Utilitarianism flashcards.

How does teleological thinking determine whether an action is morally right?

-Teleological or consequentialist thinking focuses on the “end” or purpose of an action.

-The morality of an action is judged by its outcomes.

-In Utilitarianism, this means choosing the action that produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

How does the Principle of Utility determine the best moral action according to Utilitarianism?

-The Principle of Utility in Utilitarianism assesses how “useful” an action is by its outcome.

-The most useful action is the one that maximises happiness or pleasure.

-Actions that produce the most happiness are considered morally best, following the “greatest happiness principle.”

How does Bentham’s concept of the “utilitarian calculus” determine whether an action is moral?

-Jeremy Bentham, a founder of Utilitarianism, viewed happiness as the “sovereign good.”

-He linked happiness to pleasure + developed his system on hedonism, aiming to maximise pleasure + minimise pain.

-Moral acts are those that bring the greatest net pleasure, a process sometimes called the “utilitarian calculus.”

How do pleasure + pain form the basis of morality in Bentham’s Utilitarianism?

-Bentham argued human behaviour is governed by 2 “sovereign masters”: pleasure + pain.

-These experiences determine what we ought to do + what’s morally good.

-Utilitarianism, while teleological, has a guiding principle - the Principle of Utility - which asks: what produces the greatest good for the greatest number?

How does Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus help determine the morally right action in Utilitarianism?

-Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus is a method to measure the total pleasure + pain resulting from an action.

-By assessing factors like intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity + extent, we can determine which action maximises pleasure and minimises pain.

-This method could even guide legal reform by calculating the minimum penalty needed to prevent a crime.

What are Bentham’s 7 criteria in the Hedonic Calculus?

-Intensity: Stronger pleasure increases an act’s value.

-Duration: Longer-lasting pleasure is more valuable than short-lived pleasure.

-Certainty: Actions more likely to produce pleasure are preferred.

-Propinquity: Immediate or near benefits are weighted more than distant ones.

-Fecundity: Acts likely to produce further pleasure are better.

-Purity: Pure pleasure without accompanying pain is better than mixed pleasure/pain.

-Extent: The more people affected positively, the better the act.

What is the difference between Act + Rule Utilitarianism + how do strong + weak rules affect moral decision-making?

-Act Utilitarianism: Evaluates the consequences of each individual action, making decisions based on which act produces the greatest happiness. It doesn’t follow strict rules.

-Rule Utilitarianism: Forms rules based on the consequences of past actions to guide present decisions.

-Strong Rule: Always follow the rule, rigid + inflexible, resembling deontology.

-Weak Rule: Rules can be broken in exceptional circumstances if doing so maximises happiness.

Why does Act Utilitarianism apply the Hedonic Calculus to each situation individually + how might this focus affect decisions for the majority?

-Act Utilitarianism, associated with Bentham, uses the Hedonic Calculus to assess each situation individually.

-Past experiences don’t necessarily guide decisions; each act is calculated afresh.

-This approach often focuses more on individual situations than the overall majority.

How does Rule Utilitarianism use past experiences to guide moral actions + what is the difference between weak + strong rule utilitarianism?

-Rule Utilitarianism, associated with John Stuart Mill, uses past experiences to create rules that generally lead to the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

-Moral actions follow these rules, which act as guidance rather than strict obligations.

-Mill’s approach aligns with weak rule utilitarianism, allowing rules to be broken if doing so produces more overall happiness.

Utilitarianism is a useful method of moral decision making.

-Act Utilitarianism is straightforward, focusing on the single principle of maximising pleasure + minimising pain. It aims to create the greatest happiness for individuals and groups + Bentham argued it’s clear to apply because we simply assess which actions produce the best consequences.

-Act Utilitarianism is grounded in observable actions. Actions that promote happiness, like giving to charity, are considered good, while cruel acts are bad. Using pleasure as a guide is practical because pleasure leads to happiness, which Bentham considers the supreme ethical value, or “sovereign good.”

-Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus is thorough + systematic, using 7 criteria to measure pleasure + pain. This structured approach makes it easier to calculate which action will produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

-Rule Utilitarianism, linked to John Stuart Mill, offers a practical method for moral decision-making. People rely on established universal rules, which, if applied, generally produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

-Weak Rule Utilitarianism treats rules as helpful guidance rather than strict obligations. Rules can be broken in exceptional cases if doing so increases overall happiness, making the approach flexible and adaptable for moral decision-making.

-Bentham’s quantitative approach to Utilitarianism is morally democratic, aiming to maximise happiness for the greatest number of people, similar to how a democracy seeks fair outcomes for the majority.

Utilitarianism isn’t a useful method of moral decision making.

