UtilitarianismUtilitarianism

Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters; pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do …the standards of right and wrong”

Case: Intervention?Case: Intervention?

The morally relevant aspects: how will an intervention affect the suffering and utility of the peoples concerned?

 A possible reasoning: If one can estimate that the genocide and

oppression in the long run implies more suffering then an intervention will do in the short run and

If there is no other alternative that will imply less suffering

then, an intervention is justified 

What is right?Should I lie to save a person from a

difficult situation?Should I kill a person to relieve her from

severe suffering?Should I break a promise if this can help

someone in real trouble?

Consequentialism – Teleological Consequentialism – Teleological ethics (telos= goal)ethics (telos= goal)

Def.The goal/the consequences determines

the rightness of an action Consequences for whom? (myself? “My

country right or wrong?” …)What consequences? (fame, knowledge,

leisure, pleasure…)

Jeremy Bentham, 1748-1832Jeremy Bentham, 1748-1832

UtilitarianismUtilitarianism

DefinitionThe moral end to be sought is the

greatest possible balance of good over evil

The greatest pleasure for the greatest number of persons

““Actions are right in proportion as they tend to Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote the promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote the reverse of happiness” John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)reverse of happiness” John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

For whom?For whom?

”Everyone counts for one, nobody for more than one” (Bentham)

”The question is not Can they reason? nor

Can they talk? but Can they suffer?

What consequences?What consequences?

GoodPleasureHappiness = Hedonism: pleasure is the only intrinsic

value (value sought for itself)

Quantitative hedonism: Bentham’s felicific calculus:

It is possible to quantify the amount of pleasure and pain (intensity, duration…)

J S Mill: It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. The other party of the comparison knows both sides”

C1: Is pleasure all that counts?C1: Is pleasure all that counts?The pleasure machineThe pleasure machine

Suppose there was an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Superduper neuroscientists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, pre-programming your life’s experiences” (Nozick, 1974)

Preference utilitarianismPreference utilitarianism

The criterion of a right action is the amount of preferences satisfied

 What preferences? Interests Needs – what is good for a personCapabilities (Sen and Nussbaum) – what

makes a person prosper

ObjectionsObjections

C 2, Can we foresee the consequences?  C1C2 Utilitarian answer: this problem is common for all

morality C2C2 The problem with Act-utilitarianism Rule-utilitarianism should be preferred to Act-utilitarianism,

Def Rule – utilitarianism Act according to the rule that has the greatest utility

C3C2 Two levels of moral thinking (R M Hare) “The prole and the archangel”  Intuitive level - follow the rules and intuitions The critical level (with all information etc) – determine the

right action  

C 3 Should we always treat persons equal? (“Ones own children and other´s brats”)

C1C3 According to utilitarianism/universalism: the best consequences follows from a rule saying that everyone has special obligations

C2C3 Morality is demanding!www.thelifeyoucansave.com/

C 4 Can it be morally right to sacrifice a one or a few persons in the interest of the many?

Dostoevsky’s question