollstonecraft’s criticism of utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism ‘leaves behind the marginalized’.
