Teleological Ethics: Morality is

determined by the consequences of actions

Morality is a means to an end: to know what we
ought to do, we must first know what is valuable
Hedonism:

value (good) is pleasure/happiness

Egoism: my happiness is the greatest good
Utilitarianism: the good is the greatest
amount of happiness for the greatest number
of people (or perhaps sentient beings)

Consequentialist Ethical Theories

Egoism:

the good is whatever promotes

my long-term interests
Epicurus
341-270 BC
Hedonism: the good is pleasure
Pursue pleasures not mixed with pain (beauty,

prudence, honor, justice, courage, knowledge);

satisfy natural desires (food, sleep), avoid vain
desires (fame, fashion)
Self-realization:

develop harmoniously all

our capacities (Plato, Aristotle, Bradley)

Objections to Egoism
Egoism

cannot resolve conflicts of interest

(which moral theories should do)
Egoism allows for no moral point of view of
an ideal observer who is impartial, informed,
and imaginatively identifies with those in the
situation
Egoist

response: no one is completely impartial,

nor should moral decisions be dispassionate

J. Bentham
(1748-1843)

Utilitarianism: the good is the

greatest amount of happiness for
the greatest number

J. S. Mill
(1808-73)

Bentham: the hedonic calculus is based on the

intensity, duration, certainty, immediacy,

fecundity, purity, & number of people
J. S. Mill: the quality of pleasures needs to be
considered, determined by competent judges
Objection: this is elitist; why not use the criterion

for evaluating pleasures to judge morality itself?

Variations of Utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism: we are obligated to do the

specific act that produces the greatest amount

of happiness (regardless of rules or justice)
Objections:

consequence calculation is difficult

the end justifies the means

Rule utilitarianism: we should follow moral

rules that, when acted upon, generally produce

the greatest amount of happiness
Objections:

what about when rules conflict?

in some cases, why not exceptions?

Reply: then why have any theory at all?