Utilitarianism

Who was he?

1748- 1832 Founder of classical (act) utiliarism - theory considered when making laws - telelogical - looking at the end result

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Telelogical, Consequentalitst and Quantative

Looked at the end result

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Happiness

= pleasure minus pain

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Human rights

rejected - leads to conflict, disharmony in society = everyone wants something different

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Pleasure

= highest good

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Example of Humans rights is nonsensense

Panopticon: Bentham produced a model of an all-seeing prison where prisoners were under 24/7 surveillance. This then conditioned their behavior so much so that they carried on this behavior after release

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Statistic Guard

: if prison guards gained pleasure out of torturing a (innocent) criminal this would then contradict greatest good for the greatest number

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Strengths with Benthams views

Hedonic calculus = clear mathematical approach Popular approach (most prefer pleasure to plain) Consequentialist Flexible – considers individual acts Democratic – considers the majority

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Weaknesses with Benthams views

Hedonic calculus complex/ impractical Difficult to accurately predict consequences Assumes pleasure are of equal value Promotes pleasure/desire lowers standards of human nature Human rights – ‘nonsense on stilts)

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John Stuart Mill

Mill agreed with Bentham in emphasizing that a persons well being is of the utmost importance Mill agreed with the principle of utility but….

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believed...

that the quality of the happiness was more important than quantity Focused on the collective ‘aggregate of individual happiness’

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Rule Utilitarianism

It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied

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Meaning behind this

Its better to have the ability/ potential through higher pleasures as a human rather than find satisfaction as a pig through lower pleasures

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Mills criticms of Benthams theory:

Rejected Bentham’s simplistic view of the causes of human happiness – actions themselves do not make people happy NECESSARY for the right conditions as well Then developed the conditions for happiness – the most important being liberty/

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Continued

/ the individual should be free to do whatever they want providing they do not cause harm to another Believed that forcing the minority to accept decisions to accept the decisions of the majority does not produce the greatest good for the greatest nu

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What did Mill believe in?

in individual happiness rather than the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Mill believed in no suppression of the minorities the right conditions were needed for maximum happiness’s

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Why did he pursue happiness?

Happiness is very important in the individual, as one of the conditions is freedom and liberty that then leads an individual to maximum happiness / individual happiness ties in with human equality (aggregate of individual happiness = overall)

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Higher pleasures

: pleasure that makes people happy as they are progressive/satisfy the mind e.g. music, generosity

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Lower pleasures

does nothing for the person’s progressive pleasure e.g. sex, eating and drinking. /drugs - bodily pleasures are worthy only of swine

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Criticism of Mill

Arrogant – by saying that some pleasure lead to progress more than others leads to the question of lower pleasures can be progressive Too complex – too many exceptions / one which allows you to break a rule which contradicts the theory as guidance

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Act

the benefit of flexibility/ the principle utility must be directly applies for each individual situation

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Act negatives

Has the potential to justify virtually any act Impractical to suggest that we should measure each and every moral choice every time – especially as we may not have all the information required by the H.C Have quite extreme results

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Rule:

General rules that everyone should follow: must drive on the left hand side when in the UK Rules are there to establish no chaos / the rule takes priority / determines the best overall action THE MANIAC IN THE SHOP! ENQUIRING MURDER! Lying accept

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Peter Singer

Rationalist Singer thought we need to apply the principles with no emotion Rejected classical Utilitarism Rejected pleasure over pain Believed outcomes should be rational not only for our own satisfaction = altruist principle

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Minimizing suffering

Condemned the belief that animals are less important than humans = specieism Animals = no less capacity for suffering Should be ranked on how much pain they feel

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Two - rule Utilitarisnm

Developed by R.M Hare = takes elements from Bentham and Mill Suggests our moral action should follow intutitive moral laws ‘If you have a conflict of duties one of them isn’t your duty’

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Ideal Utilitarianism

Developed by G.E Moore Accepts consequentalist a`pproach of classical utilitarianism = rejects hedonism Argued we should value ideal above pleasures = seek to act in such a way that these ideals = maximized in society Ideal =

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Contnuied

promoted through consewquentialism inclu. Beauty, peace, justice, truth Took more from Mill than Bentham

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Utilitarianism

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