Utilitarianism - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 23
About This Presentation
Title:

Utilitarianism

Description:

... a man being eaten by wild dogs, it would be a morally good thing for the 10 ... I live in a neighborhood where 83% of my neighbors use drugs. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:179
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 24
Provided by: edr71
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Utilitarianism


1
Utilitarianism
  • An Introduction to the Moral Theories of Jeremy
    Bentham and John Stuart Mill

2
Ethical Judgments
  • Ethical philosophy differs from the sciences
    because it is normative or prescriptive, rather
    than descriptive.
  • In other words, ethics tell us how ought to act
    or what we should do, while the sciences are more
    likely to observe how things are in nature or
    society.

3
Making Ethical Judgments
4
Making Ethical Judgments in Utilitarianism
  • Utilitarianism says that the Result or the
    Consequence of an Act is the real measure of
    whether it is good or bad.
  • This theory emphasizes Ends over Means.
  • Theories, like this one, that emphasize the
    results or consequences are called teleological
    or consequentialist.

5
(No Transcript)
6
Benthams Formulation of Utilitarianism
  • Man is under two great masters, pain and
    pleasure.
  • The great good that we should seek is happiness.
    (a hedonistic perspective)
  • Those actions whose results increase happiness or
    diminish pain are good. They have utility.

7
Jeremy Benthams Hedonistic Calculus
  • In determining the quantity of happiness that
    might be produced by an action, we evaluate the
    possible consequences by applying several values
  • Intensity, duration, certainty or uncertainty,
    propinquity or remoteness, fecundity, purity, and
    extent.

8
Two Formulations of Utilitarian Theory
  • Greatest Happiness We ought to do that which
    produces the greatest happiness and least pain
    for the greatest number of people.
  • Principle of Utility The best action is that
    which produces the greatest happiness and/or
    reduces pain.

9
Two Types of Utilitarianism
  • Rule We ought to consider the consequences of
    acts performed as a general practice, e.g., lying
    usually causes pain. (J. S. Mill)
  • Act We ought to consider the consequences of
    each act separately. (Bentham)

10
Application of Utilitarian Theory
  • B) You attempt to help an elderly man across the
    street. You stumble as you go, he is knocked into
    the path of a car, and is hurt.
  • Conclusion The Act was a bad act.
  • A) You attempt to help an elderly man across the
    street. He gets across safely.
  • Conclusion the Act was a good act.

11
Application of Utilitarian Theory
  • If you can use eighty soldiers as a decoy in war,
    and thereby attack an enemy force and kill
    several hundred enemy soldiers, that is a morally
    good choice even though the eighty might be lost.
  • If lying or stealing will actually bring about
    more happiness and/or reduce pain, we should lie
    and steal in those cases.

12
Application of Utilitarian TheoryActual Cases
  • The decision at Coventry during WWII. The
    decision was made not to inform the town that
    they would be bombed.
  • The Ford Pinto case A defective vehicle model
    was not recalled and repaired by Ford because
    they felt it was cheaper to pay the liability
    suits than to repairs all the defective cars.

13
Criticisms of Benthams theory
  • Benthams theory could mean that if 10 people
    would be happy watching a man being eaten by wild
    dogs, it would be a morally good thing for the 10
    men to kidnap someone (especially someone whose
    death would not cause grief to many others) and
    throw the man into a cage of wild, hungry dogs.

14
John Stuart Mills Adjustments to Utilitarianism
  • Mill argues that we must consider the quality of
    the happiness, not merely the quantity.
  • For example, some might find happiness with a
    pitcher of beer and a pizza. Others may find
    happiness watching a fine Shakespearean play. The
    quality of happiness is greater with the latter.

15
Mills Quality Arguments
  • It is better to be a human being dissatisfied
    than a pig satisfied better to be Socrates
    dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the
    fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it
    is because they only know their own side of the
    question. The other party to the comparison
    knows both sides.

16
Mills Quality Arguments
  • As between his own happiness and that of others,
    utilitarianism requires him to be as strictly
    impartial as a disinterested and benevolent
    spectator. In the golden rule of Jesus of
    Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of the
    ethics of utility. To do as you would be done
    by, and to love your neighbor as yourself,
    constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian
    morality.

17
Criticisms of Utilitarianism
  • If I am to bring the greatest happiness to the
    greatest number, not putting my own happiness
    above others, that may lead to a dilemma. I live
    in a neighborhood where 83 of my neighbors use
    drugs. I could make them most happy by helping
    supply them with cheap drugs, but I feel
    uncomfortable doing that. What should a
    utilitarian do?

18
Criticisms of Utilitarianism
  • Bernard Williams criticizes the implied doctrine
    of negative responsibility in Utilitarianism.
    For example, a thug breaks into my home and holds
    six people hostage, telling us he will kill all
    of us. However, the thug says, if you will
    kill two of your family, I will let you and the
    other three live.
  • With Utilitarianism, the good thing to do is to
    kill two members of my family.

19
Criticisms of Utilitarianism
  • Utilitarianism plays fast and loose with Gods
    commandments. If lying, stealing, or killing
    could lead to an increase of happiness for the
    greatest number, we are told we should lie, steal
    or kill. Isnt that a rejection of Gods
    commands?

20
Mills Answer to the Godless Theory Criticism
  • What is the nature of God?
  • Does God make arbitrary rules just to see if we
    will obey?
  • Does God make rules that He knows will lead to
    our happiness?
  • If the latter statement is true, doesnt it make
    sense God would want us to use our God-given
    reason to look at the situation?

21
Mills Answer to the Godless Theory Criticism
  • If it be a true belief that God desires, above
    all things, the happiness of his creatures, and
    that this was his purpose in their creation,
    utility is not a godless doctrine, but more
    profoundly religious than any other. . . .
    .whatever God has though fit to reveal on the
    subject of morals must fulfill the requirements
    of utility in a supreme degree.

22
A Second Criticism of Utilitarianism
  • If one must decide the probable outcome of an act
    before knowing whether it is good or bad, how can
    children learn to evaluate acts, since they know
    so little of what consequences might arise from
    their actions?

23
Mills Rule Utilitarianism
  • . . . Mankind must by this time have acquired
    positive beliefs as to the effects of some
    actions on their happiness and the beliefs which
    have thus come down are the rules of morality for
    the multitude, and for the philosopher until he
    has succeeded in finding better. Mill concludes,
    however, that we should always seek improvements.
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com