Higher RMPS

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Higher RMPS

• Lesson 5
• Utilitarian ethics

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Learning intentions

• After todays lesson you will be able to
• explain the guiding moral principle of
  utilitarianism
• explain the two main types of utilitarianism
• evaluate the utilitarian approach to making moral
  decisions.

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Utilitarianism

• The greatest happiness for the greatest number.
• The guiding principle in utilitarianism is that
  when you make a moral
• decision you should do what brings the greatest
  happiness or good
• to the greatest number of people.

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Utilitarianism is a based on maximising utility
or happiness.

• A good act increases happiness or reduces pain.

• A bad act increases suffering or reduces
  happiness.

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical
system, which means it is concerned with
consequences.
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Two philosophers agreed we should seek happiness
and avoid pain

• Jeremy Bentham
• Benthams utilitarianism was based on the outcome
  of actions. He said the correct action in any
  situation is the one that leads to the most
  happiness or the least pain. The more happiness
  caused, the better the moral act.

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John Stuart Mill

• Mill agreed with Bentham, but went one step
  further when he argued that utilitarianism
  doesnt just take into account the quantity of
  happiness but also the quality of the happiness.
  Mill said there are higher and lower pleasures.
  The higher pleasure are those which people prefer
  over lower pleasures.
• For example, to have a good education would
  often be preferred over the lower pleasure of
  lying around all day doing nothing.

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There are two main types of utilitarianism

• Rule utilitarianism
• Many rules are made to ensure the greatest good
  for the greatest number, therefore following
  these rules is the right moral choice.
• For example, everyone obeys road traffic rules,
  like stopping at red lights, which makes the
  roads safer for everyone.

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• Act utilitarianism
• This is based on the consequences of actions. If
  an action will lead to the greatest happiness for
  the greatest number of people then it is the
  correct moral action according to utilitarianism.
• For example, if 20 people were held hostage by
  four criminals, it would be correct for the
  police to kill the four criminals to save the 20
  people. In other words, the greatest happiness
  for the greatest number of people.

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Now consider this scenario..

• Imagine the following scenario. A prominent and
  much loved leader has been rushed to the
  hospital, grievously wounded by an assassins
  bullet.
• He needs a heart and lung transplant immediately
  to survive. No suitable donors are available,
  but there is a homeless person in the emergency
  room who is being kept alive on a respirator, who
  probably has only a few days to live, and who is
  a perfect donor.
• Without the transplant, the leader will die the
  homeless person will die in a few days anyway.
  Security at the hospital is very well controlled.
  The transplant team could hasten the death of
  the homeless person and carry out the transplant
  without the public ever knowing that they killed
  the homeless person for his organs.

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What would a rule utilitarian do?
What would an act utilitarian do?
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• For rule utilitarians, this is an easy choice.
  No one could approve a general rule that lets
  hospitals kill patients for their organs when
  they are going to die anyway. The consequences
  of adopting such a general rule would be highly
  negative and would certainly undermine public
  trust in the medical establishment.
• For act utilitarians, the situation is more
  complex. If secrecy were guaranteed, the overall
  consequences might be such that in this
  particular instance greater utility is produced
  by hastening the death of the homeless person and
  using his organs for the transplant.

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Discussion points

• How do you think a utilitarian
• would respond in the following
• situations and why?

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• You run an orphanage and have had a hard time
  making
• ends meet. A car dealership offers you a new van
  worth
• 15,000 for free if you will falsely report to
  the
• government that the dealership donated a van
  worth
• 30,000. You really need the van and it will give
  you an
• opportunity to make the children happy.
• Would a utilitarian agree to take the van?

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• You are on a boat and nearby are two large rocks
  filled
• with people waiting to be rescued there are five
• people on one rock and four on the other. Assume
  that
• you cannot rescue both groups and that you are
  the only
• one able to rescue either group.
• Which group would a utilitarian rescue?

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• 30 people have been infected with a deadly
  disease which is very contagious and has no known
  cure. The health board have locked them in a
  room to keep them isolated from the rest of the
  community as they believe the disease will spread
  very quickly and kill large numbers of people if
  the infected people are released. The police have
  been called in to kill the 30 people and
  eradicate the risk of danger.
• Would a utilitarian agree with this action?

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Discussion points

• Now think again

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• You run an orphanage and have had a hard time
  making ends meet. A car dealership offers you a
  new van worth 15,000 for free if you will
  falsely report to the government that the
  dealership donated a van worth 30,000. You
  really need the van and it will give you an
  opportunity to make the children happy.
• A month after you agreed to take the van the
  authorities found out the truth about what had
  happened. They removed the van from the
  orphanage and sacked you because of the fraud.
  The orphanage was unable to find a replacement
  and has had to be closed down as a result.

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• You are on a boat and nearby are two large rocks
  filled with people waiting to be rescued there
  are five people on one rock and four on the
  other. Assume that you cannot rescue both groups
  and that you are the only one able to rescue
  either group.
• After you have rescued the group of five they
  begin to fight with each other about whose fault
  it was that they ended up stuck on a rock. As
  they argue it becomes clear that you have rescued
  a group of criminals who had been trying to steal
  a yacht from a family on holiday when it hit a
  rock and sunk. The group of four you didnt save
  were that family.

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• 30 people have been infected with a deadly
  disease which is very contagious and has no known
  cure. The health board have locked them in a
  room to keep them isolated from the rest of the
  community as they believe the disease will spread
  very quickly and kill large numbers of people if
  the infected people are released. The police have
  been called in to kill the 30 people and
  eradicate the risk of danger.
• The day after the 30 people had been wiped out to
  protect others a cure is found for the disease.

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Is morality really as simple as utilitarianism
makes out?

• Can we be held responsible for consequences we
  cannot always predict and that may be as a result
  of other people?
• Can we really be expected to put aside our
  personal interests to always do what is best for
  the greatest number of people?
• Are intentions not as important as consequences
  when making moral decisions?
• Do utilitarians not leave moral decisions up to
  luck because we have to decide how to act and
  then wait to see what the consequences are to
  know if we have behaved in a morally correct
  manner or not?
• Who decides what is right and wrong for the
  greatest number of people?

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Agony Philosopher
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Learning check

• Explain utilitarianism in your own words. 2KU
• What does a consequential ethics system mean? 1KU
• How did the philosopher Bentham define
• utilitarianism? 2KU
• 4. How did the philosopher Mill differ from
  Bentham in
• his view of utilitarianism? 2KU
• Define rule utilitarianism. 2KU
• Define act utilitarianism. 2KU
• Give two reasons why a person might support the
• utilitarian outlook on making moral
  decisions. 4AE
• Give two reason why a person might disagree with
  the
• utilitarian way of making moral decisions. 4AE

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Quick recap

• The guiding principle in utilitarianism is that
  when you make a moral
• decision you should do what brings the greatest
  happiness or good to the
• greatest number of people
• Rule utilitarianism Many rules are made to
  ensure the greatest good for
• the greatest number, therefore following these
  rules is the right moral
• choice.
• Act utilitarianism is based on the consequences
  of actions. If an action
• will lead to the greatest happiness for the
  greatest number of people then
• it is the correct moral action according to
  utilitarianism.
• Bentham believes moral actions should based on
  the consequences of
• actions and should be made considering which
  consequence will have the
• greatest good for the greatest number of people.
• Mill argued that quality of happiness can be
  divided in high and lower pleasures.