Utilitarianism - Bentham

sometimes referred to as act utilitarianism.

Where does utilitarianism derive its name from?

• Utilitarianism derives its name from utility - meaning usefulness.

What type of theory is utilitarianism and why?

• The utilitarian theory is a example of a teleological theory because morality is dependent on outcomes and not concerned with the motive or intention for an action.

• Utilitarianism is a non-religious, subjective and a relative approach to ethics.

What is the most useful thing seen as in utilitarianism and why?

For a utilitarian thinker what can be justified, what is this sometimes known as?

• The most useful thing is seen as actions that cause the maximum levels of happiness or pleasure, why because everyone wanted to be happy.

• For a utilitarian thinker the end justifies the means e.g. lying may be right if it results in a good end and maximises pleasure.

• It is sometimes known as ‘consequentialism’ as actions are judged on the consequences produce.

What does utilitarianism look to do?

What will someone/utilitarian’s ask themselves?

• Utilitarianism will look to maximise the greatest happiness for all/overall

• i.e. someone will ask themselves ‘what is the most useful thing to do in this situation?’ ‘What actions will maximise happiness for the majority?’

Who was utilitarianism devised by, and what does he believe?

• Utilitarianism was devised by Jeremey Bentham - an atheist who wrote the principles of morals and legislation.

• He believed in maximising pleasure as the driving reason for morality.

What did Bentham argue about all creatures including humans?

What does Bentham see seeking pleasure and avoiding pain as?

• Bentham argued that all creatures including humans are motivated by pleasure and search for pleasure (hedonism)

• Bentham saw seeking pleasure and avoiding pain as a moral fact - pleasure is the sole good and pain the sole evil.

What did Bentham believe happiness is?

• He believed happiness is the ‘sovereign good’ because it is good for people to be happy.

What is a key quote about possessing happiness?

• ‘When happiness is present, we have everything, but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it’

According to Bentham, how can every action be measured?

• Every action can be measured by the principle of utility.

• Meaning the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

• i.e. when you are in a situation you should look to delivering the most amount of happiness and the least amount of pain for the majority.

What is a key quote in relation to the principle of utility - and what does it show?

• ‘Create all the happiness you are able to create, remove all the misery you are able to remove’ - Bentham

Therefore actions must be right if they produce an outcome of pleasure or avoid pain.

What kind of approach did Bentham have to utilitarianism and why?

• Bentham had a very quantitative approach to utilitarianism, looking at the amount of happiness achieved in an action.

How can Bentham’s approach be summarised/what is considered right or wrong?

• Good/right = actions whose outcome creates more pleasure than pain - creates happiness.

• Bad/wrong = actions whose outcomes create more pain than pleasure - creates unhappiness.

What is the example of a student sleeping in when they should be at school in relation to utilitarianism?

• E.g. a student has deliberately slept in, when they should have been in college, and their sister asks ‘weren’t you supposed to be in college this morning.?’

• They can do one of two actions:

  • Tell a lie and say no they have a free lesson

  • Or tell the truth and say they have deliberately missed the lesson.

• To follow utilitarianism the student would not have to think about which action (telling the truth or telling a lie) is wrong or right but instead think about the outcome, in terms of pleasure and pain, of telling the truth or a lie.

• The student should, according to utilitarianism, do the action whose outcome more satisfies the principle of utility.

• i.e. the action that creates the most pleasure and the least pain.

What did Bentham argue about the pleasure of others?

• Bentham argues that the pleasure of others is just as important as one’s own pleasure (differs from ethical egoism)

• When assessing goodness/badness of an action one must consider the happiness of the whole community and not just individuals.

What is the hedonic/happiness calculus?

• According to Bentham the amount of pleasure and pain involved in situations can be measured by the following criteria and determine whether or not an act is right.

  • Purity

  • Remoteness

  • Richness

  • Intensity

  • Certainty

  • Extent

  • Duration

• P.R.R.I.C.E.D

• D.R.P.R.I.C.E

What is purity?

what should you ask yourself in situations?

• The least amount of pain it involves the better.

• How free from pain is it?

What is remoteness?

What should you ask yourself in situations?

• The nearer the pleasure is to you, the better.

• How near or soon is the pleasure?

What is richness?

What should you ask yourself in situations?

• The more chance the pleasure will be repeated or will result in other pleasures, the better.

• How much would it lead to more pleasure?

What is intensity?

What should you ask yourself in situations?

• The stronger the pleasure, the better.

• How deep/strong is the pleasure?

What is certainty?

What should you ask yourself in situations

• The more sure that pleasure will happen, the better.

• How sure are we that it will come?

What is extent?
What should you ask yourself in situations?

• The more people who experience it, the better.

• How many people will the pleasure affect?

What is duration?
What should you ask yourself in situations?

• The longer lasting, the better.

• How long will the pleasure last?

According to Bentham, what will using the hedonic calculus let you know?

How did Bentham view the value of different pleasures?

• According to Bentham, if you were to use the hedonic calculus you will know what the right course of action is in any situation.

• He was concerned with maximising the quantity of happiness and believed all pleasures are of equal value.

• e.g. having a child is equal to eating McDonalds.

What is Bentham’s utilitarianism sometimes referred to as, and why?

• Bentham is sometimes referred to as act utilitarianism.

• i.e. when faced with a moral choice a person must decide what action will lead to the greatest good in that particular situation by using the hedonic calculus and the principle of utility should be fulfilled.

• He believed that each situation was different and so had to be calculated afresh.

  • E.g. if stealing will create the greatest pleasure, then I should steal.

  • If in the next situation stealing will bring about less pleasure then I should not steal.

In summary what is act utilitarianism?

What are some weaknesses in relation to this?

• In summary, act utilitarianism is the belief that the principle of utility should be applied on a case-by-case basis.

  • Biased

  • Leads to injustice, inequality.

  • Bad actions can be justified.

  • No consistency.

  • No principles.

What are the strengths of using Bentham’s approach?

• It’s a popular approach because people do want to seek pleasure and avoid pain.

• It can be applied to all situations.

• Its based on a single principle/principle of utility - greatest happiness for the greatest number

What are the weaknesses of using Bentham’s approach?

• Pleasure can lead to pain e.g. excessively drinking alcohol, smoking etc.

• It’s difficult to predict consequences and we can never always know all the consequences of your actions.

• The minority may not be treated fairly and human rights may be trampled on e.g. freedom of religion and speech.

• Gives pleasures the same value e.g. is eating McDonalds the same pleasure as helping someone read.

• In real life situations we may not have time to calculate the right action, and his hedonic calculus is too complicated.

• If morality is determined by consequences alone then wrong motives can be used, it could potentially justify anything.

• Are there any situations when pain is a good thing?

  • Growth due to struggle - loss, rejection, failure often leads to resilience, empathy and personal growth.

• Bentham’s approach could lead to individualistic happiness as opposed to working towards a common good.