Utilitarianism Summary
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
● Utilitarianism looks to create the greatest good for the greatest number
● Applies principle of utility to moral problems
Utility= Usefulness of the results of actions
Jeremy Bentham and Act Utilitarianism
● Concerned with social and legal reform
● Believed in equality
● Invented the Hedonic Calculus
● Hedonic Calculus determines the amount of pleasure caused by an act
● An act is moral if it brings the greatest amount of pleasure and the least
amount of pain
Hedonic Calculus
● Purity -> how free from pain is the act?
● Remoteness -> how near is it?
● Richness -> to what extent will it lead to other pleasures?
● Intensity -> how powerful is it?
● Certainty -> how likely is it to result in pleasure?
● Extent -> how many people does it affect?
● Duration -> how long will it last?
John Stuart Mill and Rule Utilitarianism
● Looked at the difference between pleasures
Lower Pleasures= drinking, sex, eating and rest
Higher Pleasures= Intellectual, aesthetic , social enjoyment and spirituality
Act Utilitarianism Rule Utilitarianism
● Driven by balance of good and ● More focused on establishing
evil a common good
● No rules ● Rules to maximise greatest
● Based on individuals good
● Takes human drive seriously ● qualitative/quantitative
● Sometimes lying may be okay approach to well-being
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
● Utilitarianism looks to create the greatest good for the greatest number
● Applies principle of utility to moral problems
Utility= Usefulness of the results of actions
Jeremy Bentham and Act Utilitarianism
● Concerned with social and legal reform
● Believed in equality
● Invented the Hedonic Calculus
● Hedonic Calculus determines the amount of pleasure caused by an act
● An act is moral if it brings the greatest amount of pleasure and the least
amount of pain
Hedonic Calculus
● Purity -> how free from pain is the act?
● Remoteness -> how near is it?
● Richness -> to what extent will it lead to other pleasures?
● Intensity -> how powerful is it?
● Certainty -> how likely is it to result in pleasure?
● Extent -> how many people does it affect?
● Duration -> how long will it last?
John Stuart Mill and Rule Utilitarianism
● Looked at the difference between pleasures
Lower Pleasures= drinking, sex, eating and rest
Higher Pleasures= Intellectual, aesthetic , social enjoyment and spirituality
Act Utilitarianism Rule Utilitarianism
● Driven by balance of good and ● More focused on establishing
evil a common good
● No rules ● Rules to maximise greatest
● Based on individuals good
● Takes human drive seriously ● qualitative/quantitative
● Sometimes lying may be okay approach to well-being
