Utilitarianism

  1.   Utilitarianism: An ethical theory that evaluates the moral worth of actions based on their outcomes, specifically aiming for the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

  2. Jeremy Bentham: A philosopher known for his foundation of utilitarianism, advocating for Act Utilitarianism, which suggests evaluating actions based on their immediate consequences. All pleasures are equal, only differing in quantity. Rational calculation of pleasure and pain, neglecting emotions.

  3. John Stuart Mill: A philosopher who refined utilitarianism into Rule Utilitarianism, emphasizing rules that generally promote happiness. Importance of emotions, creativity, and personal growth in human happiness.

  4. Act Utilitarianism: Bentham's approach that assesses each individual action's consequences to determine its moral value.

  5. Rule Utilitarianism: Mill's approach that follows rules that lead to the greatest good, rather than evaluating individual actions.

  6. Bentham’s Principle of Utility: The idea that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, defined as pleasure and the absence of pain.

  7. Bentham's Hedonic Calculus: A method for measuring pleasure and pain based on 7 factors:

    • Intensity: The strength of the pleasure or pain experiences.

    • Duration: The length of time the pleasure lasts.

    • Purity: This refers to the likelihood that the pleasure or pain will be followed by the opposite

    • Certainty: The likelihood that the pleasure will be realized.

    • Remoteness: The proximity of the pleasure or pain in time.

    • Richness: This refers to the likelihood that the pleasure or pain will lead to further similar experiences

    • Extent: The number of people affected by the experience.

  8.   (HD) Intensity: How intense is the pleasurable experience?

  9.   (HD) Duration: How long does the experience, and the pleasure it brings, last?

  10.   (HD) Purity: How far is the experience free from pain? What is the probability that the pain will lead to other pain?

  11.   (HD) Certainty: Is there a risk that the pleasure brought about from the experience might be less than expected?

  12.     (HD) Remoteness: How far off in the future is the pleasure or pain? Is the pleasure or pain easily accessible, or is it distant?

  13.     (HD) Richness: How likely will the pleasure generate other related pleasures?

  14.     (HD) Extent: How far will the pleasurable experience spread?

  15. Difference between duration and remoteness: Duration refers to how long the pleasure lasts, while remoteness refers to when the pleasure will occur.

  16. Difference between purity and richness: Purity concerns how free from pain the pleasure is, while richness relates to the potential for generating additional pleasures.

  17. Critiques of utilitarianism: Arguments against utilitarianism, including the organ donor problem (the ethics of sacrificing one for many) and the utility monster (a hypothetical being that produces significantly more utility than others).

  18. John Stuart Mill's Critique: Known for criticizing utilitarianism's perceived focus on base pleasures, referring to it as the 'Swine Ethic,'’ which reduces the value of higher intellectual pleasures. “It is better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.”

  19. Higher Happiness vs Lower Pleasure: Mill distinguishes between higher pleasures (intellectual, moral) and lower pleasures (sensory), advocating for the former as more valuable.

  20. John Stuart Mill's Rule Utilitarianism: Focuses on following rules that generally promote the greatest happiness over evaluating individual actions.

Higher pleasures (Intellectual/Emotional/Moral):

  • Intellectually Engaging

  • Emotionally Enriching

  • Morally Elevating

Lower pleasures (Physical/Immediate)

  • Temporary

  • Easy to Access

  • Physical in Nature