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UTILITARIANISMAssoc. Prof. Sharyn Davies
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Happiness - Utility
Work out what would bring about the
greatest happiness overall.
Utility useful for bringing about
happiness
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John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
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J.S. Mill and Harriet Taylor
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Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
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Jeremy Benthams body
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Hedonistic Calculus
Intensity
Duration
Certainty or uncertaintyRemoteness
Fecundity
Purity Extent
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Consequentialism
Utilitarianism is consequentialist (based on
the results)
Kantian ethics is non-consequentialist or
deontological (duty-based)
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Two main types of Utilitarianism
Act or Classical Utilitarianism
Rule Utilitarianism
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Act or Classical Utilitarianism
(Bentham)
Three propositions:
1. Actions are to be judged right or wrongsolely in virtue of their consequences.
Nothing else matters. Right actions are,
simply, those that have the best
consequences.
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Act or Classical Utilitarianism
2. In assessing consequences, the onlything that matters is the amount of
happiness or unhappiness that is caused.
Everything else is irrelevant.
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Act or Classical Utilitarianism
3. In calculating the happiness orunhappiness, no ones happiness is
counted as more important than anyone
elses. Each persons welfare is equally
important.
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Rule Utilitarianism
(Mill)
John Stuart Mills amendment to
Benthams original theory
Apply utilitarian principles to formulate
moral code or rules for society.
Adopt rules which maximise happiness.
Dont need to judge every action.
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Act/Rule Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPp
kdyVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knCIPpkdyVE7/28/2019 4 Utilitarianism 13
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Nazi Human Experimentation
Malaria experiments
From 1942 to 1945, experiments were
conducted at Dachau concentration camp to
investigate immunization for treatment ofmalaria. Healthy inmates were infected by
mosquitoes. After contracting the disease, the
subjects were treated with various drugs to test
their relative efficiency. Over 1,000 people wereused in these experiments, and of those, more
than half died as a result.
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Similarities and Differences
KANTIAN ETHICS
Non-consequentialist
UTILITARIANISM
Consequentialist
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Similarities and Differences
KANTIAN ETHICS
Non-consequentialist
Human dignity
paramount
UTILITARIANISM
Consequentialist
Some people might
need to be sacrificedfor the general good
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Similarities and Differences
KANTIAN ETHICS
Non-consequentialist
Human dignity
paramount
People should never
be treated only as a
means to an end
UTILITARIANISM
Consequentialist
Some people might
need to be sacrificedfor the general good
Some people might
need to be sacrificedfor the general good
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Similarities and Differences
(continued)
KANTIAN ETHICS
Motive is most
important aspect of
ethical action
UTILITARIANISM
Result is most
important aspect of
ethical action
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Similarities and Differences
(continued)
KANTIAN ETHICS
Motive is most
important aspect of
ethical action We should act
according to universal
principles
UTILITARIANISM
Result is most
important aspect of
ethical action We should act
according to rules
(Rule-Utilitarianism)
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Similarities and Differences
(continued)
KANTIAN ETHICS
Motive is most
important aspect of
ethical action We should act
according to universal
laws
The most important
value is duty
UTILITARIANISM
Result is most
important aspect of
ethical action We should act
according to rules
(Rule Utilitarianism)
The most important
value is happiness
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Similarities and Differences
(continued)
KANTIAN ETHICS
Rules devised by
asking whether it canbe universalised(would you wanteveryone to follow
this rule in allcircumstances?)
UTILITARIANISM
Rules devised by
asking whether itwould bring about themaximisation ofhappiness (would this
bring the mosthappiness overall, butnot necessarily foreveryone?)
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Critiques of Utilitarianism
1. Is utilitarianism really workable?
Uncertainty about the results or outcomes
Comparing levels of happiness and
unhappiness difficult, if not impossible
Is the time involved, particularly with Act
Utilitarianism, realistic?
Seems to be an objective measure, but realitywould be inaccurate measurements.
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Critiques of Utilitarianism
(continued)
2. Are some actions wrong, even if they
produce good?
Under utilitarianism no action is unjust of itself
Some actions can be immoral and should not
be done (e.g. breaking promises, especially
deathbed promises)
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Critiques of Utilitarianism
(continued)
3. Is utilitarianism unjust?
Some people being sacrificed to achieve thegreatest good.
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Cost-Benefit
Philip Morris cigarette study in Czech:
While smoking may cost money in extra
health care, it would save the country millions
in pensions, aged health care, and give thegovernment more money through taxes:
The great good = more people smoking.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1442555.stm7/28/2019 4 Utilitarianism 13
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Peter Singer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_v
FWoCU&feature=related
Preference utilitarianism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Uz_vFWoCU&feature=related7/28/2019 4 Utilitarianism 13
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Justice: whats the right thing to
do? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-
8hEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY7/28/2019 4 Utilitarianism 13
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Conclusion
Utilitarianism: greatest good for the
greatest number, but there are problems.
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