Summary Utilitarianism OCR A level religious studies notes

UTILITARIANISM
Precept- a general rule designed to regulate behaviour or thought.
Utilitarianism- doctrine that one should always seek the greatest balance of good
over evil.
Hedonism- view that the good is pleasure, and nothing else is the good.
Utility- usefulness

Teleological theory → goal is the moral good

ACT UTILITARIANISM BENTHAM
“Create all the happiness you are able to create: remove all the misery you
are able to remove”

“Greatest happiness for the greatest number which is the measure of right
and wrong”
 Believed that humans were psychological hedonists ( we seek our own
pleasure)
 There is a problem with the idea - how does one measure GOODNESS?
 Bentham says that GOOD= PLEASURE (problem u cant have bad
pleasure)
 There was no differentiation of pleasure all seen the same
 Bentham turns to the HEDONIC CALCULUS
 DURATION
 INTENSITY
 CERTAINTY
 FECUNDITY ( how probable is the pleasure)
 EXTENT
 PROPINQUITY (how soon will it happen)
 PURITY ( how unlikely the cause of pain is)

We should determine the goodness on a case by case basis.(hedonic calc).

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

 Democratic- everyone's pleasure is  It is difficult to predict
seen in the same way consequences
 Selfless-we should disregard our own  People don't have the time or
preferences and act in a way that info to make calculation (e.g.
benefits society. kids)
 Consequentialist- you won't get into a  You have to distinguish
situ where ur ethics force you to make different pleasure
negative decision.


CRITICISMS

JOHN RAWLS


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