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Understanding Utilitarianism Principles

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that evaluates actions based on their consequences, specifically whether they promote the greatest amount of happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people. It calls on individuals and societies to maximize goodness and minimize suffering. There are two main types: act utilitarianism assesses individual actions, while rule utilitarianism evaluates actions based on whether they conform to rules that maximize overall utility. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that provides a framework for evaluating all situations but has been criticized for being difficult to implement and for potentially violating rights and integrity.

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Alton Jurah
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76 views12 pages

Understanding Utilitarianism Principles

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that evaluates actions based on their consequences, specifically whether they promote the greatest amount of happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people. It calls on individuals and societies to maximize goodness and minimize suffering. There are two main types: act utilitarianism assesses individual actions, while rule utilitarianism evaluates actions based on whether they conform to rules that maximize overall utility. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that provides a framework for evaluating all situations but has been criticized for being difficult to implement and for potentially violating rights and integrity.

Uploaded by

Alton Jurah
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Chapter Six

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a universal teleological


system.
It calls for the maximization of
goodness in society.
It asks for the greatest amount of
goodness for the greatest number of
people.
Two Types of Ethical Systems
 Deontological: From the Greek word
deon meaning “duty” and logos
meaning “logic”, we get the theory
that states the locus of value is the
act or kind of act.
 Teleological: From the Greek word
telos meaning “goal directed”, we get
the theory that value is in the
outcome or consequences of the act.
Utilitarians
 Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
 He invented a theory for measuring
pain and pleasure that he called the
hedonic calculus.
 According to Bentham, one should
maximize pleasure and minimize
suffering.
Utilitarians
 John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
 Mill wanted to distinguish happiness
from mere pleasure.
 He defined happiness in terms of a
higher order of pleasures or
satisfactions.
 These, he argued, are more refined
and superior to lower pleasures.
Two Types of Utilitarianism
 Act-utilitarianism: An act is right if
and only if it results in as much good
as any available.

 Rule-utilitarianism: An act is right if


it conforms to a valid rule within a
system of rules whose acceptance
leads to greater utility for society.
Utilitarianism: Strength
 Strength: A possible answer for
every situation, it is an absolute
system.
 It is not just a system, but it gets at
the substance of morality because it
has a material core: promoting
human good and alleviating pain.
 It makes common sense.
Utilitarianism: Weakness
 How do you measure the term
“greatest”?
 The greatest number of people over
the greatest amount of happiness –
how to define?
 What about those who are not in the
greatest amount?
 Is it total or general happiness?
Can we know the consequences?
 We normally do not know the long
term consequences of all of our
actions.
 Consequences go on into the infinite
future, so we really cannot know
them.
 Calculation is impossible.
Three kinds of Consequences
 C. S. Lewis maintains there are
three:
 Actual consequences of the act

 Consequences that could reasonably


have been expected to occur
 Intended consequences
Criticisms of Utilitarianism
 The No-Rest Objection – we always
have an infinite set of acts to choose
 The Absurd-Implication Objection-
that two acts are of equal value
 The Integrity Objection – personal
integrity can be violated because we
choose something other than our
most central and deeply held
principles
Criticisms of Utilitarianism
 TheJustice Objection – Some acts
could be considered useful and still
be against the justice system.

 The Publicity Objection – Moral


principles must be known to all, but
utilitarians do not claim everyone
should act like a utilitarian.
Utilitarianism and Posterity
 Provides a very strong philosophical
justification for the notion that we
have obligations to future
generations.
 Supports the conviction that we
ought not to end humanity.
 Morality is about promoting human
happiness, so it does not matter if
those humans do not exist yet.

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