UNIT V - Lesson 15 - Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart)

Jeremy Bentham

- father of utilitarianism

Utilitarianism

states that what is useful is good and that the moral value of actions are determined by the utility of its consequences.

principle of utility

The moral theory of utilitarianism is centered on what they call “_____________”

Teleological ethical system

– judges the rightness of an act in terms of an external goal or purpose. Its basis in the determination of what one ought or ought not to do rests exclusively on the consequence of the act.

Consequentialist ethics

– proposes that actions, rules or policies should be ethically measured and evaluated by their consequences not by the intentions or motives of the agent

Utilitarian ethics

– argued that the right course of action is one that maximizes overall happiness. It puts forward that an action is right if it amplifies pleasures and minimize pain, belief lies in that what is ethical is that which gives pleasure and happiness as a consequence.

Utilitarian framework

– focuses on the greatest happiness or the greatest good of the greatest number.

Utility

– means that the property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good or happiness or to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil or unhappiness.

Principle of utility

– the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. It states that an action is right insofar as it tends to produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

The greatest happiness principle

states that it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.

Act utilitarianism (particular actions), Rule utilitarianism (general rules)

Two types of utilitarianism

Act utilitarianism (particular actions)

– considers the consequences of some particular act. The principle of utility is applied directly to every alternative act in a situation of choice.

Rule utilitarianism (general rules)

– considers the consequences of some practice or rule behavior. The principle is used to decide the validity of rules of conduct (moral standards or principles). Moral and immoral are then defined as following or breaking the rules.

Right act

– the one which brings about the best results or the least amount of bad results.