Humanities 216: Utilitarian Ethics - Bentham and Mill

Flashcards covering key concepts of Utilitarian ethical theory, comparing Jeremy Bentham's hedonic calculus and John Stuart Mill's qualitative refinements, societal vision, and ethical applications.

In what historical period and location did Utilitarian ethical theory originate?

Late 18th to early 19th century England, during the Industrial Revolution.

What traditional ethical framework did Utilitarianism aim to provide a secular replacement for?

The Christian ethic of Natural Law.

Who are the two primary founders of Utilitarian ethical theory identified in the lecture?

Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873).

How did Jeremy Bentham equate goodness and badness in his moral calculus?

Goodness is equated with pleasure, and badness is equated with pain.

In Bentham's moral calculation, what terms represent units of pleasure, units of pain, and overall net utility?

Pleasure is measured in hedons, pain in dolos, and net utility in utiles.

What was Jeremy Bentham's view regarding the quantity versus quality of pleasure?

Only quantity of pleasure matters, not quality; all pleasures are weighed alike (e.g., discovering a cancer cure would be akin to scratching an itch).

What event prompted John Stuart Mill to reevaluate his early education and incorporate feeling and emotion into his work?

A mental breakdown, which led him to believe his rigorous early education had stunted his emotional side.

Who was John Stuart Mill's wife and intellectual equal?

Harriet Taylor.

What are the three basic tenets of Utilitarian ethical theory outlined in the lecture?

1. Consequentialism (consequences count, not motives or duty)
2. A theory of value (good consequences are defined by pleasure or happiness)
3. Maximization (the number of affected beings matters, including all creatures).

What historical philosophical phrase refers to the "highest good" or foundation of morality that Mill discusses in his opening remarks?

Summum Bonum (or Summon Bonum in the text).

What are Mill's primary criticisms of Immanuel Kant's ethical system?

Kant fails to identify actual duties of morality, fails to prove the Categorical Imperative yields a pure will (humans could adopt immoral rules), and incorrectly insists that duty must be the sole motive of moral actions.

According to Mill, does a person saving a fellow creature from drowning act morally only if motivated by duty?

No; the act is morally right whether the motive is duty or the hope of being paid for the trouble, because Utilitarianism evaluates consequences rather than motives.

How does John Stuart Mill define "happiness" and "unhappiness"?

Happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain; unhappiness is pain and the privation of pleasure.

According to Mill, what is the standard of morality regarding happiness?

The standard is not the agent's own greatest happiness, but the greatest amount of happiness altogether.

How does Mill describe the realistic nature of happiness in contrast to a continuous "life of rapture"?

Happiness consists of occasional brilliant flashes or moments of exalted pleasure within an existence made up of few and transitory pains.

What famous quote does Mill use to distinguish higher qualitative pleasures from lower base pleasures?

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

Why do humans sometimes pursue lower pleasures even though they recognize higher pleasures as superior?

Due to infirmity of character (choosing a nearer good over a greater one), loss of higher aspirations due to lack of time or opportunity, or sinking into idleness and inferior pleasures.

What are the two major obstacles to attaining happiness identified by Mill?

1. "Present wretched education" and lack of mental cultivation
2. Selfishness (being devoid of feeling and care for others).

According to Mill, how can poverty as a source of suffering be completely extinguished?

Through the wisdom of society combined with the good sense and providence of individuals.

How does Utilitarian theory evaluate individual sacrifice?

It recognizes the power to sacrifice personal happiness for others and deems readiness to sacrifice the highest virtue in an imperfect world, but denies that sacrifice is inherently good in itself.

What characterizes Mill's ideal vision of society?

A society between equals where everyone's interests are consulted, individual interests harmonize with the collective good, and cooperation is supported by education, natural sympathy, societal norms, and laws leveling inequality.

How does Mill refute the objection that Utilitarianism is a "godless doctrine"?

He argues that if God desires the happiness of His creatures, Utility is profoundly religious rather than godless.

How does Mill respond to the criticism that people do not have time to calculate the consequences of actions before acting?

He states that there has been the entirety of human history during which mankind has been learning the tendencies of actions by experience.

On what criteria do Utilitarians base the moral consideration of animals?

Whether animals can experience pleasure and pain (as intelligent and sensitive beings), rather than whether they are rational or possess a soul.

What principle from Mill's 'On Liberty' is applied to issues like euthanasia and individual sovereignty?

Power can rightfully be exercised over an individual against their will only to prevent harm to others; over one's own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.

How did George Stephanopoulos use Utilitarian reasoning regarding Secret Service protection for presidential candidates?

He argued that the potential collective trauma of losing a prospective leader far outweighs the monetary tax costs of providing protection.