Lecture Notes: Ethics and Utilitarianism

Overview

• Topic: Continuation of ethics discussion, focusing on utilitarianism.
• Objective: Understand the basic features of utilitarianism as an ethical theory.

Utilitarianism

• Type: A consequentialist ethical theory.
• Definition: Determines the morality of an action based on its consequences.
• Key Idea: No action is inherently right or wrong; morality is determined by the outcomes.

Consequentialism vs. Non-consequentialism

• Consequentialism: Rightness or wrongness based on action's results.
  • Example: Hedonism
• Non-consequentialism: Rightness or wrongness based on principles or criteria unassociated with outcomes.
  • Example: Divine command theories

Historical Context

• Development: Utilitarianism evolved during the Industrial Revolution.
• Key Philosophers: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill.
• Roots: Hedonism, emphasizing happiness or pleasure as intrinsic value.

Hedonism

• Concept: The ultimate good is happiness or pleasure.
• Older Hedonism: Pursuit of a life free from distress (physical and mental), emphasizing virtues like honor, courage, justice, and prudence.

Principle of Utilitarianism

• Basic Motto: "Make the world a better place."
• Goal: Right action produces greatest happiness/welfare for the greatest number.
• Principles:
  • Principle of Utility/Greatest Happiness Principle: Guides morality in utilitarianism.

Attractiveness of Utilitarianism

• Impartiality: Everyone’s interests count equally.
• Conventional Moral Justification: Wrongness of actions like slavery, rape, and killing due to resulting misery.
• Conflict Resolution: Provides methodology for making difficult moral decisions.
• Moral Flexibility: Allows exceptions to moral prohibitions under certain circumstances.

Utilitarian Calculus

• Proposed by: Jeremy Bentham.
• Purpose: To determine if an action contributes to the greatest happiness.
• Method:
  • Series of questions to evaluate positives and negatives of an action.
  • Key question: How many people are affected?

John Stuart Mill's Contribution

• Agreement: Supported utilitarianism but emphasized quality over quantity of pleasure.
• Beliefs: Not all pleasures are equal; intellectual pleasures are superior.
  • Example: Opera vs. drunk at the bar.
• Quote: "Better to be a human dissatisfied than a pig satisfied."

Criticisms of Mill

• Elitism: Preference for intellectual pleasures over practical ones.
• Beyond Utilitarianism: Introduction of criteria/principles may conflict with core idea of consequences determining morality.

Conclusion

• Next Steps: Explore other points and criticisms of utilitarianism in the following lecture.