-Kant would criticise Utilitarianism because teleological theories can justify morally wrong acts if they produce a happy outcome. This means, in extreme cases, harmful actions toward an individual could be condoned for the sake of the majority’s happiness, which Kant rejects as morally unacceptable.

-Mill criticised Bentham’s quantitative approach to utilitarianism because it focuses on the amount of happiness rather than its quality. This could justify injustice, such as punishing an innocent person to preserve overall peace, as in the example of Pontius Pilate crucifying Jesus despite his innocence.

-Karl Barth argued Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus is impractical because humans are corrupt + cannot accurately measure or compare pleasures. He believed moral guidance should come from divine revelation + Church tradition rather than attempting to quantify happiness.

-W.D. Ross criticised Utilitarianism for not properly accounting for duty or obligation. E.g. promise-keeping could be overridden by the pursuit of happiness, meaning commitments like marital fidelity might be broken if they conflict with personal pleasure.

-St Augustine argued relying on pleasure as a basis for moral decisions is risky because humans are fallen + prone to lust. Pursuing personal pleasure can lead to selfishness + harm others, making it an unreliable ethical guide.

-Aquinas’ Natural Law offers a stronger ethical framework than Bentham’s pleasure-based approach. It relies on universal primary precepts + clear secondary precepts, guided by God-given reason, providing structured moral guidance and avoiding the risks of hedonism.

It's possible to measure ‘good’ or ‘pleasure’ + reach a moral decision.

-Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus is a method to measure pleasure + pain in order to calculate the morality of an action. Its 7 criteria -intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, + extent - offer a structured way to determine which action produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

-Bentham believed humans are naturally inclined to seek pleasure + avoid pain. Since this pursuit of happiness is innate, it can be used as a guide for moral decision-making, similar to Aquinas’ view humans have a natural orientation toward certain goods.

-Mill agreed pleasure can guide moral decisions but stressed the need to distinguish between higher (intellectual, mental) + lower (physical, bodily) pleasures. Higher pleasures are more likely to lead to morally sound decisions, while lower pleasures are often selfish and short-sighted.

It's impossible to measure ‘good’ or ‘pleasure’ + reach a moral decision.

-‘Good’ + ‘pleasure’ are subjective concepts; what one person sees as good may be bad to another. Utilitarianism’s focus on the “greatest happiness for the greatest number” can fail to guarantee morally correct outcomes, as majority preference doesn’t always equal moral rightness.

-Basing morality on the pursuit of pleasure can be dangerous because it can encourage selfish, individualistic behaviour. What brings pleasure to some may inflict suffering on others, as shown by examples like a majority gaining pleasure from harming a vulnerable individual. This highlights how utilitarianism can justify immoral acts if they maximise overall pleasure.

-Mill recognised simply aiming for the most pleasure (Bentham’s quantitative approach) can lead to morally wrong outcomes. To avoid this, he distinguished between higher + lower pleasures + focused on the quality of pleasure rather than just the amount. He argued sometimes the minority can be morally correct - such as those who resisted the Nazis - even if the majority’s choices created more immediate “pleasure” or benefit.

-Karl Popper argued the moral priority should be reducing suffering, not increasing pleasure. He believed pain demands an immediate ethical response, meaning our duty is to minimise harm rather than chase pleasure for ourselves or the majority. This challenges utilitarianism because relying on ideas like “goodness” or “pleasure” can make people act selfishly instead of compassionately.

-Kant believed his ethical theory was more rational than utilitarianism because it’s based on duty + moral obligation, not on feelings of pleasure or happiness. He argued decisions grounded in pleasure are influenced by emotion + therefore unreliable. Instead, he said we should use reason alone to work out what’s morally right + follow universal moral duties regardless of the consequences.

How did John Stuart Mill’s rule utilitarianism modify Bentham’s original act utilitarianism + why?

-Jeremy Bentham founded utilitarianism, centering it on the “sovereign masters” of pain + pleasure.

-His principle of utility judges actions by their tendency to increase or decrease happiness, aiming for the greatest good for the greatest number.

-John Stuart Mill built on Bentham’s ideas, shifting from act utilitarianism to rule utilitarianism, using past experiences + general rules to guide decisions that maximize overall happiness.

What are the main strengths + weaknesses of utilitarianism as an ethical system + how do they affect its practical application?

-Utilitarianism became popular because it’s simple to apply, relies on reason rather than divine authority + aligns with how people naturally make decisions in daily life.

-However, it has key problems: it can justify morally questionable acts by an “end justifies the means” approach, it may ignore the rights of minorities, predicting consequences is uncertain + there’s no objective standard to judge results.