Download Utilitarianism

Professional
Ethics
PHIL 3340
Today’s Topic
Utilitarianism
The Revolution In Ethics
Rachels notes that the late “18th and 19th centuries
witnessed an astonishing series of upheavals.” p.97
• French Revolution 1789-1799
• American Declaration of Independence 1776
• American Civil War 1861-1865
All the while the West was experiencing an industrial
revolution in manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation.
The Revolution In Ethics
David Hume
1711-1776
Scottish philosopher and historian.
Jeremy Bentham
1748-1842
English jurist and philosopher.
The Revolution In Ethics
John Stuart Mill
1806-1873
British philosopher and
economist.
Henry Sidgwick
1838-1900
English philosopher.
The Revolution In Ethics
Peter Singer
1946 - present
Australian Philosopher
What Morality Is
NOT About For Utilitarians
• The norms of one’s culture
• The commands of God
• The order of the universe as determined by God
• Individual self-interest
• Inflexible moral rules like “Never lie”.
• Or anything else except…..
The Principle of Utility
“By the Principle of Utility is meant that principle which
approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever,
according to the tendency which it appears to have to
augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose
interest is in question…”
Bentham - The Principles of Morals and Legislation
In other words, the ethical thing to do is to act in such a way
that one produces the greatest amount of happiness and
causes the least amount of pain possible.
The Principle of Utility
• It is important to emphasize that utilitarians
tend to
focus on aggregate happiness and not distribution.
• So consider two acts:
Action
Act 1
Act 2
# People Affected Utility Per Person
7
37
600
110
Total
4200
4070
• For the utilitarian, the first act would be the right act
since it promotes the most overall happiness or “utility”.
Utilitarianism & Social Reform
• The basic idea of utilitarianism might
seem obvious and not
very revolutionary; but the utilitarians were (and are) great
social reformers in such areas as:
• Racial equality
• Sexual equality
• Aiding the poor
• Animal welfare
• Utilitarianism is a simple sounding ethical principle with
radical consequences…
Example: Euthanasia
• Euthanasia is the intentional ending
of one’s life in
order to avoid pain and suffering. This might be
accomplished, for example, through doctor assisted
suicide.
• Under the Christian tradition the intentional killing
of innocent people is always wrong, and euthanasia
appears to violate this rule.
• But now consider the Sigmund Freud case on p.99
Example: Euthanasia
the Christian
• The utilitarian would, contrary to
tradition, support euthanasia in the Freud case. Note
however that Bentham thinks religion would endorse
the utilitarian view point - p. 101.
• And while the law in the US forbids euthanasia,
the utilitarian would argue that we have good reason
to change the laws.
• For the utilitarian, the purpose of the law is to
promote the general welfare of all citizens.
Example: Marijuana
• American’s first “drug czar” William
Bennett
declared that “The simple fact is that drug use is
wrong. And the moral argument, in the end, is the
most compelling argument.” (p.102)
• But why is using marijuana wrong? What is the
ethical reasoning or theory behind this view?
• And how would a utilitarian evaluate the issue of
marijuana use?
Utilitarianism and The Principle of
Rational Benevolence
The good of any one
individual is of no more
importance, from the point of
view of the Universe,
than the good of any other;
so that as a rational
being I am bound to aim at
good
generally -- so far
as
it is attainable by my
efforts
-- not merely at a
particular
part of it.
Henry Sidgwick 1838-1900
Example: Nonhuman Animals
Example: Nonhuman Animals
Example: Nonhuman Animals
1. Reason shows that in our moral deliberations
we must
give equal consideration to all interests.
2. If we give equal considerations to all interests, then we cannot exclude
people on the basis of what they are like or what abilities they possess.
3. If we cannot exclude people on the basis of what they
are like or what abilities they possess, then we cannot exclude beings
simply because they are not members of our species.
4. Therefore, it
follows that in our moral deliberations we must give
equal consideration
to the interests of non-human animals.
Example: Nonhuman Animals
Racists: violate the principle of rational
benevolence
(RB) by giving greater weight to the interests of
their own race.
Sexists: violate the principle of RB by giving
greater weight to the interests of their own gender.
Speciesists: violate
the principle
greater weight
to members of
of RB by giving
their own species.