Utilitarianism

Allocating Limited Public Health Resources

- Should be greater benefit for greater number of people
Thesis:
- Utilitarianism argues that the rightness or wrongness of an action is
determined by the presence or absence of utility in it
Definition: that the prosperity in any object, whereby it tends to produce
benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness or to prevent the
happening of mischief, pain
History: Forebears of Utilitarianism
1) Aristippus of Cyrene: a hedonist, maintained that pleasure is the
supreme good
2) Epicurus: emphasis on pleasure (tranquility rather than bodily
gratification)
3) Jeremy Bentham:
4) J.S. Mill
5) Henry Sidgwick: applied utilitarianism to Economics
Act and Rule Utilitarianism
1) Act Utilitarianims claims that we assess the rightness or wrongness of
each individual activities directly by its consequences
a. E.g. A graduating student cheating on one and only one final
exam in his last semester
b. Note: it evaluates individual actions one at a time
2) Rule Utilitarianism does not consider the consequences of each
particular action but considers the consequences of adopting some
general rule
a. Keeping promises
b. This does not access individual actions for their utility, but rather
the general rules of which a particular action would be an
instance
c. Two kinds of Rule Utilitarianism
i. Possible Rule
ii. Rule actually operating in society
d. Two tests from Rule Utilitarianism
i. What general rule do I follow in this particular action?
ii. Will this rule, if followed, maximize happiness?
Utilitarian Formulations
- Acts are right or wrong solely in virtue of the goodness or badness of
their actual consequences (act utilitarianism)
- Greatest good for the greatest number (rule utilitarianism)

Always maximize net desire satisfaction

Examples of Utilitarianism Applied

I. Disability-Adjusted (DALY)