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Utilitarianism - Coggle Diagram
Utilitarianism
Strengths of Rule UT
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emphasises happiness
common sense to many enthesis - recognises importance of consequences in moral decision & responsibility
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Weaknesses of Rule UT
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'you don't want to be a slave but you b happier if you are, so i'll enslave you'
what if id rather be unhappy but have power over my own life - is 'id rather be free' always code for 'being free would make me happier'
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sex as a lower pleasure
it is a pleasure of the body BUT surly sex in a committed loving relationship is a spiritual pleasure
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Weaknesses of Act UT
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its self-contradictory
UT doesn't privilege any values (e.g. the truth, dignity) but doe privilege value of pleasure - doesn't justify itself
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Strengths of Act UT
its democratic
each persons pleasure counts for the same as another's - no snobbishness about what counts are pleasure (Egalitarian)
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Practical
morality is linked to happiness, we are motivated by pleasure & consequences - happiness is universal good basis for ethics
Universal
non-religious theory - anybody can be moral regardless if they're religious or not / you don't need to be religious to be a good person
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Jeremy Bentham & Act UT
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act UT - you tally the consequences of each action you perform & determine on a case by case basis whether its morally right or wrong seeking the most happiness for the most people
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Hedonic Calculus
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for each action & possibility you need to calculate all 7 criteria to work out which is the best choice
Bentham believed its important to reduce the amount of pain 1st then look at pleasure - but if an action involves a small amount of pain for large amounts of pleasure its better than an action that leads to lots of pain & little pleasure
Higher & Lower pleasures
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intellectual, cultural, spiritual pleasures are higher than than the lower bodily & physical pleasures
a competent judge
someone who has experienced both in a full measure - would be able to tell is to pursue intellectual, etc pleasures as they are of better quality
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G.E. Moore & Ideal UT
concerned with maximising good - BUT is not only concerned with pleasure or happiness but other intrinsic goods as well e.g. beauty or knowledge
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denies that the sole object of moral concern is hedonism (maximising pleasure & happiness) there are other morally significant consequences
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weaknesses
much disagreement about what is recognised as good or bad - Moore would like to move away from simple notions of pleasure & pain but his isn't aby clearer
about Utilitarianism
is about how to work out the most 'useful' action, yielding the most useful result.
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so, about maximising happiness by dong the ost useful action
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J.S. Mill & Rule UT
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we shouldn't try & calculate pleasure vs pain for vey action - developed a system of rules based on PofU
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Induvial rights
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didn't desert the PofU BUT argues that the ultimate happiness of society at large is served y having a just society
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Mills Harm principle
'the purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community against his will is to prevent harm to others'
Negative UT
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a world with little happiness but no unhappiness would be better than a world where some are very happy & some are very unhappy
strengths
there are some ways it seems more intuitively moral e.g. a millionaire leaving his fortune to 1 poor severely ill person or 1000s of moderately happy people
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weaknesses
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suffering can produce goods such as a change in character, greater appreciation for life, compassion & care for others
Principle of Utility
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happiness is the 'sovereign good' understood in terms of pleasure which we can calculate by the Hedonic calculus
Conc of Act UT
whilst Act UT is a good moral principle in theory it doesn't translate well to actual usage & doesn't function
has some very good & useful strengths that would make this a very good theory if/once the problems with it have been ironed out
Strong vs Weak Rule UT
Strong Rule UT
even if it seems in a particular situation greater good would be served by ignoring or breaking established rule don't
justification - if everyone went around ignoring & breaking rules when deciding to, the greater good might not be served
Weak Rule UT
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justification - the rules are based on the PofU, it they clearly aren't serving the rule in a particular situation there's no reason to follow it
a moral framework
Mill argues that a behavioural code or rules is morally right if the consequences of adopting it are more favourable than unfavourable to everyone
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