Frameworks and Principles

Behind our Moral

Disposition:
-Deontology – Immanuel
Kant
Utilitarianism
 PRE-ASSESSMENT:
Read carefully and answer the following question.

1. What is Deontology?
2. What is Utilitarianism?
 Deontology
a moral theory that evaluates actions that are done
because of duty.
comes from the Greek word deon, which means “being
necessary”.
refers to the study of duty and obligation.
 Main proponent:
•Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804).
• He was a German Enlightenment philosopher
who wrote one of the most important works on
moral philosophy
• Groundwork towards a Metaphysics of Morals
(1785).
 Rationalit
Sentience Rational will
y
 UTILITARIANISM
•Is the idea that the moral worth of an action is
solely determined by its contribution to overall
utility in maximizing happiness or pleasure.
• Utilitarianism starts from the basis that pleasure
and happiness are intrinsically valuable, that pain
and suffering are intrinsically invaluable.
 UTILITARIANISM
• Utilitarians support equality by the equal
consideration of interests, and they reject any
arbitrary distinctions as to who is worthy of
concern and who is not, and any discrimination
between individuals.
 UTILITARIANISM
• It is a form of Consequentialism (in that the moral worth
of an action is determined by its outcome or consequence
- the ends justify the means), as opposed to Deontology
(which disregards the consequences of performing an act,
when determining its moral worth), and to Virtue Ethics
(which focuses on character, rather than rules or
consequences).
 History of Utilitarianism

•The origins of Utilitarianism are often traced back to the

Epicureanism of the followers of the Greek philosopher
Epicurus.
 But as a specific school of thought, it is
generally credited to the English philosopher
Jeremy Bentham.
Bentham found pain and pleasure to be the only
intrinsic values in the world, and this he
derived the rule of utility: that the good is
whatever brings the greatest happiness to the
greatest number of people.
John Stuart Mill
 In his famous 1861 short work,
"Utilitarianism", John Stuart Mill both
named the movement and refined
Bentham's original principles.
Mill argued that cultural, intellectual and spiritual pleasures are of greater value than mere physical pleasure as valued by a
competent judge (which, according to Mill, is anyone who has experienced both the lower pleasures and the higher).

Mill argued that cultural, intellectual and

spiritual pleasures are of greater value than mere
physical pleasure as valued by a competent
judge (which, according to Mill, is anyone who
has experienced both the lower pleasures and the
higher).
In Mills essay “On Liberty” and other works,
Utilitarianism requires that any political
arrangements satisfy the liberty principle (or harm
principle), according to which the only purpose for
which power can be rightfully exercised over any
member of a civilized community against his will,
have also used these principles as arguments for
Socialism.
The classic Utilitarianism of Bentham and Mill
influenced many other moral philosophers and
the development of many different types of
Consequentialism.
15 Utilitarianism Advantages and
Disadvantages
 Three Principles
1.Actions are considered right only if the outcome of the
decision maximizes whatever is classified as being good over
what would be considered bad.

2.Happiness is the only good outcome that is possible in this structure.

3.If an action does not maximize happiness in

some way, then it may be the incorrect choice to
make – even if it is considered the moral choice.
1. It is a universal concept that all of us can understand.

2. You don’t need to practice a religion to benefit from

this process.
3. Utilitarianism follows democratic principles.

4. It uses an objective process to decide what is right or

wrong.

5. This process is one that is very easy to use.

6. Utilitarianism works with our natural intuition.

7. It bases everything on the concept of happiness.

List of the Disadvantages of Utilitarianism
1. Society does not solely focus on happiness
when making choices.
2. The ends never really justify the means when
considering happiness.
3. Outcomes are unpredictable when dealing with
the future.
4. Happiness is something that is subjective.

5. It forces you to rely on everyone else following

the same moral code.
6. Utilitarianism doesn’t focus on the act itself to
form judgments.

7. You cannot measure happiness in tangible ways.

8. It would allow the majority of society to always

dictate outcomes.
Conclusion of the Utilitarianism Advantages and Disadvantages

Utilitarianism will ultimately fail because it confuses what

is popular in the present for what is morally right. What we
have learned throughout history is that there are some
choices that are always morally wrong, no matter how
many ways you try to spin the idea.
The advantages and disadvantages of
Utilitarianism prove that happiness cannot be the
only part of the foundation upon which we make
decisions. There are times in life when the
correct decision is the one which only you are
willing to make. Humanity would lose its integrity
if it decided to follow this way of life, even if there
are some notable benefits to consider. It is clear
that any strengths are clearly outweighed by the
weaknesses of this theory.
 SUMMARY:
Kantian deontology puts the premium on rational will,
freed from all other considerations, as the only human
capacity that can determine one’s moral duty.
Utilitarianism on the other hand, pays tribute to the value
of impartiality, arguing that an act is good if it will bring
about the greatest good for the greatest number of those
affected by the action.