Chapter 7 – The Utilitarian Approach
7.1 The Revolution in Ethics
o 18th and 19th century:
o New ideas about ethics emerged
o Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) made an argument for a novel conception of
morality
o Morality is NOT about pleasing God or about being faithful to abstract
rules
o Morality is about making the world as happy as possible
o He believed in 1 ultimate moral principle = The Principle of Utility
o This principle requires us to produce the most happiness that we can,
in all circumstances
o Bentham was the leader of a group of philosophical radicals – aim was
to reform the laws and institutions of England according to utilitarian
lines
o John Stuart Mill (one of Bentham’s follower’s son’s) would become the
leading advocate of utilitarian moral theory
o To understand the Principle of Utility look at what it leaves out of morality:
o All references to God are now gone
o Morality is no longer conceived of as faithfulness to some divinely
given code or a set of rules
o Instead:
o The point of morality is the happiness of beings in the word, and we are
permitted/required to do whatever is necessary to promote that
happiness
o The Utilitarians were social reformers and philosophers
o Their doctrine was to make a difference in thought and in practice
o Implications of their ideas:
o Euthanasia
o Marijuana
o Treatment of non-human animals
1
7.1 The Revolution in Ethics
o 18th and 19th century:
o New ideas about ethics emerged
o Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) made an argument for a novel conception of
morality
o Morality is NOT about pleasing God or about being faithful to abstract
rules
o Morality is about making the world as happy as possible
o He believed in 1 ultimate moral principle = The Principle of Utility
o This principle requires us to produce the most happiness that we can,
in all circumstances
o Bentham was the leader of a group of philosophical radicals – aim was
to reform the laws and institutions of England according to utilitarian
lines
o John Stuart Mill (one of Bentham’s follower’s son’s) would become the
leading advocate of utilitarian moral theory
o To understand the Principle of Utility look at what it leaves out of morality:
o All references to God are now gone
o Morality is no longer conceived of as faithfulness to some divinely
given code or a set of rules
o Instead:
o The point of morality is the happiness of beings in the word, and we are
permitted/required to do whatever is necessary to promote that
happiness
o The Utilitarians were social reformers and philosophers
o Their doctrine was to make a difference in thought and in practice
o Implications of their ideas:
o Euthanasia
o Marijuana
o Treatment of non-human animals
1
