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Utilitarianism

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Title: Utilitarianism


1
Utilitarianism
2
Utilitarianism
  • Learning Objectives-
  • (long term)
  • To understand the greatest happiness principle.
  • To understand the similarities and differences
    between Bentham and Mill.
  • Understand the distinction between Act and Rule
    Utilitarianism.
  • Discuss how appropriate these labels are for
    Bentham and Mill.
  • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
    Utilitarianism.

3
This lessons objectives are
  • To understand the principle of utility.
  • To be able to explain the significance of the
    hedonic calculus.
  • To be confident with Jeremy Benthams
    utilitarianism theory.
  • To understand what Act Utilitarianism means.

4
Utilitarianism- Key Points
  • Brief Intro
  • A teleological theory. But, what does this mean?
  • Teleological theories look at the consequences-
    the results of an action- to decide whether it is
    right or wrong.
  • Consequentialist theory- someone who decides
    whether an action is good or bad by its
    consequences.

5
Jeremy Bentham
  • He was concerned with social and legal reform
    he wanted to develop an ethical theory which
    established whether something was good or bad
    according to its benefit for the majority of
    people.
  • He called this the principle of utility.
  • Utility the usefulness of the results of actions.

6
Bentham
  • Bentham equated happiness with pleasure and the
    absence of pain.
  • This was an empirical observation - people desire
    pleasure and seek to avoid pain.
  • His scientific mind led him to believe that the
    study of ethics could be undertaken in a
    practical way, carefully measuring the possible
    consequences or outcomes of an action before
    deciding which choice to take.
  • Benthams theories led to extensive social reform
    affecting Parliament, criminal law, the jury
    system, prisons, savings banks, cheap postage
    etc, etc.
  • What was revolutionary about Benthams theory was
    that it resulted in all people being considered
    when making laws. His hedonic calculus was
    especially helpful in determining how to measure
    different amounts of pleasure.

7
Principle of Utility
  • Often expressed as,
  • the greatest good of the
  • greatest number.
  • Good happiness or pleasure. So, an act is right
    or wrong according to the good or bad results
    that results from the act and the good act is the
    most pleasurable.
  • Quantitative focuses on the greatest number.

8
Benthams Approach
  • The theory is based on ancient hedonism, which
    pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical
    pain.
  • Moral acts maximise pleasure/ minimise pain ? ?
    ? Utilitarian calculus.
  • So, an act moral, if it brings the greatest
    amount of pleasure and least pain.
  • Examples?

9
Pain vs. pleasure
  • Bentham, The principle of utility aims to
    promote happiness which is the supreme ethical
    value. Nature has placed us under the governance
    of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. An
    act is right if it delivers more pleasure than
    pain and wrong if it brings about more pain
    than pleasure.
  • Simple equation ?
  • Happiness pleasure minus pain.

10
Pleasure vs. Happiness
  • Actions are right in proportion when they tend
    to promote happiness, wrong when they tend to
    produce the reverse of happiness. When Bentham
    talks about happiness, he refers to pleasure and
    the absence of pain by unhappiness, pain and the
    privation of pleasure.
  • According to Bentham's theory, the rightness of
    an action entirely depends on the value of its
    consequences. That is why the theory is also
    described as consequentialist.

11
Hedonism
12
Hedonism
  • The view that pleasure is the chief good.

13
Origins of Hedonism
  • Utilitarianism ? a Hedonistic theory.
  • This is based on the idea that good is defined
    in terms of pleasure/ happiness.
  • Greek Philosophers-- Plato and Aristotle both
    argued that good equated with the greatest
    happiness.
  • While Epicureans stressed pleasure as the main
    aim of life.
  • Pleasure is NOT the same as happiness, as
    happiness results from the use of reason and
    cultivating the virtues.
  • It is only if we take pleasure in good activities
    that pleasure itself is good.

14
Measure Hedonism
  • Think
  • If you were to measure pleasure (Hedonism), how
    would you do it? What would you look for?
  • (5 minutes).

15
Hedonic Calculus
  • Helps us choose the good thing to do and work out
    the possible consequences of an action.
  • P.R.R.I.C.E.D acronym.
  • Purity how free from pain is it?
  • Remoteness how near is it?
  • Richness to what extent will it lead to other
    pleasures?
  • Intensity how powerful is it?
  • Certainty how likely it is to result in
    pleasure?
  • Extent how many people does it affect?
  • Duration how long will it last?

16
Hedonic Calculus Euthanasia
  • Bentham's Hedonic Calculus can be used to weigh
    up the pleasure and pain caused by two courses of
    action - in this case, helping someone to die, or
    not doing so.
  • Bentham would consider the Intensity of the pain
    and its Duration. He would have to weigh that
    against the number of people affected (Extent),
    and consider whether keeping someone alive would
    lead to other pleasures (Richness). He would also
    need to add up the amount of other 'pains' the
    patient would face e.g. loss of dignity (Purity),
    and consider the chances that there' might be a
    cure or treatment in the future (Certainty). The
    pain is immediate, while possible future benefits
    are Remote.
  • In most cases, the degree of pain is so great
    that Bentham's theory would support euthanasia.

17
Act Utilitarianism
  • A teleological theory that uses the outcome of an
    action to determine whether it is good or bad.

18
Thinking Points- Debate
  • Are all actions only good because they have good
    results?
  • Suppose a surgeon could use the organs of one
    healthy patient to save the lives of several
    others. Would the surgeon be justified in killing
    the healthy patient for the sake of the others?
  • Suppose a rape is committed that is thought to be
    racially motivated. Riots are brewing that may
    result in many deaths and long term racial
    antagonism. You are the police chief and have
    recently taken a man into custody. Why not frame
    him? He will be imprisoned if found guilty and
    this will result in peace and safety. Only you,
    the innocent man and the real rapist (who will
    keep quiet), will know the truth. What is the
    morally right thing to do?
  • You are an army officer who has just captured an
    enemy soldier who knows where a secret time bomb
    is planted. If it explodes it will kill
    thousands. Will it be morally permissible to
    torture the solider so that he reveals the bombs
    location?
  • If you knew where the soldier's children
    were, would it also be permissible to torture
    them to get him to reveal the bombs whereabouts?

19
Wrap up
  • On the piece of paper, write one thing you have
    learned today
  • Could be a concept you are now familiar with.
  • Or, a new key term in your vocabulary.
  • A theory that you are more confident
  • in understanding.
  • Developed an academic/exam skill.
  • If nothing, be honest. But say why you feel
    nothing.
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