4 utilitarianism 13

7/28/2019 4 Utilitarianism 13

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UTILITARIANISMAssoc. Prof. Sharyn Davies


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Happiness - Utility

Work out what would bring about the

greatest happiness overall.

Utility useful for bringing about

happiness


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John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)


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J.S. Mill and Harriet Taylor


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Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)


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Jeremy Benthams body


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Hedonistic Calculus

Intensity

Duration

Certainty or uncertaintyRemoteness

Fecundity

Purity Extent


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Consequentialism

Utilitarianism is consequentialist (based on

the results)

Kantian ethics is non-consequentialist or

deontological (duty-based)


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Two main types of Utilitarianism

Act or Classical Utilitarianism

Rule Utilitarianism


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(Bentham)

Three propositions:

1. Actions are to be judged right or wrongsolely in virtue of their consequences.

Nothing else matters. Right actions are,

simply, those that have the best

consequences.


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2. In assessing consequences, the onlything that matters is the amount of

happiness or unhappiness that is caused.

Everything else is irrelevant.


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3. In calculating the happiness orunhappiness, no ones happiness is

counted as more important than anyone

elses. Each persons welfare is equally

important.


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Rule Utilitarianism

(Mill)

John Stuart Mills amendment to

Benthams original theory

Apply utilitarian principles to formulate

moral code or rules for society.

Adopt rules which maximise happiness.

Dont need to judge every action.


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Act/Rule Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPp

kdyVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVE


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Nazi Human Experimentation

Malaria experiments

From 1942 to 1945, experiments were

conducted at Dachau concentration camp to

investigate immunization for treatment ofmalaria. Healthy inmates were infected by

mosquitoes. After contracting the disease, the

subjects were treated with various drugs to test

their relative efficiency. Over 1,000 people wereused in these experiments, and of those, more

than half died as a result.


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Similarities and Differences

KANTIAN ETHICS

Non-consequentialist

UTILITARIANISM

Consequentialist


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KANTIAN ETHICS


Human dignity

paramount

UTILITARIANISM

Consequentialist

Some people might

need to be sacrificedfor the general good


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KANTIAN ETHICS


Human dignity

paramount

People should never

be treated only as a

means to an end

UTILITARIANISM

Consequentialist

Some people might


Some people might



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(continued)

KANTIAN ETHICS

Motive is most

important aspect of

ethical action

UTILITARIANISM

Result is most

important aspect of

ethical action


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(continued)

KANTIAN ETHICS

Motive is most

important aspect of

ethical action We should act

according to universal

principles

UTILITARIANISM

Result is most

important aspect of


according to rules

(Rule-Utilitarianism)


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(continued)

KANTIAN ETHICS

Motive is most

important aspect of


according to universal

laws

The most important

value is duty

UTILITARIANISM

Result is most

important aspect of


according to rules

(Rule Utilitarianism)

The most important

value is happiness


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(continued)

KANTIAN ETHICS

Rules devised by

asking whether it canbe universalised(would you wanteveryone to follow

this rule in allcircumstances?)

UTILITARIANISM

Rules devised by

asking whether itwould bring about themaximisation ofhappiness (would this

bring the mosthappiness overall, butnot necessarily foreveryone?)


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Critiques of Utilitarianism

1. Is utilitarianism really workable?

Uncertainty about the results or outcomes

Comparing levels of happiness and

unhappiness difficult, if not impossible

Is the time involved, particularly with Act

Utilitarianism, realistic?

Seems to be an objective measure, but realitywould be inaccurate measurements.


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(continued)

2. Are some actions wrong, even if they

produce good?

Under utilitarianism no action is unjust of itself

Some actions can be immoral and should not

be done (e.g. breaking promises, especially

deathbed promises)


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(continued)

3. Is utilitarianism unjust?

Some people being sacrificed to achieve thegreatest good.


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Cost-Benefit

Philip Morris cigarette study in Czech:

While smoking may cost money in extra

health care, it would save the country millions

in pensions, aged health care, and give thegovernment more money through taxes:

The great good = more people smoking.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stm


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Peter Singer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_v

FWoCU&feature=related

Preference utilitarianism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=related


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Justice: whats the right thing to

do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-

8hEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY


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Conclusion

Utilitarianism: greatest good for the

greatest number, but there are problems.

4 utilitarianism 13

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