Utilitarianism☺ Flashcards
who was the originator of utilitarianism?
Jeremy Bentham
what were Bentham’s dates?
1748-1832
who was Bentham?
- enlightenment thinker
* social reformer
which era was Bentham living in?
the enlightenment era when society was becoming more secular. The 19th century was a time of scientific discoveries
what was Benthams ethic designed as?
a rebellion against strict deontological religious ethics like natural law
is utilitarianism universal or relative?
relative
what did Bentham call happiness?
the sovereign good
who was Bentham inspired by for his theory?
the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle
why did Bentham believe happiness was the sovereign good?
because it is good for people to be happy
“Happiness is a…” 💁
“…very pretty thing to feel.” 💁
“when happiness is present, we have everything, but…”
“…when it is absent, we do everything to possess it.”
“Nature has place mankind under the governance of…”
“…two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”
Bentham believed that humans are motivated by two things…
the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain
“pleasure and pain alone…”
“…point out what we ought to do.”
Bentham’s utilitarianism is called…
Act utilitarianism
Mill’s utilitarianism is called…
Rule utilitarianism
what is the one guiding principle of act utilitarianism?
‘principle of utility’
“the greatest happiness of the…”
“…greatest number.”
Joseph Priestley
the principle of utility is based on ________’s statement
Priestley
a good action is one that…
produces more pleasure over pain
a bad action is one that…
produces more pain than pleasure
“create all the happiness you are able to create;…”
“…remove all the misery you are able to remove.”
its not all about your own happiness, this would be called…
egoism
“everyday will invite you to…”
“…add something to the pleasure of others.”
should you create happiness even up to the point of your own death?💣
yes💣
what is negative act utilitarianism?
where all the possible actions would create more pain that pleasure
what should you do in a negative act utilitarianism situation?
the lesser of two evils, the action that will create the least amount of pain
Was Bentham concerned with the quantity of quality if happiness?
quantity
what is the hedonic calculus used for?
to measure the happiness outcomes of an action
what are the 7 factors of the hedonic calculus? (in Dallas, cowboys practice riding peacefully everyday)
- intensity
- duration
- certainty
- propinquity
- richness
- purity
- extent
which criteria of the hedonic calculus is the most important?
none, they are all equal
by using the hedonic calculus what did Bentham believe moral agents could do?
work out the right course of action in every moral situation
what were mills 2 criticisms of Bentham’s act utilitarianism?
- act utilitarianism justifies bad actions
- act utilitarianism is overly complex
what 2 changes did Mill make?
- Harm principle
- Higher and lower pleasures
what did the harm principle stop…
pleasure being created at the expense of someone else
what are higher pleasures?
pleasures of the mind e.g meditation, forgiveness
what are lower pleasures?
pleasures of the body e.g drugs, drunkenness
” A beast’s pleasures do not…”
“satisfy a human being’s conception of happiness.”
Mill
are higher or lower pleasures more important according to Mill?
higher
