Utilitarianism

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Utilitarianism
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Utilitarianism

• Learning Objectives-
• (long term)
• To understand the greatest happiness principle.
• To understand the similarities and differences
  between Bentham and Mill.
• Understand the distinction between Act and Rule
  Utilitarianism.
• Discuss how appropriate these labels are for
  Bentham and Mill.
• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
  Utilitarianism.

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This lessons objectives are

• To understand the principle of utility.
• To be able to explain the significance of the
  hedonic calculus.
• To be confident with Jeremy Benthams
  utilitarianism theory.
• To understand what Act Utilitarianism means.

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Utilitarianism- Key Points

• Brief Intro
• A teleological theory. But, what does this mean?
• Teleological theories look at the consequences-
  the results of an action- to decide whether it is
  right or wrong.
• Consequentialist theory- someone who decides
  whether an action is good or bad by its
  consequences.

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Jeremy Bentham

• He was concerned with social and legal reform
  he wanted to develop an ethical theory which
  established whether something was good or bad
  according to its benefit for the majority of
  people.
• He called this the principle of utility.
• Utility the usefulness of the results of actions.

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Bentham

• Bentham equated happiness with pleasure and the
  absence of pain.
• This was an empirical observation - people desire
  pleasure and seek to avoid pain.
• His scientific mind led him to believe that the
  study of ethics could be undertaken in a
  practical way, carefully measuring the possible
  consequences or outcomes of an action before
  deciding which choice to take.
• Benthams theories led to extensive social reform
  affecting Parliament, criminal law, the jury
  system, prisons, savings banks, cheap postage
  etc, etc.
• What was revolutionary about Benthams theory was
  that it resulted in all people being considered
  when making laws. His hedonic calculus was
  especially helpful in determining how to measure
  different amounts of pleasure.

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Principle of Utility

• Often expressed as,
• the greatest good of the
• greatest number.
• Good happiness or pleasure. So, an act is right
  or wrong according to the good or bad results
  that results from the act and the good act is the
  most pleasurable.
• Quantitative focuses on the greatest number.

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Benthams Approach

• The theory is based on ancient hedonism, which
  pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical
  pain.
• Moral acts maximise pleasure/ minimise pain ? ?
  ? Utilitarian calculus.
• So, an act moral, if it brings the greatest
  amount of pleasure and least pain.
• Examples?

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Pain vs. pleasure

• Bentham, The principle of utility aims to
  promote happiness which is the supreme ethical
  value. Nature has placed us under the governance
  of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. An
  act is right if it delivers more pleasure than
  pain and wrong if it brings about more pain
  than pleasure.
• Simple equation ?
• Happiness pleasure minus pain.

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Pleasure vs. Happiness

• Actions are right in proportion when they tend
  to promote happiness, wrong when they tend to
  produce the reverse of happiness. When Bentham
  talks about happiness, he refers to pleasure and
  the absence of pain by unhappiness, pain and the
  privation of pleasure.
• According to Bentham's theory, the rightness of
  an action entirely depends on the value of its
  consequences. That is why the theory is also
  described as consequentialist.

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Hedonism
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Hedonism

• The view that pleasure is the chief good.

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Origins of Hedonism

• Utilitarianism ? a Hedonistic theory.
• This is based on the idea that good is defined
  in terms of pleasure/ happiness.
• Greek Philosophers-- Plato and Aristotle both
  argued that good equated with the greatest
  happiness.
• While Epicureans stressed pleasure as the main
  aim of life.
• Pleasure is NOT the same as happiness, as
  happiness results from the use of reason and
  cultivating the virtues.
• It is only if we take pleasure in good activities
  that pleasure itself is good.

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Measure Hedonism

• Think
• If you were to measure pleasure (Hedonism), how
  would you do it? What would you look for?
• (5 minutes).

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Hedonic Calculus

• Helps us choose the good thing to do and work out
  the possible consequences of an action.
• P.R.R.I.C.E.D acronym.
• Purity how free from pain is it?
• Remoteness how near is it?
• Richness to what extent will it lead to other
  pleasures?
• Intensity how powerful is it?
• Certainty how likely it is to result in
  pleasure?
• Extent how many people does it affect?
• Duration how long will it last?

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Hedonic Calculus Euthanasia

• Bentham's Hedonic Calculus can be used to weigh
  up the pleasure and pain caused by two courses of
  action - in this case, helping someone to die, or
  not doing so.
• Bentham would consider the Intensity of the pain
  and its Duration. He would have to weigh that
  against the number of people affected (Extent),
  and consider whether keeping someone alive would
  lead to other pleasures (Richness). He would also
  need to add up the amount of other 'pains' the
  patient would face e.g. loss of dignity (Purity),
  and consider the chances that there' might be a
  cure or treatment in the future (Certainty). The
  pain is immediate, while possible future benefits
  are Remote.
• In most cases, the degree of pain is so great
  that Bentham's theory would support euthanasia.

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Act Utilitarianism

• A teleological theory that uses the outcome of an
  action to determine whether it is good or bad.

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Thinking Points- Debate

• Are all actions only good because they have good
  results?
• Suppose a surgeon could use the organs of one
  healthy patient to save the lives of several
  others. Would the surgeon be justified in killing
  the healthy patient for the sake of the others?
• Suppose a rape is committed that is thought to be
  racially motivated. Riots are brewing that may
  result in many deaths and long term racial
  antagonism. You are the police chief and have
  recently taken a man into custody. Why not frame
  him? He will be imprisoned if found guilty and
  this will result in peace and safety. Only you,
  the innocent man and the real rapist (who will
  keep quiet), will know the truth. What is the
  morally right thing to do?
• You are an army officer who has just captured an
  enemy soldier who knows where a secret time bomb
  is planted. If it explodes it will kill
  thousands. Will it be morally permissible to
  torture the solider so that he reveals the bombs
  location?
• If you knew where the soldier's children
  were, would it also be permissible to torture
  them to get him to reveal the bombs whereabouts?

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Wrap up

• On the piece of paper, write one thing you have
  learned today
• Could be a concept you are now familiar with.
• Or, a new key term in your vocabulary.
• A theory that you are more confident
• in understanding.
• Developed an academic/exam skill.
• If nothing, be honest. But say why you feel
  nothing.