Utilitarianism

• Principle of Utility/ greatest happiness 


  The idea that the choice that brings about the greatest good for the greatest number is the right choice
• Hedonic Calculus 


  the system for calculating the amount of pain or pleasure generated
• Consequentialism

  ethical theories that see morality as driven by the consequences, rather than actions or character of those concerned
• Hedonistic

  pleasure-driven
• Quantitative

  focused on quantity
• Qualitative 


  focused on quality
• Act Utilitarianism

  weighs up what to do at each individual occasion
• Rule Utilitarianism

  weighs up what to do in principle in all occasions of a certain kind
• Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832):

  • founder of modern utilitarianism
  • philosopher, economist, jurist and legal reformer
  • concerned about social reform + situation of the masses
  • Defended hedonism
  • his body was preserved —> under his instructions
  • said that humanity was governed by two sovereign motives -> pain and pleasure
  • ’nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them to point out what we out to do’
• Overview:

  • teleological argument focused on the greatest good for the greatest number
  • proposed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
  • doesn’t focus on religion
  • being ethical is more than simply self-interest, its the interest of all
  • goodness and badness -> about ends
  • Hedonic Calculus -> balance
• Why does morality exist:

  • Morality is about producing good consequences not good intentions
  • bring the most benefit to all humanity
  • utilitarianism -> moralities purpose is to make the world a better place
• Hedonism:

  • hedonist -> someone who dedicates their life to the search of pleasure
  • Hedonists -> groups of ancient greeks who sought true pleasure which has no pain
• Jeremy Bentham‘s Utilitarianism: part 1

  • concerned about social reform + situation of the masses
  • pain and pleasures are our masters
  • we avoid pain to seek out to seek out pleasure
  • pursuit of happiness is the basic driver for human life
  • moral system —> grounded in this world -> basis for the Principle of Utility
  • pain + pleasure —> identify whether an action is good or bad
  • Hedonic Utilitarianism
  • pain = bad
  • pleasure = good
• Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism: The Principle of Utility

  • system of the law is needed -> given human motivation
  • utility is what moral behaviour should be looking to maximise
  • principle of utility is a theory for actions
  • once Bentham identified pleasure + pain as important qualities for identifying what is moral ==> principle of utility
  • uses human instinct to seek pleasure but applies a democratic principle
  • must consider the community
  • rightness/wrongness of an action is judged by its usefulness/utility to produce pleasure -> most happiness = most moral
• It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong 


  Jeremy Bentham
• Jeremy Bentham Utilitarianism: goodness is relative to the results

  • utilitarianism is Teleological
  • relativist ethical theory -> don’t promote fixed/set rules
  • might be based on personal views
  • looks at the situation -> produce the greatest balance of happiness
• Jeremy Bentham Utilitarianism: Hedonic Calculus

  • utilitarianism doesn’t promote a list of rules, offers a process of weighing up alternatives
  • Calculates the balance of pleasure + well being vs pain/evil
  • Individual benefit is NOT enough
  • measures the quantity of pain + pleasure in any suggest individual act or law
  • laws should be focused on the greatest good of the people
  • controversial
  • happiness is the morally correct one to pursue
• Hedonic Calculus:

  1. How strong the pleasure is.
  2. How long the pleasure lasts.
  3. How likely it is that the pleasure will occur.
  4. How far away in time the pleasure will occur.
  5. The likelihood that the pleasure will lead to further pleasure.
  6. The likelihood that the pleasure will be followed by pain.
  7. How many people are affected.
• Jeremy Bentham Utilitarianism: Act Utilitarianism

  • taking each individual action that any person faces
  • maintains that the Principle of Utility varies from act to act
  • individualistic, responsive to the particular situation
  • dynamic + immediate quality
  • each situation should be taken on its own terms
  • maximise greatest utility
  • “actions taken by the individual regardless of the effect on themselves (take one for the team)
• John Stuart Mill (1806-1873):

  • English philosopher and liberal politician (MP) in 1865, economist and exponent of utilitarianism
  • student of Bentham and son of his friend
  • expanded upon the work of Jeremy Bentham
  • believed in higher and lower pleasures
  • he investigated these pleasures and pains noting that many were disgusted at the suggestion that morality stemmed from base pleasures
  • he also started the idea of Rule Utilitarianism
  • popularised utilitarianism, shouldn’t chose lower pleasures, protection of rights of all
  • ‘better to be a human dis then a pig satisfied’
• John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism: Pleasures

  • high pleasures = pleasures of the mind. Intellectual pleasures e.g. learning, opera, friendships, reading
  • low pleasures (base pleasures) = pleasures of the body e.g. sex, food, drink, resting —> sensual pleasures
  • higher pleasures are more valuable than base pleasures
  • higher pleasures can’t be traded with another pleasure
• John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism: the quality of happiness in the utility principle

  • quality of pleasure should also be calculated
  • lower pleasures provide powerful gratification but if we overindulge, they bring pain
  • higher pleasures bring more happiness than lower pleasures
  • Bentham claimed that all pleasures were equal -> Mill disagreed this
  • some pleasures are higher qualities than others
  • we should focus more on happiness and less on pleasure
  • utilitarian morality does recognise in human beings the possibility that we can act for the good of others
• Mill’s idea that their are two types of pleasures can be seen as highly elitist -> only higher pleasures are accessible to those of a higher intelligence
• John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism: Rule Utilitarianism

  • focused on establishing the common good series of rules —> maximise the greatest good
  • practical and simplified
  • he said that individual and momentary pleasure should be sacrificed for the community
  • we need some pain for the greater good of society
  • the principle of utility is seen as the first principle
  • mill claimed that happiness was much too complex so not every action could be compared with the principle of Utility
  • secondary principles -> generic rules that help us
• John Stuart Mill Utilitarianism: Rule Utilitarianism CONTINUED

  • Harm principle -> a person is free to do what they want as long as it doesn’t cause harm to another person -> Mill argued that each individual is in the best position to make themselves happy —> happier society
  • Mill isn’t a full rule utilitarianist —> he is a mixture of the 2
  • sometimes secondary principles do clash —> harm may be needed for the greater good -> telling lies
  • qualitative and quantitative approaches
  • provides guide
• What should we do when we see a red light:

  Rule -> always stop at a red light, there for the greater good, stops collisions and lets other traffic go

  Act -> stop in theory, if it is safe to go then you can go through
• Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism strengths:

  • it has a method in application -> hedonic calculus
  • morally academic approach for the faired result -> promote well being of the greatest number
  • doesn’t require religious beliefs
  • simple + straightforward
  • how it play out in real world
  • natural to weigh up consequences
  • common sense
  • doesn’t favour
  • flexible
  • legal maxim
• Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism weaknesses:

  • it allows for lying in certain situations, undermining the democratic intention of utilitarianism
  • the hedonic calculus can be used to make immoral laws
  • is pleasure, goodness or well being the right gauge for morality
  • future predictions may not be correct
• Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism strengths:

  • doesn’t rely on religion
  • encourages democracy
  • supports Jesus’ call to treat others as you would have them treat you
  • rules are more objective + can be referred to
  • avoids pursuing personal pleasure
  • overcomes W.D.Ross objection
• Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism Weaknesses:

  • abandons the situational isn’t appeal of the theory
  • turned into an elitist theory
  • could still be used to defend bad actions -> John Rawls
  • in practice hard to distinguish between lower and higher pleasures
  • W.D.Ross -> life is too complex due to prima facile duties