Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory which can be simply outlined as “the
greatest good for the greatest number.”
It claims that the consequences of an action are what constitutes to it being either
morally right or wrong with these relevant consequences being pain and pleasure.
Generally speaking, utilitarian theories look to minimise pain and maximise pleasure.
Whereby act utilitarianism pertains to the idea that we should act to maximise
pleasure and minimise pain in each specific instance, rule utilitarianism pertains we
should follow general rules that maximise pleasure and minimise pain and
preference utilitarianism pertaining that we should act to maximise
people’s preferences.
Despite its initial intuitive appeal, utilitarianism fails to serve as an adamantly strong
normative ethical theory.
Bentham act utilitarianism (quantitative act utilitarianism)
Identifies that every action should produce the greatest good in order to produce the
greatest utility/happiness/good for every individual involved in it.
Utility is understood in hedonistic terms as the balance of pleasure
(happiness/utility/good) over pain
Various philosophical scholars interpret this word ‘good’ differently with early
ideologies from Jeremy Bentham (his hedonistic theories) pertaining to the idea that
good relates to an action which brings solely pleasure and its pursuit (hedonism).
“Nature has placed mankind 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, as well as to determine what we shall do.
The two aspects of Bentham’s theory are psychological hedonism and ethical
hedonism
Psychological hedonism is the viewpoint that humans are psychologically
constructed in such a way that we exclusively desire pleasure as opposed to pain
Ethical hedonism is the view that our fundamental moral obligation is to maximize
pleasure or happiness
, The Felicific Calculus
Bentham devised a method by which the pleasure and utility generated by a
particular action could be measured, known as his Felicific Calculus.
The Felicific Calculus uses several variables including intensity, duration, certainty,
propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent to decide whether it is the optimal action.
This can only be achieved successfully if no one’s pleasure is greater than anyone
else’s and pleasure is equal everywhere (egalitarianism) combined with the basis
that everybody involved in an action is to count for one person, and nobody for
more than one (democratism).
Here we can see that Bentham’s Felicific calculus can be interpreted as quantitative
since he deems an action to be only morally correct if the maximum amount of
pleasure minus the lowest quantity of pain is achieved, the two ‘sovereign masters’
of humanity.
Act utilitarianism possesses an intuitive appeal through psychological and ethical
hedonism, the following arguments will explain why it is limited in its ability to serve
as a strong normative, ethical theory.
John Stuart Mill’s qualitative act utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill outlines the lack of Bentham’s qualitative element to his algorithm
of quantifying happiness.
J.S. Mill labelled it as a "doctrine worthy only of swine” in that it reduces the value of
human life to the same simple pleasures felt by animals, specifically due to the
egalitarian nature of Bentham's theory whereby all pleasures are equal.
By stating that it "is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied," Mill
argues that it is preferable to be a dissatisfied human engaged in intellectual and
moral pursuits than a contented pig seeking only physical pleasures.
Consequently, Mill combatted this by distinguishing a difference between higher and
lower pleasures. Higher pleasures were gained from mental activity such as poetry,
reading or philosophy, whereas lower pleasures were gained from bodily activity like
food, sex, or drugs.
Mill argues that people who have experienced the higher pleasures of thought,
feeling, and imagination always prefer them to the lower pleasures of the body or
senses and that these such people are ‘competent judges’ who are the people best
qualified to assess a pleasure’s quality since they have experienced all levels of
pleasure.
Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory which can be simply outlined as “the
greatest good for the greatest number.”
It claims that the consequences of an action are what constitutes to it being either
morally right or wrong with these relevant consequences being pain and pleasure.
Generally speaking, utilitarian theories look to minimise pain and maximise pleasure.
Whereby act utilitarianism pertains to the idea that we should act to maximise
pleasure and minimise pain in each specific instance, rule utilitarianism pertains we
should follow general rules that maximise pleasure and minimise pain and
preference utilitarianism pertaining that we should act to maximise
people’s preferences.
Despite its initial intuitive appeal, utilitarianism fails to serve as an adamantly strong
normative ethical theory.
Bentham act utilitarianism (quantitative act utilitarianism)
Identifies that every action should produce the greatest good in order to produce the
greatest utility/happiness/good for every individual involved in it.
Utility is understood in hedonistic terms as the balance of pleasure
(happiness/utility/good) over pain
Various philosophical scholars interpret this word ‘good’ differently with early
ideologies from Jeremy Bentham (his hedonistic theories) pertaining to the idea that
good relates to an action which brings solely pleasure and its pursuit (hedonism).
“Nature has placed mankind 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, as well as to determine what we shall do.
The two aspects of Bentham’s theory are psychological hedonism and ethical
hedonism
Psychological hedonism is the viewpoint that humans are psychologically
constructed in such a way that we exclusively desire pleasure as opposed to pain
Ethical hedonism is the view that our fundamental moral obligation is to maximize
pleasure or happiness
, The Felicific Calculus
Bentham devised a method by which the pleasure and utility generated by a
particular action could be measured, known as his Felicific Calculus.
The Felicific Calculus uses several variables including intensity, duration, certainty,
propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent to decide whether it is the optimal action.
This can only be achieved successfully if no one’s pleasure is greater than anyone
else’s and pleasure is equal everywhere (egalitarianism) combined with the basis
that everybody involved in an action is to count for one person, and nobody for
more than one (democratism).
Here we can see that Bentham’s Felicific calculus can be interpreted as quantitative
since he deems an action to be only morally correct if the maximum amount of
pleasure minus the lowest quantity of pain is achieved, the two ‘sovereign masters’
of humanity.
Act utilitarianism possesses an intuitive appeal through psychological and ethical
hedonism, the following arguments will explain why it is limited in its ability to serve
as a strong normative, ethical theory.
John Stuart Mill’s qualitative act utilitarianism
John Stuart Mill outlines the lack of Bentham’s qualitative element to his algorithm
of quantifying happiness.
J.S. Mill labelled it as a "doctrine worthy only of swine” in that it reduces the value of
human life to the same simple pleasures felt by animals, specifically due to the
egalitarian nature of Bentham's theory whereby all pleasures are equal.
By stating that it "is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied," Mill
argues that it is preferable to be a dissatisfied human engaged in intellectual and
moral pursuits than a contented pig seeking only physical pleasures.
Consequently, Mill combatted this by distinguishing a difference between higher and
lower pleasures. Higher pleasures were gained from mental activity such as poetry,
reading or philosophy, whereas lower pleasures were gained from bodily activity like
food, sex, or drugs.
Mill argues that people who have experienced the higher pleasures of thought,
feeling, and imagination always prefer them to the lower pleasures of the body or
senses and that these such people are ‘competent judges’ who are the people best
qualified to assess a pleasure’s quality since they have experienced all levels of
pleasure.
