utilitarianism

who was the first great utilitarian thinker?

- Jeremy Bentham
- legal and political thinker
- moral philosopher

what does Bentham believe about human nature?

- suggests that pain and pleasure are our 'two sovereign masters'
- we instinctively seek pleasure and avoid pain
- it is not god that made us, nor are we driven by our logical reason, psychology is built on seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.

what did Bentham believe about utility?

- the utility principle proposes that actions should be carried out if they produce happiness, and prevent pain.
- 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong'

what did Bentham believe about the hedonic calculus?

- a system for working out the amount of pleasure and pain involved in a plan
- INTENSITY: how strong?
- DURATION: how long?
- CERTAINTY: how likely?
- PROPINQUITY: how soon?
- FECUNDITY: how likely for pleasure to follow?
- PURITY: how likely for pain to follow?
- EXTENT: how many people will be affected?

what weaknesses did Mill find for Bentham?

- the focus on pleasure is too narrow, more to life than food, sex and parties
- leads to appalling consequences - theoretically could lead to abuse
- the hedonic calculus can be too complex if it has to be applied in every situation

what are Mill's higher and lower pleasures?

- higher pleasures: intellectual and social, human beings are able to experience (like eudaemonia)
- lower pleasures: bodily pleasures, food and sleep etc

did Bentham believe pleasures are equal?

- 'pushpin is as good as poetry'

what is act utilitarianism? (Bentham)

- balance of good over evil in every case
- case-by-case basis, eg. hedonic calculus
- may give different answers to the same issues dependant on the context
- this flexibility is both a strength and a weakness - situational but complex

what is rule utilitarianism? (Mill)

- also aims at the greatest balance of good over evil
- common good of society rather than individuals as its starting point
- not a contextual good but an absolute.
- in allowing freedom for individuals to live as we wish, we are allowing individuals ado experiment with different ways of living
- advantage: quicker in terms of decision making
- disadvantage: rules may clash.

how do we apply utilitarianism?

- the trolley problem

how do we apply utilitarianism to euthanasia?

- tends to support the right of individuals to euthanise if they wish.
- argued by Peter Singer, who argues that the greatest good is found in satisfying people's preferences.
- challenges the notion of the sanctity of life by looking at factors that may improve or limit somebodies quality of life

what are the strengths of utilitarianism?

- impartiality: doesn't have a place for personal bias in important ethical decisions
- secular: doesn't rely on the existence of God
- straightforward and progressive: easy to apply to any situation, utilitarians were often progressive through the banning of homosexual acts or getting women suffrage

what are the weaknesses of utilitarianism?

- not clear how to measure pleasure and pain: what if something that I gain pleasure from causes pain for others?
- greater good requires a prediction of the future
- could cause oppression of minority groups
- pleasure and pain are individualistic