Utilitarianism Flashcards
Define Utilitarianism
- Consequencial ethical theory where the morally correct action will result in the greatest happiness for the greatest number
- Developed by Jeremy Bentham
- Later modified by John Stuart Mill
- Hedonic, consequencial, democratic
Define Hedonism
- Philosophical theory
- Hedonists (Greek), believed that humans are in pursuit of pleasure and pain should be avoided
Jeremy Behtham on Hedonism
-“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovreign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.”
Define the Utility Principle
- A morally correct action will bring pleasure and minimise pain
- Incorrect action will bring pain and minimise pleasure
- Therefore an actions rightfulness is determined by the amount of pleasure/happiness bought by it. An action’s “usefulness”
- Teleological as concerned with actions
Quote from Bentham on the Utility Principle
“The property of an object that tends to produce benefit-its usefulness” - Bentham
For a Utilitarian, good is…
The maximisation of pleasure and minimalisation of pain
Utilitarianism is democratic because…
- Pleasure is not only for the good of one person
- Chosen way forward must achieve maximum happiness for the greatest number of people
- Must consider everyone
- Therefore democratic
Bentham on the Utility Principle
-“By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever, according to the tendency which it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question…”
What is the Hedonic Calculus?
- Used to establish all possible consequences of different actions and the amount of pleasure they will bring to decide which choice of action is appropriate
- Seven factors:
(i) Intensity
(ii) Duration
(iii) Certainty
(iv) Propinquity
(v) Fecundity
(vi) Purity
(vii) Extent
Mnemonic for the Hedonic Calculus
-“In Dreadful Circumstances Please Follow Perfect Example.”
Intensity (HC)
-How good/strong the pleasure is - Intensity
Duration (HC)
-How long will the pleasure last? - Duration
Certainty (HC)
-How certain can you be that pleasure will ensue? - Certainty
Proponquity (HC)
-How close to you will the pleasure be? - Propinquity
Fecundity (HC)
-Will similar feelings of pleasure follow the initial pleasure? - Fecundity
Purity (HC)
-How pain free will the pleasure be? - Purity
Extent (HC)
-How many people will the pleasure affect? - Extent
Bentham quote on the Hedonic Calculus
-“Sum up all the values of pleasure on one side, and all those of pain on the other. The balance, if it be on the side of pleasure, will give the good tendency of the act upon the whole, with respect to the interests of that individual person; if it be on the side of pain, the bad tendency of it upon the whole.”
Define act utilitarianism
- A version of utilitarianism according to which the rightfulness or wrongness of individual acts are calculated by the amount of happiness resulting from these acts
- The correct course of action/the course of action that will bring the most happiness will vary from situation to situation
- e.g. In one situation lying may bring about the greatest happiness, so you should lie. Though in the next situation it may bring more happiness to be truthful
Strengths and Weaknesses of act utilitarianism
Strengths:
- Flexible, as it may be adapted to fit any situation
- Easy, as the hedonic calculus lays out every circumstance and variable to be considered
Weaknesses:
- Has potential to justify any act if the greatest happiness will result. This can cause people to be greedy, or justify sadism, leading to the persecution of the minority
- Pleasures are only measured quantitatively, so small trivial pleasures may be comparable to greater ones
- Impractical to apply hedonic calculus to every situation in turn
- Can lead to extreme results: Utilitarian goes to see film, sees charity worker and donates (to cause greatest happiness). Every time they visit the cinema they see the charity worker, so they must donate, meaning they will never see the film. This seems illogical as it would cause all leisure activity for the person to end
John Stuart Mill
- Life: 1806-1873
- Child Prodigy
- Father, James Mill, followed Bentham’s teachings
- Administrator of the East India Trading Company & MP
- Wrote “On Librety” (1859) and “Utilitarianism” articles in (1861)
How far did John Stuart Mill agree with Bentham’s Utilitarianism?
Agreed:
-Accepted the utility principle of the “greatest good for the greatest number”
Disagreed with/was concerned by:
- the “sadistic guards” principle - if pleasure is purely measured quantitively/the majority benefit from the suffering of the minority, no counter measures may prevent the pleasure (hdnic) of one party being completely extinguished
- Utilitarian promoted the selfish pursuit of pleasure/desire
Mill’s higher and lower pleasures
- Higher pleasures were qualitatively better than lower pleasures
- Higher pleasures are pleasures of the mind, and lower pleasures are pleasures of the body
- Humans cannot be happy without higher pleasures, gratification by lower pleasure is inadequate
- Some pleasures (higher) should be more desirable than others, even if the higher pleasure will bring some satisfaction due to lack of quantity
- But higher and lower pleasures are linked: Lower pleasures (eating, drinking, sexual) are required for us to experience higher pleasures
- Mill recognises that people tend to pursue lower pleasures first, but suggests that it is the person’s lack of character, and not the superiority of the lower pleasure that causes this. He worries that acting in such a way can cause people to become unable to access higher pleasures
- Greatest happiness: far from pain and rich in enjoyment both qualitatively (higher) and quantitively
Quote from Mill on higher pleasures being necessary for happiness
“Human beings have faculties more elevated than animal appetites and, once conscious of them, do not regard anything as happiness which does not include their gratification”