1 / 11

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism. Bentham and Mill. The Principle of Utility-. Consequentialist Ethics- Future looking- ends justify means Desire for happiness is universal Social Hedonism Most agree that people are also naturally sympathetic to the happiness of others as well

Télécharger la présentation

Utilitarianism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Utilitarianism Bentham and Mill

  2. The Principle of Utility- • Consequentialist Ethics- Future looking- ends justify means • Desire for happiness is universal • Social Hedonism • Most agree that people are also naturally sympathetic to the happiness of others as well • Chinese Utilitarian Mo Tzu said that “universal love” is deeply rooted in our character • happiness for sentient beings is what counts • What makes us happy? • The principle of utility is the “greatest happiness principle” • If an action conforms to the principle then it is morally right. • intentions are not important

  3. Rule-Utilitarianism vs. Act-Utilitarianism • Rule- looks for the morality of particular classes of actions- rules of thumb do not always cause the greatest happiness. • Act- concerned with the morality of particular actions- no actions are inherently immoral. • Both reflect the late 18th century moral ideal of equality

  4. Universal Love • Mo Tzu advocated Utilitarianism as a response to the moral passivity of Confucianism and Taoism • Peace does not come from the natural unfolding of things not from tradition • Hate is the source of pain in the world • Love is the source of happiness • Promoting happiness is a universal standard

  5. Jeremy Bentham • Uses utilitarianism as a tool for social reform • results from the industrial revolution • Response to flagrant injustices and the desperation of the working class of his day • Utility is the only source of political duty for the sovereign • He was more concerned with social reform than moral education

  6. Utilitarian Calculus • Putting a value to determine the right moral action • Intensity involves the strength of the pain or pleasure • Duration of the pleasure or pain • Level of certainty that the pain or pleasure will happen • Propinquity- nearness of time • Fecundity- pleasure is productive of more pleasure • Purity- pleasure that does not cause pain at the same time • Extent- number of sentient beings affected

  7. John Stuart Mill • Born in London in 1806 • Educated by his father, a Scottish philosopher and economist • Went to live with the Benthams to study Roman law • Adopted Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism • For Bentham happiness is the greatest pleasure with the least pain

  8. Mill’s Utilitarianism • Interested in social matters • Advocated freedom of thought and expression • Agreed with Bentham that superstition and tradition were serious impediments to the rational operation of society • Role of education is to help people become more rational • Opposed public education because it provided the state with an opportunity for molding • Mill disagreed that all pleasures are equal • Believed in the quality of the pleasure not the quantity • Claimed that some pleasures are more desirable than others • Intellectual pleasures are preferable to sensual • reading poetry vs. drinking beer • Pursuing pleasure is self-defeating • Freedom to make decisions is basic to human happiness • Advocated of liberty rights • Nonmaleficence principle- prohibits individuals or governments to inhibit another’s actions unless it prevents a harmful action

  9. Ethical Hedonism • Different than straight-forward psychological hedonism which says that human action is motivated by the desire for pleasure • Mill finds that people disagree with this because it is degrading to humans • Epicureanism- No better than animals • Mill’s distinction of quality is an important revision • The act that produces more pleasure will not always bring the most happiness • Some have criticized utilitarianism as being selfish • Mill argues for social justice- concern for the happiness of those around us • He says that utilitarianism is the command of Jesus: • So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matt. 7:12

  10. Critique of Utilitarianism • Non-Humans • Peter Singer and Speciesism- bias toward a particular species • Pleasure and pain of other animals • Equal but different • The environment • Future generations

  11. Other Critiques • Offered by Judy Boss • Different people have different needs and different ideas of happiness • Utilitarians sometimes don’t pay enough attention to the integrity of the individual • Moral sentiments don’t get sufficient weight • Maximizing happiness for everyone is a tremendous burden • If individuals have no intrinsic value then they are used as a means only • Stating that only consequences makes it simple but incomplete • It does however offer guidelines and it serves as a reminder that we should be prepared to provide good reasons for moral decisions

More Related