PHI Exam 2 - Utlitarianism/Consequentialism

2 main players

Betham (quntitiy) and Mill (quan + qual)

Utilitarianism/consqeuntialism

emphasis on the consequences of our actions to dete if right or wrong

• “good” because it produces the best results

act utilitarianism

action morally req because there is the highest net balance of happiness of the MAJORITY

(depe on results NOT intention)

rule consequentialism

an action is morally right just because it is required by an optimific social rule

• leads to “rule worship”

principle of ultilitatianism

max overall well-being

Question for consequentialism / ultilitariamism

“What produces the BEST consequences"?”

Benefits for utilitarianism/consequentialism

Impartiality (everyone who can feel pain is accounted for), flexibility (no moral absolutes, lying, killing, and violating rights may be optimific in a given situation), community

Detriments for utilitarianism/consequentialism

demanding (require constant self sacrifice), constant calculation (lose time to do actual good), no partiality (can’t have focus on family), INJUSTICE (punish innocent, large inequality)

Optimific

Producing the best results

Deterimining the Optimific choice

1. Identify intrensically good / bad

2. determine all possible options

3. determine value of results

4. chose the action that yields the most good

Ultiliarianism/consequentialism applies to ________

EVERYONE who can suffer (inc animals, kids)

Utiliarian sacrifice

sacrifice life / happiness of one person for that of many people (unacceptable in social contract theory)

absolute moral rule

moral rule that can NEVER be broken

Moral theories

try to tell what the right intention / action is

• used in crafting legal policies, laws, etc

Utlitarianism / conseuentialism is based on _________

commitment to egalitariamism (= people)

Correct moral theory will ___________

NEVER req commit serious injustices

Arguement from injustice

utilitarianism sometimes requires us to commit serious injustices.

• Justice must sometimes be sacrificed for the sake of well-being.

Injustice is never optimific BUT ____________

Justice is not always intrinsically valuable

Mill maintains that, in the long run, the best proof of a good character is

performing good actions

Mill argues that, according to the utilitarian doctrine, lying is

usually morally impermissible

• it’s not good to lie but may be nec. in a situation

function of secondary moral principles

To guide decisions via intermediate generalizations

• these principles sometimes conflict

The first principles of morality be appealed to in decision-making when __________

secondary principles conflict