Fundamental_Tenets_of_Utilitarianism

Basic Insights of Utilitarianism The purpose of morality is to make the world a better place. Morality is about producing good consequences, not having good intentions We should do whatever will bring the most benefit (i.e., intrinsic value) to all of humanity. The Purpose of Morality The utilitarian has a very simple answer to the question of why morality exists at all: {text:list-item} Consequently, the emphasis in utilitarianism is on consequences, not intentions. Fundamental Imperative The fundamental imperative of utilitarianism is: Always act in the way that will produce the greatest overall amount of good in the world. {text:list-item} The Emphasis on the Overall Good We often speak of “utilitarian” solutions in a disparaging tone, but in fact utilitarianism is a demanding moral position that often asks us to put aside self-interest for the sake of the whole. Utilitarianism is a morally demanding position for two reasons: {text:list-item} {text:list-item} The Dream of Utilitarianism: Bringing Scientific Certainty to Ethics Utilitarianism offers us a powerful vision of the moral life, one that promises to reduce or eliminate moral disagreement. {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Standards of Utility: A History of Utilitarianism Intrinsic Value Many things have instrumental value, that is, they have value as means to an end. However, there must be some things which are not merely instrumental, but have value in themselves. This is what we call intrinsic value. What has intrinsic value' Four principal candidates: {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Bentham believed that we should try to increase the overall amount of pleasure in the world. Pleasure Definition: The enjoyable feeling we experience when a state of deprivation is replaced by fulfillment. Bentham’s godson. He believed that happiness, not pleasure, should be the standard of utility. Happiness Ideal Values G. E. Moore suggested that we should strive to maximize ideal values such as freedom, knowledge, justice, and beauty. The world may not be a better place with more pleasure in it, but it certainly will be a better place with more freedom, more knowledge, more justice, and more beauty. Moore’s candidates for intrinsic good remain difficult to quantify. Preferences Kenneth Arrow, a Nobel Prize winning Stanford economist, argued that what has intrinsic value is preference satisfaction. The advantage of Arrow’s approach is that, in effect, it lets people choose for themselves what has intrinsic value. {text:list-item} The Utilitarian Calculus Math and ethics finally merge: all consequences must be measured and weighed. Units of measurement: {text:list-item} {text:list-item} What do we calculate' Hedons/dolors may be defined in terms of {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} How much can we quantify' Pleasure and preference satisfaction are easier to quantify than happiness or ideals Two distinct issues: {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} “…the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” Utilitarianism doesn’t always have a cold and calculating face—we perform utilitarian calculations in everyday life. Act and Rule Utilitarianism The Continuing Dispute Criticisms of Utilitarianism Responsibility Utilitarianism suggests that we are responsible for all the consequences of our choices. The problem is that sometimes we can foresee consequences of other people’s actions that are taken in response to our own acts. Are we responsible for those actions, even though we don’t choose them or approve of them' Integrity Utilitarianism often demands that we put aside self-interest. Sometimes this means putting aside our own moral convictions. Integrity may involve certain identity-conferring commitments, such that the violation of those commitments entails a violation of who we are at our core. Intentions Utilitarianism is concerned almost exclusively about consequences, not intentions. {text:list-item} Intentions may matter is morally assessing an agent, even if they don’t matter in terms of guiding action. Moral Luck By concentrating exclusively on consequences, utilitarianism makes the moral worth of our actions a matter of luck. We must await the final consequences before we find out if our action was good or bad. This seems to make the moral life a matter of chance, which runs counter to our basic moral intuitions. {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Who does the calculating' Historically, this was an issue for the British in India. The British felt they wanted to do what was best for India, but that they were the ones to judge what that was. Typically, the count differs depending on who does the counting. Who is included' When we consider the issue of consequences, we must ask who is included within that circle. {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Classical utilitarianism has often claimed that we should acknowledge the pain and suffering of animals and not restrict the calculus just to human beings. Concluding Assessment Utilitarianism is most appropriate for policy decisions, as long as a strong notion of fundamental human rights guarantees that it will not violate rights of small minorities.