Bentham's Act Utilitarianism

What is teleological ethics?

Right and wrong is determined on the goal of the action

What does telos translate to?

End

In morality what does teleological ethics mean?

An action is right or wrong based on the end result of that action

What type of theory is utilitarianism?

Relative theory

Why is utilitarianism a relative theory?

Goodness is relative to the end result

What does utility mean?

Usefulness

In this context what is Utilitarianism?

Seeking the greatest balance of good over evil or pleasure over pain and how useful an action is

Is Utilitarianism strictly teleological or deontological?

Teleological

What does Utilitarianism being teleological mean?

Its goal is the good of people

What is the claim of utilitarianism (to provide)?

A simple uncomplicated guide by sticking to one simple principle which is the principle of utility

What does the principle of utility seek to achieve?

The good to the greatest possible extent

What is utilitarianism the product of?

Enlightenment

Who formed Utilitarianism?

Jeremy Bentham

When was Jeremy Bentham alive?

1748-1832

What was Bentham’s work and through which time period?

As a barrister and expert in law during the industrial revolution

What was the industrial revolution like?

Majority of the population suffered a very poor standard of living

What are the 3 parts Jeremy Bentham’s ethical theory can be separated into?

• Seek Pleasure and avoid pain

• The principle of utility

• The Hedonic Calculus

What is the first principle of Bentham’s theory of Utilitarianism?

Seek Pleasure and Avoid Pain

What is a quote about Bentham’s first principle?

“Nature has placed man under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure”

How did Bentham’s first principle come about?

Bentham put forward a view of morality based on his understanding of human nature. Bentham observed that people seek pleasure and avoid pain

What strict view did Bentham have?

He was a strict hedonist

What two terms are interchangeable in utilitarianism?

Pleasure and good

What was Bentham’s Hedonist argument?

Happiness and therefore good, is pleasure or that pleasure is the good and nothing else is good

What is Bentham’s second principle of utilitarianism?

The principle of Utility

Which principle is the core of all utilitarianism theories>

The principle of Utility

For Bentham what is the supreme ethical value?

Happiness

What did Bentham call the supreme ethical value?

Sovereign good

From the first principle what further conclusion did Bentham draw to build the second principle?

Society should aim for the majority of people to be able to seek pleasure and avoid pain so he put forward this second principle to resolve the dilemmas of moral life

What was the part of the second principle used to resolve the dilemmas of moral life?

Seek always the greatest balance of good over evil

What is a synonym for the principle of utility?

The greatest happiness principle

What is Bentham’s third moral principle?

The Hedonic Calculus

What is hedonism?

An ethical theory that defines right in terms of pleasure

What does Hedone translate to in English from Greek?

Pleasure

What did Bentham create the hedonic calculus to do?

In a situation to decide which action would produce the greatest balance of good over evil

What does the hedonic calculus measure?

How much (quantity) of pleasure or pain can be produced by an action

What are the 7 factors used to determine the hedonic calculus?

• Intensity

• Duration

• Certainty

• Propinquity

• Purity

• Extent

• Fecundity

What does act utilitarianism believe?

We should always perform the act which will lead to the greatest balance of good over evil

What type of utilitarianism is Bentham approach seen as?

Act Utilitarianism

What 2 types of theories was Bentham’s act utilitarianism?

Teleological theory and Relative ethical theory

Why was Bentham’s act utilitarianism teleological?

Based o the future goal of achieving the greater good

Why was Bentham’s act utilitarianism a relative ethical theory?

Right and wrong actions depend on choosing the action that will accomplish the goal

Why was Bentham’s act utilitarianism not completely relative?

It holds to its single guiding principle to seek the greatest balance of good over evil

What are 3 strengths of Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism?

• Less people end up suffering

• Principles are simple and easy to understand

• Everyone’s pain or pleasure is equally as important

What are 3 weaknesses of Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism?

• Hedonic calculus is flawed as pleasure is subjective so cannot be measured

• There will still be one party suffering

• Pleasure does not equal good and not all pain is bad