Utility and Utilitarianism

1
Chapter 3

• Utility and Utilitarianism

2
Utilitarianism

• Define
• Any action which maximizes good for the greatest
  number of people is ethically correct
• How would it be stated in business?
• Making profit is good, since it benefits the
  many, even if it is unfair to the few.
• Cost/benefit analysis of ethical behavior
• Utilitarianism versus a utilitarian business
  analysis

3
Types

• Hedonistic utilitarianism
• Pleasure versus pain
• Jeremy Bentham
• See http//utilitarianism.com/bentham.htm
• Eudaimonistic utilitarianism
• Happiness (not just pleasure) versus unhappiness
• John Stuart Mill
• Considers quality and quantity.
• Happiness is difficult to measure
• Ideal utilitarianism
• Everything must be considered
• Happiness, pleasure, friendship, knowledge,
  accomplishment, recognition, charity, goodwill,
  etc.

4
Utilitarianism

• Actions are good/bad based on an examination of
  their effects
• Therefore, the behaviors are not inherently
  good/bad
• Ethical cost/benefit approach
• We consider the effect on ALL, not just the
  individuals involved directly
• We must evaluate and compare to ALL alternative
  behaviors (behavioral options)

5
Utilitarianism

• Two types
• Act utilitarianism
• Each act must be decided on its own
• Exceptions are allowed
• Were likely to misuse this
• Rule utilitarianism
• Classes of actions are treated the same (no
  exceptions)
• Preferable because we cant know all consequences
  of any action

6
Utilitarianism

• Frequently used in legislative arguments
• Not all unethical behavior appears bad
• Theft, murder etc, is often driven by individual
  cost/benefit analysis
• If we increase fear of doing whats wrong, we
  reduce objectionable behavior
• Penal codes
• Classic arguments against Utilitarianism
• It puts utility over God
• Its impossible to calculate all consequences
• Were not able to know the full results of any
  act
• Impossible to calculate greatest good

7
Utilitarianism

• Greatest good sometimes hard to determine.
  Example
• An act is extremely beneficial to 20 people at
  your organization of 1000, and offered the rest a
  very small advantage
• An alternate act is moderately beneficial to 950,
  and ignore the other 50
• Assuming these offer identical total good,
  which is preferable?
• Neutral language is best when describing the act
  under scrutiny
• Cheating vs. copying information from
  anothers test

8
Utilitarianism and Justice

• Justice does not depend on consequences
• Utilitarian calculations sounds easy in theory,
  but are difficult in practice
• Read the story on page 66 (top)
• Was the judge correct? Why or why not?
• Are ALL consequences considered by the judge?
• See steps on page 70

9
Situational Analysis

• Assume you have to decide whether to lie on your
  resume concerning your qualifications

10
Chapter 4

• Moral Duty, Rights, and Justice

11
Deontological Approach

• Johnson Controls case
• Fair resolution?
• What were the manufacturers ethical
  responsibilities?
• What would you do?
• Rights vs. consequences conflict
• Rights represent the deontological approach to
  ethics
• Contrast with the utilitarian approach

12
Deontological Approach

• Things are right and wrong independent of
  consequences

13
Deontological Approach

• Consistent with Judeo-Christian tradition
• Ten Commandments
• Right and wrong are determined by God
• Or, things are right because they are right
• No examination of consequences before decision of
  right or wrong

14
Deontological Approach

• Emmanuel Kant
• Things are right because we determine they are
  right, not others (parents, teachers, scientists,
  etc.)
• We impose them on ourselves others cant impose
  them on us
• A moral person is a rational person
• Others cant impose either on us
• Reason is the same in all of us
• What is moral is the same in all of us
• Moral laws are reasonable, have a certain form
  (formalist ethical approach)
• They are consistent, universal, a priori

15
Characteristics of Reason

• Consistent
• Moral laws should not conflict with each other
• Universal
• If something is rational and logical, it is the
  same for all
• A priori
• Not based on experience
• Derived by reasoning from self-evident
  propositions (Merriam-Webster, 2005)

16
Deontological Approach

• Kant
• Moral law is categorical, not hypothetical
• Hypothetical imperative (choice based on
  circumstances)
• Ends based rule. Not necessarily universal
• Categorical imperative (absolute, unqualified)
• Three tests
• Can it be made consistently universal?
• Does it treats humans as ends, not means?
• Does it respect and reflect individual autonomy?
• Freely chosen, self-imposed, acceptance of
  universality

17
Deontological Approach

• Maxims that pass the test must be stated
  completely with all exceptions
• E.g. never lie is a difficult rule to defend
• Lie only when the welfare of others is at
  greater risk may be better
• Note that this process begins to approach the
  teleological (rule utilitarianism)
• Perfect versus imperfect duties
• Perfect duty clearly defined action people
  affected clearly defined e.g. do not steal
• Imperfect duty ambiguous action or degree of
  application e.g. helping the poor

18
Deontological Approach

• Rights and justice are from a deontological
  perspective
• What are moral rights?
• important, normative, justifiable claims or
  entitlements
• Rights
• Cannot be overridden by consequences
• Can be overridden by other rights
• Can be stated as positive or negative