Transcript Introduction to Utilitarianism Powerpoint

RELIGIOUS ETHICS
Ethical Theory
‘UTILITARIANISM FROM
BENTHAM & MILL’
THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES
‘A TELEOLOGICAL THEORY’
Thus, an action is morally correct if its
consequence brings the greatest amount
of happiness for the most number of
people.
Utilitarianism believes that an act is neither
good nor bad, but the consequences of that
act determine whether it is moral.
‘A TELEOLOGICAL THEORY’
Utilitarianism was developed by two men:
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
• Utilitarianism is a TELEOLOGICAL argument.
• Its theory which evaluates the morality of an action based on consequences.
• It can be summed up by the phrase:
• “The greatest happiness for the greatest number”
This is called the ‘Greatest Happiness Principle’ (GHP).
This principle is used by Utilitarians to evaluate any scenario.
Right actions (those which are morally correct) produce the greatest
amount of happiness amongst the wider number of people.
Each person’s happiness is counted as equally important.
RELIGIOUS ETHICS
Ethical Theory
UTILITARIANISM
FROM BENTHAM
THEORISTS & THEORIES
Bentham & Mill developed two different ideas as to how
Utilitarianism should work.
‘JEREMY BENTHAM’
Bentham wanted to find a way of defining right and wrong.
He wished to do this without a need for a transcendent authority.
He was concerned about social reform.
This was because the conditions people lived in were appalling.
In Introduction to the Principles of Morals & Legislation (1789), he
tried to establish a way of arguing for something to be good and bad
according to its benefit for the majority of people.
He called this the
PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY.
“By utility is meant that property in any object, whereby it tends to produce
benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness, or to prevent the happening
of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered:
if that party be the community in general, then the happiness of the community:
if a particular individual, then the happiness of that individual.”
‘HEDONIC CALCULUS’
He believed that utility should be quantitative.
An action is moral if it produces the most pleasure over pain.
And so, he developed the UTILITY or HEDONIC CALCULUS.
This measures the amount of pleasure in any given scenario.
It looked for the following seven criteria to be met:
Duration
Intensity
How long
does the
pleasure
last?
How
intense is
the
pleasure?
Purity
How free of
pain is the
pleasure?
Certainty Propinquity Richness
How
certain are
you that it
will come?
How near
is the
actual
pleasure?
How much
will it lead
to more
pleasure?
Extent
How widely
does it
cover?
Using this calculus, Bentham believed it was possible to
measure the amount of pleasure or pain that an action will
bring about. This became known as ACT UTILITARIANISM.
‘PROBLEMS’
The prime consideration when carrying out an action is
the amount of happiness or pleasure that will ensue from
the action. Law or rules are of secondary importance.
BUT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THIS THEORY:
• Can pleasure be quantified?
• Is pleasure or happiness the same for everyone?
• Is there an accurate prediction of pleasure as a result of an action?
Many people make a utilitarian judgement when
they are confronted by some moral dilemma.
‘THE BIG PICTURE’
OCR 2003
“Candidates should understand the ‘greatest happiness principle’. They should
be able to describe the main similarities and differences between the thinking of
Bentham & Mill.
They should consider the distinction between Act and Rule Utilitarianism
suggested by some scholars, and should be able to discuss the extent to which
either of these labels might be appropriate for Bentham or Mill.
They should be able to consider the strengths and weaknesses of Utilitarianism.”