Utilitarianism Slides (1)

8/2/2019 Utilitarianism Slides (1)

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Utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832)
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Utilitarianism

John Stuart Mill(1806-1873)
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Morality

Morality is not a matter of pleasingGod, nor is it a matter of faithfulness toabstract principles or a divinely given

religious code

Morality has to do with bringing about

as much happiness/pleasure as
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The Principle of Utility

One moral truth in the universe

Whenever we have a choice betweenalternative actions or social policies,we must choose the one that has thebest over all consequences foreveryone concerned.


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Basic Intuitions Behind

Utilitarianism

We should oppose suffering & promote

Happiness
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The Upshot of Utilitarianism

Product of European Enlightenment; thetheory emphasizes human reason and claimsto make morality into a science

By performing simple calculations, we candetermine what is morally right and wrong

As a theory, it taps into fundamental humanintuitionsnamely, that the point of moralityis to make the world a better, happier place
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Foundations of Utilitarianism

1.

Moral credit is assessed solely in terms ofthe consequences of an action.

(The intentions and motives behind an actionnever figure into the analysis of an action.)

2. Pleasure is the only thing that has value in itself.

Everything else is valuable only insofar as itproduces pleasure


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Pleasure is the Only Intrinsic Good

Something that is good in itself;something that has worth and value

else; something that is good for its ownsake.

friendship, love, joy, happiness..

Intrinsic Good
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All Other Goods Are

Instrumental Goods

Something that is good only because of what

one can get out of it; something whose valueis dependent upon something else;something thats value is dependent upon itsconsequences; something that onlyhas use

value. Common Example: Money

The Utilitarian says that love, friendship,
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Hedonistic Act Utilitarianism

Hedonistic ActUtilitarianism

Maximize Apply The The PrinciplePleasure Principle Of OfUtility

Utility Each And Is TheEvery Time One Acts Only

Moral Truth
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Hedonistic Act Utilitarianism

An action is morally right if and only ifit maximizes utilityi.e., if and only ifthe balance of benefit to harmcalculated by taking everyone affectedby the act into consideration is greater

than the balance of benefit to harmresulting from any alternative act.


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Cost-Benefit Analysis

P1 P2 P3 P4 Total

A1 6 2 -7 4 5

A2 5 -4 0 6 7

A3 -12 -1 -6 15 -4

A4 -3 -1 -2 7 1

A5 1 1 1 1 4
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How To Calculate

Set out all the relevant alternative acts

List all the individuals who will be affectedby the acts, including oneself

Assess how the individuals, includingoneself, will be affected by the variousactions

Choose the act which maximizes utility,i.e., which results in the greatest totalbalance of benefit to harm
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Two Types Of Objections

How can we quantify pains & pleasures? How do we establish a specific numerical

value? The numbers seem arbitrary.

Are we supposed to draw a chart each andevery time we go to act?

Wouldnt drawing a chart each and everytime we go to act be too time consuming??


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Responses

Drawing a chart is not necessary; one canquickly estimate the values in ones head

Assigning values to various actions ispossible; calculate according to criteria suchas: Intensity

Duration Fruitfulness

Likelihood of Success
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Bentham & Mill On Higher

Pleasures

ultimate good & the only intrinsic good

All pleasures are equalin value Pushpin is as good as poetry.

Some pleasures are more valuable than

others


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Mills Theory: Higher and

Lower Pleasures

Books, Poetry, Opera,

Mental Activities, etc.

Waterfall, Rose Garden,

Etc

Food, Sex, Physical

Enjoyment, etc...


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Applications: Euthanasia

A person is terminally ill with a painfulcancer

Life is a gift from God. Only God may decidewhen life will end. Euthanasia is murder andis contrary to traditional morality.

What action would maximize utility? Killing the patientand hence ending her

miserymight not only be morally permitted,but also morally required.


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Euthanasia

1. The morally right thing to do, on anyoccasion, is whatever would bring about thegreatest balance of happiness overunhappiness

2. On at least some occasions, the greatestbalance of benefit over unhappiness may bebrought about by performing a mercykilling.

3. Thus, on at last some occasions,performing a mercy killing is the morallyright course of action.


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Peter Singer & Animal Rights

Dominant morality in Western Civilizationexcludes non-human beings from moralconsideration:

purposes

free will

intelligence, etc.
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Racism & Sexism Racists & sexists defend their policies of unequal

treatment on the basis of alleged factual differencesbetween ethnic groups and/or the sexes: differingmoral and intellectual capacities, etc.

Some racists/sexists exert a great amount of timeand energy trying to establish geneticgrounds fortheir discriminatory policies.

