Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from John Stuart Mill's lecture on Utilitarianism, which is focusing on the principles of happiness, justice, and moral philosophy.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory that determines right from wrong by focusing on outcomes; specifically, that an action is right if it promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Happiness Principle

The idea that actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they produce the opposite of happiness.

Criterion of Right and Wrong

A set of principles or standards used to determine the moral or ethical nature of actions.

Moral Instinct

The belief that there is an inherent sense within individuals that guides them in distinguishing between right and wrong.

Summum Bonum

The highest good or ultimate objective of human actions, often discussed in philosophical contexts.

Critique of Justice

The examination of how justice relates to utilitarianism, particularly the argument about whether justice can exist independently of utility.

First Principles

The basic foundational propositions or assumptions that underlie a theory or system of thought.

Inductive Ethics

A moral theory based on the observation of human conduct to derive ethical principles.

Kantian Ethics

A deontological moral theory developed by Immanuel Kant, centered on the concept of duty and moral law.

Greatest Happiness Principle

The guiding tenet of utilitarianism which states that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as that which produces the greatest well-being.

Impartiality in Ethics

The principle that all individuals' happiness should be considered equally in moral decision-making.

Social Contract Theory

An implied agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, often discussed in relation to justice and morality.