Transcript Rule utilitarianism

Rule utilitarianism
Michael Lacewing
[email protected]
Hedonist act utilitarianism
• Act consequentialism: Actions are morally
right or wrong depending on their
consequences and nothing else. An act is
right if it maximizes what is good.
• Value theory: The only thing that is good
is happiness.
• Equality: Everyone’s happiness counts
more than anyone else’s.
Rule utilitarianism
• An action is right when it complies with
those rules which, if everybody followed
them, would lead to the greatest happiness
(compared to any other set of rules)
– It is not the consequences of the individual act
that matter, but the consequences of everyone
following the rules that govern the actions
– Actions are right when they follow a rule that
maximizes happiness overall – even when the
action itself doesn’t maximize happiness in this
particular situation
Advantages
• We don’t have to work out the
consequences of each act in turn
– We can create the rules once, together
• Some types of act are ruled out
– E.g. the rule forbidding torture of children
will clearly cause more happiness if
everyone followed it than the rule
allowing torture of children
Advantages
• A rule that allows partiality to our
family and friends will create more
happiness than a rule that requires us
to be impartial all the time.
• I am only required to act in a way that,
if everyone acted like that, would
promote the greatest happiness.
Objection
• ‘Rule-fetishism’: Why follow a rule when, on
this occasion, breaking the rule will create
more happiness?
– E.g. I know not everyone will give to charity, so
shouldn’t I give more?
– E.g. I know that lying here will create more
happiness than telling the truth
– The point of the rules is to create the most
happiness – but they won’t always
• Back to act utilitarianism
Replies
• Amend the rule
– Life is too complicated – the rule will
become impossibly long
• Using act utilitarianism to decide how
to act will break down our trust that
people behave morally
– If people keep breaking the rules, that
will create less happiness in the long run
Objection
• Morality can’t be summed up by rules
• Reply: include the rule ‘When no other rules
apply, do that action that maximizes
happiness’
• Other objections to utilitarianism, not rules
– Is happiness the only value?
– What is the moral value of motives and character
traits?
– What is the value of friendship?