Those who defend the equality of the sexes andraces usually try to ground their claims to equality inarguments showing that the alleged differencesbetween people are due to environmental factors(such as economic and social histories).
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Singer On Moral Consideration

use of language, etc. are all totally irrelevanttoestablishing a policy of equal treatment in respect tomoral considerations.

assuming that a factual difference in ability betweentwo people justifies any difference in the amount ofmoral consideration we give to satisfying their needsand interests.

determining whether or not a being deserves moralconsideration. Self-awareness

Ability to express a preference
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Speciesism

Racism & sexism are morally wrong in virtueof the fact that the victims, who are entitledto full moral consideration, sufferunnecessarily.

While most of us nowadays recognize thatracism and sexism are morally wrong, few ofus recognize that Speciesism is morallywrong for the very same reason.

human species as superior to the interests ofother non-human species.


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Animal Rights

Based upon the Utilitarian criterion for moralconsideration, animals interests aredeserving of equal moral consideration.Animals have rights!!

Self-aware Show preferences

If a being suffers, there can be no moraljustification for refusing to take that sufferinginto consideration.


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Eating Meat Is Immoral

Our practice of rearing and killing other animals inorder to eat them is a clear instance of the sacrificeof the most important interests of other beings inorder to satisfy trivial interests of our own.

1. A plant-based diet is healthier than an animal-based

animals.

2. Animals suffer immensely as a result of ourproduction & consumption practices.

3. Animal suffering upsets the principle of utility.

4.

animal meat is gravely morally wrong.


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Experimentation On Animals Is

Immoral

1. Most experimentation on animals by drugcompanies and universities is pointlesscruelty.

Drug companies test new shampoos andcosmetics that they are intending to put on themarket by dropping them into the eyes of rabbitsheld open by metal clips, in order to observe what

damage results. Such cruelty violates the principle of utility.

2.

morally wrong.
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World Poverty1. Affluent countries grossly indulge in luxury living.

2. There are a great many human beings in the world who donot even have basic necessitiessuch as food, clothing, andmedicines.

3. The money that affluent countries spend on excess

consumerism could be better utilized by giving to charitableorganizations.

4. If we can prevent something bad from happening withoutsacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, thenwe ought to do so.

5. Death by starvation or curable disease is very bad; and wecan prevent many people from dying of starvation bysacrificing our luxuries, which are not as important.

6. Therefore, we ought to do so.
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Bobs Bugatti

Bobs Bugatti Our Luxury Living

One child dies Many children die

Bobs conduct seems clearly wrong. He shouldhave sacrificed his Bugatti for the life of thechild.

But we too have opportunities to save the livesof children. We can give to Unicef or OxfamAmerica. In fact, $200 would transform a sickly

2-year-old into a healthy 6-year-old


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Problems With Utilitarianism:

Human Rights??? Consider the following

case: An otherwisehealthy 18 year old goesto the emergency room

with appendicitis. Thesurgeon is an avidutilitarian. He calculateshis options and decidesagainst saving the

adolescent. A1 = Use patient for body

parts

A2 = Restore patient to

health

P1 P2 P3 P4 Total

A1

-10 10 10 10 +20

A2

10 -10 -10 -10 -20
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Problems With Utilitarianism

Surgeon (patients right to life) Framing innocent person (mans right to

justice) Peeping Tom (womans right to privacy)

Letting a guilty party go free Slavery


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Other Problems

Objections to consequentialism

Objections to pleasure as only intrinsicgood

The theory is too demanding!!

Promise keeping is not obligatory


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Rule Utilitarianism

The principle of utility is satisfied by followinga general list of rules. If everyone follows a listof rules, then the world will be a happier,better place and utility will be satisfied.

The rule utilitarian asks: What if everyonefollowed that rule? Would that make the worldbetter or worse?

Over all, in the long run and all thingsconsidered, the world will be better off if


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Rule Utilitarianism

1.1 Doctors can kill patients for body parts.

1.2 Doctors should follow their Hippocraticoath and try to cure all of their patients.

2.1 People can spy upon others for cheapthrills.

2.2 People should respect each others privacy.
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The Problem With Rule

Utilitarianism

We are only obligated to follow the generallist of rules if doing so will maximize utility.

But what ifbreakinga rule would maximizeutility?

The principle of utility over-rides any

general rule. The principle of utility is theONLY moral truth; it and it alone is morallyobligatory. Thus, one can break a generalrule if doing so would maximize utility.
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The Exception Rule

Do not cheat

Do not kill

Help others in need

Respect others privacy

of the other general rules if doing sowill maximize utility


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Rule Utilitarianism Doesnt

Seem Possible

Since there is no way to get rid of theexception rule, Rule Utilitarianism

collapses into Act Utilitarianism.

There seems to be no justification for

following rules that do not maximizeutility.

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Utilitarianism Slides (1)