UTILITARIANISMKoreena Baublit Cyndi Mattson

Holly Paulin Corey Dixon

Tyler Teskey

T / 5:30Ethical Theories Presentation

October 21, 2008

Utilitarianism“Greatest Happiness Principle”

Provides most good

Does the least harm

Greatest balance of good over harm (community, environment)

Ethical Warfare

Consequences that increase good and decrease harm

Origins of Utilitarianism traces as far back as the

GreekPhilosopher

Epicurus

JEREMY BENTHAM

CREDITED FOR ORIGINATION

DERIVED THE RULE OF UTILITY

GOOD BRINGS GREATEST HAPPINESS TO MOST PEOPLE

"nature has placed mankind

under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain

and pleasure."

John Stuart Mill

Wrote Utilitarianism, famous short work

Cultural, intellectual, spiritual pleasures greater value than physical

Criticisms Distastefulness

1st common

problems when sentiment involved

can’t dismiss emotions such as pity and compassion

Example: Would you kill a hundred citizens or save your mother?

Impossibility

2nd common

Can’t be quantified or measured

Can’t compare happiness to suffering

Example: From a great amount of suffering sometimes comes great happiness

Too Much Change?

You're at a department store, a grocery store, a restaurant -- and the cashier gives you too much change.

Should you keep it? Is it the store's misfortune and your lucky day?

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/Story?id=2754830&page=1

Consider the overall good

Keep the money

Gain money for self

Use towards family

Extra money for bills or goods

Consider the overall good

Give back the money

Keep money in the economy

Pay for the workers

Sense of Righteousness

The Overall Good

Whole country relies on economy

People need jobs to provide for family and self

Based on these reasons, the answer would be to give back the money

"Primetime" set up hiddencameras in a New Jersey

diner and gave the cashiera stack of extra $10 and

$20 bills.

Over two days, 46 different people were

given too much change.

What would they do?

18 returned the money right away,

but 26 people walked out.

Are you surprised?

Questions

How can you use Utilitarianism to make better decisions in your family affairs?

Can you think of a situation where your idea of overall good differed from that of a friend or family member?