Utlilitarianism Flashcards
Bentham
Form of ethical naturalism
Focuses on act utilitarianism - focus on actions not rules, looks to bring greater pleasure to greatest number
‘ the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation’
Human behaviour is hedonistic (pleasure is the primary/ most intrinsic good) and naturally motivated by pleasure (AO2: are we really? Some feel pleasure from pain e.g. Dahmer, hitler etc.)
Father of utilitarianism- advocated to abolish slavery etc.
believed in life all ppl. Would try achieve most pleasure and avoid pain
Utilitarianism is consequentialist- focus on cons of actions that make it either right or wrong
‘Nature has places mankind under governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure’ determines what we ought to do and rule us
Doesn’t believe in moral absolutes, what max. Pleasure is diff. In every situation
BUT THERES TWO INTRINSICS: pleasure - only intrinsic good and pain - only intrinsic evil
Hedonic calculus
Happiness is based n our observations of it as a natural phenomenon,able to calc it objectively in terms of its intensity, duration, certainty, proximity productiveness, purity and extent
Tries to quantify happiness
Add up all happiness and subtract pain then decide how to act based on numbers
(AO2; not practical in a situation, not humanely natural, more likely to rely on intuition and instinct)
(AO2; empirically has weight, humans generally seek pleasure and avoid pain e.g. nut allergy, wont eat a nut)
(AO2; can’t predict future, calc may not be accurate, pain can be goof and pleasure can be bad(adultery) and causes tyranny of majority e.g. gang rape)
(AO2; certain ppl. E.g. friends and family are more important than others, no grounds to max. Happiness for random ppl over ppl you know)
John Stuart mill
Disagreed with B’s idea that all pleasures are equal but agreed about society and need for a better one.
Rule utilitarianism: agreed w/ utility principle (greatest good for greatest no.) but believed pleasure should be qual. Not quan. Avoids well being of individual being ignored over pleasure of a greater no.
‘Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied’ rejects B’s view that all pleasures = equal and measurable insists there’s higher cultural and intellectual pleasures e.g. reading a book and there’s lower physical ones e.g. eating or playing a game.
Reason sets us apart from animals, someone who prefs a lower pleasure is equivalent to an animal
Higher pleasures are qual. Superior to lower pleasures
Pleasure of mind > pleasure of body
Flaws of B: terrible things e.g. torture could be justified if it brought greatest good and amount of pleasure mattered not type
Evaluation- ethical naturalism
STRENGTHS:
Right and wrong are objective,exist in world outside of us, if there’s an objective moral reality, then we can know if were going right and wrong
Ethical propositions give us solid guidelines and rules to follow e.g. rule util.
Judged by compliance with rules - if we break rules then this gives justification to punish - fits with judicial system
Most ppl, tend to follow one naturalist theory or another another
WEAKNESSES:
Just because they’re factual, dont impress ethical non-cognitivists, who arg they aren’t factual as can’t be verified/ falsified.
Naturalistic fallacy
Utilitarianism eval
STRENGTHS:
Factual basis to morality
Clear guidelines and rules
Gives us way of measuring the worth of ppl.
Practical- seen in UK politics and judiciary
If you ask ppl. What they want most will say happiness
WEAKNESSES:
Happiness is subjective,some derive pleasure from inflicting pain on others
Req to 2nd guess future, but can never truly be sure of the cons. Of our actions
Ignores rights of minority
Commits naturalistic fallacy
