Utilitarianism

1. Utilitarianism Bentham and Mill

2. The Principle of Utility- • Consequentialist Ethics- Future looking- ends justify means • Desire for happiness is universal • Social Hedonism • Most agree that people are also naturally sympathetic to the happiness of others as well • Chinese Utilitarian Mo Tzu said that “universal love” is deeply rooted in our character • happiness for sentient beings is what counts • What makes us happy? • The principle of utility is the “greatest happiness principle” • If an action conforms to the principle then it is morally right. • intentions are not important

3. Rule-Utilitarianism vs. Act-Utilitarianism • Rule- looks for the morality of particular classes of actions- rules of thumb do not always cause the greatest happiness. • Act- concerned with the morality of particular actions- no actions are inherently immoral. • Both reflect the late 18th century moral ideal of equality

4. Universal Love • Mo Tzu advocated Utilitarianism as a response to the moral passivity of Confucianism and Taoism • Peace does not come from the natural unfolding of things not from tradition • Hate is the source of pain in the world • Love is the source of happiness • Promoting happiness is a universal standard

5. Jeremy Bentham • Uses utilitarianism as a tool for social reform • results from the industrial revolution • Response to flagrant injustices and the desperation of the working class of his day • Utility is the only source of political duty for the sovereign • He was more concerned with social reform than moral education

6. Utilitarian Calculus • Putting a value to determine the right moral action • Intensity involves the strength of the pain or pleasure • Duration of the pleasure or pain • Level of certainty that the pain or pleasure will happen • Propinquity- nearness of time • Fecundity- pleasure is productive of more pleasure • Purity- pleasure that does not cause pain at the same time • Extent- number of sentient beings affected

7. John Stuart Mill • Born in London in 1806 • Educated by his father, a Scottish philosopher and economist • Went to live with the Benthams to study Roman law • Adopted Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism • For Bentham happiness is the greatest pleasure with the least pain

8. Mill’s Utilitarianism • Interested in social matters • Advocated freedom of thought and expression • Agreed with Bentham that superstition and tradition were serious impediments to the rational operation of society • Role of education is to help people become more rational • Opposed public education because it provided the state with an opportunity for molding • Mill disagreed that all pleasures are equal • Believed in the quality of the pleasure not the quantity • Claimed that some pleasures are more desirable than others • Intellectual pleasures are preferable to sensual • reading poetry vs. drinking beer • Pursuing pleasure is self-defeating • Freedom to make decisions is basic to human happiness • Advocated of liberty rights • Nonmaleficence principle- prohibits individuals or governments to inhibit another’s actions unless it prevents a harmful action

9. Ethical Hedonism • Different than straight-forward psychological hedonism which says that human action is motivated by the desire for pleasure • Mill finds that people disagree with this because it is degrading to humans • Epicureanism- No better than animals • Mill’s distinction of quality is an important revision • The act that produces more pleasure will not always bring the most happiness • Some have criticized utilitarianism as being selfish • Mill argues for social justice- concern for the happiness of those around us • He says that utilitarianism is the command of Jesus: • So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matt. 7:12

10. Critique of Utilitarianism • Non-Humans • Peter Singer and Speciesism- bias toward a particular species • Pleasure and pain of other animals • Equal but different • The environment • Future generations

11. Other Critiques • Offered by Judy Boss • Different people have different needs and different ideas of happiness • Utilitarians sometimes don’t pay enough attention to the integrity of the individual • Moral sentiments don’t get sufficient weight • Maximizing happiness for everyone is a tremendous burden • If individuals have no intrinsic value then they are used as a means only • Stating that only consequences makes it simple but incomplete • It does however offer guidelines and it serves as a reminder that we should be prepared to provide good reasons for moral decisions