Utilitarianism Notes

 This is an example of a consequentialist moral theory whereby it focuses on the

consequence/s which is the basis of the morality of the act
 Egotism is egoism taken to the extreme wherein the person thinks he/she is the source of
all value
 The limit of egoism, based on the philosopher Aynred, is to understand it in terms of
valuing oneself before valuing others for it is a form hypocrisy to value other people or
things if one does not even value oneself.
 Utilitarianism creates a limitation for Egoism and Hedonism
 In the example, some laws are bad because they do not promote the greatest good to the
greatest number of people

 Hume’s account on human nature is pleasure. We, because of this, can compete and
violate other people’s rights and happiness which is why utility has to be accounted also.
He wants to say that the basis of morality should be the good that society gets and this is
the basis of morality.
 For Bentham, happiness can be quantified which is why it is branded to be quantitative
utilitarian perspective
 Mill disagrees with Bentham for the reason that he believed that happiness cannot be
quantified. Mill’s perspective is not quantitative but qualitative. Bentham created the
impetus of utilitarianism while Mill developed it.
 The aggregate of all people is rationality which is why Mill considers intellectual
pleasures as higher pleasures than sensual ones.
 Social feelings regulate man’s actions. For instance, we feel guilty when we cause harm
to others and this is an example of a social feeling.

 “a person without virtu is morally lacking and is not as able to promote the good” – this
demands people from promoting the good life not only of one’s own interest but of others
as well. This opens the demandingness problem