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37 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Fundamentals of Utility Calculus
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1. Each person affected by an action counts as 1
2. Pleasure is quantifiable and exchangeable. The best action is the one which produces the greatest sum of pleasure. |
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Law of Diminishing Return
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Bill Gates gets less pleasure than a starving homeless person from $10.
The more you get the less payback you get. This avoids Utility Monsters that get all the pleasure. |
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2 Major problems with Utilitarianism
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1. Don't have access to the pain/pleasure of others in measuring whether our actions maximize utility.
2. We can't predict the longterm utility of our actions - we're not psychics. |
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How does pure utilitarianism look at pleasure re: rape, comm. service, or eating?
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They are all equal pleasure. Pleasure is pleasure.
If an action produces ANY pleasure at all, it counts in favor of the action as being moral. |
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What is the best thing for:
Aristotle Kant Mill |
Arist: Happiness/flourishing.
Kant: the rational being itself. Mill: Pleasure |
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utilitarianism IS NOT:
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it is not opposed to pleasure - spicy, not dry!
it is not pleasure in its coarsest form. it's modest, not voluptuous! |
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GREATEST HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE of utility:
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Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness. Wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.
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Happiness is:
Unhappiness is: |
pleasure and the absence of pain.
pain and the privation of pleasure. |
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3 distinct def. of happiness by
arist kant mill |
arist: virtuous activity in acc. w/ reason and if >1, best/most complete.
kant: complete well being and contement with one's circumstances. mill: pleasure and the absence of pain. |
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Only thing desirable as an ultimate end for Mill:
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pleasure.
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1st Objection to Utilitarianism:
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To say that the only ult. end of life is pleasure is to say that humans are pigs.
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Response to Obj. 1 (swines)
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this assumes that humans are only capable of swine's pleasure. (sensual)
There are different pleasures. higher-lower |
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Higher pleasures
why? |
intellectual pleasures.
Tests: 1. Higher pleasures last longer, cost less, safer. 2. Competent individuals acquainted w/ both hi/lo prefer higher. |
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intellectual pleasures
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Pleasures of the
Intellect Feelings and imaginations moral sentiments. |
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How mill proves the superiority of the higher pleasures
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Everyone who knows both hi/lo pleasures prefers higher.
The preference of the lo-pleasure doers doesn't count because they are incapable of the hi pleasures. |
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Objection 2:
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No one can be happy
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response to obj. 2
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1. if that's true, they could be less unhappy.
2. it IS possible to be happy ABC |
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Response 2A to object. 2
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in a tolerable life there are 2 main sources of unhappiness and both can be eliminated:
ignorance selfishness Everyone has access to friends and education. |
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Response 2B to obj. 2
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The main afflicitons in the world can be removedby proper social planning.
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Positive ills in the world:
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Poverty
Disease Death of loved ones. |
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Response 2C to objection 2
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there are 3 basic life plans by which we might be happy:
-Tranquil -Intermittent tranquil/excitement -Excitement |
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objection 3:
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The standard of utility is too high. AB
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objection 3A:
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the standard of util. is too high
it expects us to act only from the motivation of inreasing utility. |
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response 3A:
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the standard of utility has nothing to do with the motive of the action; you can be motivated by pure duty, selfish inclinations, or whatever. all that matters in making it moral is if the result is increased utility.
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objection 3B
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the standard of utility is too high - it expects us to use all our resources to increase utility. can never buy a pizza, always have to donate to OXFAM.
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response 3B:
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it's too high? what makes you think it's too high you self-centered consumer you?
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Objection 4
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The utilitarian doctrine is Godless; it only says act to increase utility; not act in accordance with God.
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Response 4A
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The utilitarian doctrine is different from what God wants?
-that depends on what you think God wants. If he's benevolent and wants us to be happy, then God is util. himself. |
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Response 4B
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Util. doctrine does not follow the Bible?
God is smart; his rules promote utility so you can follow both. He says don't commit adultery, and this promotes utility. |
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objection 5
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utilitarianism is another name for expediencey; that which is expedient for the particular interest of the agent himself.
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response to obj. 5
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immoral actions may be momentarily expedient, but the practice of lying is a long-term disutility.
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sanctions that apply to utility
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just the same as any other ethical theory:
-external -internal |
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external sanctions
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-hope of favor and fear of displeasure from fellow creatures or the Ruler of the universe.
-our inclination to do His will because we love him, and we we have sympathy/affection for others. EXTERNAL SANCTIONS ENFORCE UTILITARIAN MORALITY |
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internal sanction:
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our conscience.
duty is obligatory from any external source; we must act from respect for the moral law (incidently the same as Kant's grounding for the princ. of morality) |
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3 points used to disprove Arist, and prove that pls is the only ultimate end.
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1. Pleasure is desirable as an end.
2. Pleasure is the only desirble end. 3. The desire for pleas. entails morality. |
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How Mill uses point 1 to disprove Arist:
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1. Pleasure is desirable as an end.
-All else equal, we'd rather have pleasure than not. |
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How Mill uses point 3 to disprove Arist:
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3. the desire for pls entails morality:
I want hap; you want hap; therefore we want hap. What if hap conflicts? -Don't be selfish; then they won't. |
