Utilitarianism

What is the principle of utility?

Whenever we have a choice between alternative actions or social policies (moral decisions), we must choose the one that will result in the best overall consequences for everyone to whom the matter concerns.

What is hedonism?

The belief that happiness is the one ultimate good (and unhappiness the one ultimate evil).

What are utilitarian actions solely based on?

The consequences of the action and whether or not they bring about happiness or pain.

What mode of happiness did Bentham favour with respect to utilitarianism?

The greatest aggregate happiness among a population. Thus, the "number" of individuals is irrelevant.

What would a contemporary utilitarian's response to the objection that "Happiness is not the only thing that matters" be?

Fictitious examples don't count. Thus, scenarios where violating people's rights, breaking promises and lying can all ultimately have bad consequences for the proponent. Thus, utilitarianism explains why we shouldn't do these things, rather than why we should.

What would a utilitarian's take on treatment of non-human animals be?

According to utilitarianism, if an is individual capable of suffering, we have a duty to consider their welfare when making moral decisions, even if the individual is not human. Note that this does not mean we should necessarily treat them the same way.

What is act-utilitarianism?

An act is morally right if, of all possible acts available to a person at the time, it is the act which leads to the most well-being overall (classical utilitarianism).

What is rule-utilitarianism?

An act is right if it conforms to rules the general compliance with which would lead to the most well-being over all.

What is the difference between Bentham and Mill's perspectives of utilitarianism?

Bentham: only quantity matters (Greatest aggregate happiness) Mill: quality of pleasure matters too (higher vs lower pleasures).

What would Mills response to the objection that "Utilitarianism reduces morality to a mindless search for pleasure" be?

Bestial pleasure is not the same thing as a human being's conception of happiness.

Would classical utilitarians support or discourage euthanasia?

Classical utilitarianism would support euthanasia. This is because is supports the concept of minimizing pain and maximizing utility.

According to Mill, how the value of two pleasures be compared?

Competent judge approach: the pleasure to which all or most who have experienced both pleasures prefer, irrespective of moral obligation.

How does the value of different individuals' happiness compare in utilitarian calculus?

Everyone's happiness counts equally (impartiality).

Why is complete impartiality, as required by utilitarianism, unreasonable?

It requires the disruption of personal relationships, despite that human beings are deeply partial to friends and family.

Why might utilitarianism be considered to be "too demanding"?

It would require that we always be considering the welfare of others, even at our own expense. As such, one should never spend money on luxuries given that someone somewhere could use that money for food.

What are three things that are noted to also be important as opposed to the hedonistic principle of happiness being the sole good?

Justice/fairness Personal rights Backward-looking reasons

What is a common utilitarian reply to the objection that classical utilitarianism is at odds with common sense notions of justice, rights, etc.

Moral common sense is not necessarily reliable.

What would Mills response to the objection that "To expect that we act always for the benefit of society asks too much" be?

Morality requires that we maximize utility. The motives for which an individual acts are thus not important or considered.

What is the greatest happiness principle?

One should act so as to bring about an existence as free as possible from pain and as rich as possible in enjoyments.

What is the ultimate moral principle with respect to utilitarianism?

The principle of utility

What would a contemporary utilitarian's response to the objection that "Consequences are not all that matters" be?

The principle of utility is a guide for choosing rules, not acts.

What do contemporary utilitarians have to say about hedonism?

They argue that hedonism is not a necessary component of utilitarianism. Rather, they provide a finite list of human good and say that right actions are those which have the best results. Thus, they equate goodness with preferences.

What are the 6 most common objections against utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism reduces morality to a mindless search for pleasure To expect that we act always for the benefit of society asks too much There is not enough time to perform the utilitarian calculus. Happiness is not the only thing that matters Consequences are not all that matters To be equally concerned for everyone would be too demanding and would require that we abandon special relationships with friends and family.

What would Mills response to the objection that "There is not enough time to perform the utilitarian calculus" be?

We already know which actions will maximize aggregate utility.