Transcript Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism
Lecture 2
Dealing with uncertainty
Utilitarianism and absolutism
Utilitarianism and the good
Objections so far
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Pig philosophy
Motivationally too demanding
Not enough time to calculate
Uncertainty
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Objection: Often uncertain of
consequences, so can’t identify the
action that maximizes happiness
Reply: In cases of uncertainty, choose
the action that offers the best
“prospect”
Choosing the best prospect
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Use degrees of confidence to assign
probabilities to consequences
Weigh possible consequences by both
probability and goodness
Example
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Options:
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Spend small budget on medications (A)
Spend money on lottery tickets and
winnings on medication (B)
B has a possible consequence that is
very good, but its probability is very low
A is a better prospect than B
Moral absolutism
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Claims that morality absolutely prohibits
certain actions, no matter how good
their consequences
Example: inviolable rights
Utilitarian: rights are embedded in
institutions
Is this good enough?
Ex. 1: Sacrifice a healthy patient?
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Absolutist: Utilitarian must say yes
Reply: no, because of long-term and
indirect consequences
Medical rights thus function as good
subordinate principles
Ex. 2: Sacrifice a disaster victim?
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Absolutist: Utilitarian must say yes
Reply: In unusual circumstances, yes is
the right answer
Attachment to subordinate principles
may make it feel wrong
It’s a case of choosing the lesser of 2
evils
Ex. 3: Kill innocent person to
save hostages?
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Difference from example 2: human
production of the greater evil
Absolutist: shows clearly that you bear
a special responsibility for what you do,
as opposed to what merely happens in
consequence of what you do
Utilitarian must deny this
Doctrine of negative responsibility
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Statement: You are as responsible for
any outcome you could prevent, and
not merely those you directly bring
about
Utilitarian endorses this
Absolutist denies it
Ex. 4: Sophie’s Choice
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Agent relative obligations and
permissions?
Utilitarianism says no, except for
subordinate principles
Nonconsequentialist can make room for
these
Ex. 5: Truman’s decision
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Truman gave a consequentialist
argument
This could be challenged
But absolutists could say that it was
wrong even if it maximized human
welfare
Utilitarianism and the good
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Happiness is a mental state, a quality of
experience
Example: the deluded physician
Example: the experience machine
Utilitarianism and the good (2)
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Examples suggest that the good is more
than a mental state
Can utilitarianism accommodate this?
Might have to abandon the ideal
observer method
Might have to appeal to moral notions
This would depart from
consequentialism