bentham's act utilitarianism

May 1, 2023 philosophicalinvestigations.co.uk

UtilitarianismBentham’s Act Utilitarianism


Questions asked of any moral theory• Derivation: How is the value or norm (idea

of goodness) derived?• Application: How easy is the norm to

apply to real world situations?• Realism: How realistic is the theory in its

view of human nature?• Motivation: How does this theory answer

the question: why should I be moral?

Acronym D.A.R.M learn and apply to any theory


Learning Objectives:-

1. To understand the ‘greatest happiness principle’.

2. To understand the similarities and differences between Bentham and Mill.

3. Understand the distinction between Act and Rule Utilitarianism.

4. Discuss how appropriate these labels are for Bentham and Mill.

5. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Utilitarianism.


Lesson aims

• To understand the principle of utility.• To be able to explain the significance

of the hedonic calculus.• To be confident applying Jeremy

Bentham’s utilitarianism theory.• To understand what ‘Act

Utilitarianism’ means.


Utilitarianism: a brief introduction

• A teleological theory. But, what does this mean?

• Teleological theories look at the consequences- the results of an action- to decide whether it is right or wrong.

• Consequentialist theory- someone who decides whether an action is good or bad by its consequences.


Three possibilitiesUtilitarianism

Act Utilitarianism Rule Utilitarianism Preference Utilitarianism

•Jeremy Bentham•Hedonistic (pleasure based)•Focus on actions

•J.S.Mill•Rules create the greatest happiness

•Peter Singer•Maximise people’s first choices


Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)• He was concerned with

social and legal reform & he wanted to develop an ethical theory which established whether something was good or bad according to its benefit for the majority of people.

• He called this the principle of utility.

• Utility = the usefulness of the results of actions.


Bentham: main points• Bentham equated happiness with pleasure and the

absence of pain. • This was an empirical observation - people desire

pleasure and seek to avoid pain. • His scientific mind led him to believe that the study

of ethics could be undertaken in a practical way, carefully measuring the possible consequences or outcomes of an action before deciding which choice to take.

• Bentham’s theories led to extensive social reform affecting Parliament, criminal law, the jury system, prisons, savings banks, and cheap postage.

• Bentham believed in equality: all people “to count as one and no-one as more than one” when making laws. His hedonic calculus was especially helpful in determining how to measure different amounts of pleasure.


Principle of Utility: deriving the norm

Often expressed as

“the greatest good of the greatest number”

Good = happiness or pleasure. So, an act is right or wrong according to the good or bad results that results from the act and the good act is the most

pleasurable.

Quantitative= focuses on the greatest number.


Principle of Utility: applying the norm• The theory is based on ancient hedonism

(pleasure seeking), which pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical pain.

• Moral acts= maximise pleasure/ minimise pain utilitarian calculus.

• So, an act = moral, if it brings the greatest amount of pleasure and least pain.

• Problem: suppose I think pain is good and pleasure bad, like the Puritans or Da Vinci Code flagellant?


Bentham: applying the norm contd• The principle of utility aims to promote

happiness which is the supreme ethical value.

“Nature has placed us under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.”

An act is ‘right’ if it delivers more pleasure than pain and ‘wrong’ if it brings about more pain than pleasure.

• Simple equation Happiness = pleasure minus pain.


Problem: Are happiness and pleasure the same?

• “Actions are right in proportion when they tend to promote happiness, wrong when they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.”

• According to Bentham's theory, the rightness of an action entirely depends on the value of its consequences. That is why the theory is also described as consequentialist.

• Problem: are happiness and pleasure the same thing?


Exercise: think of four features of hedonism (pleasure-seeking)

HEDONISM

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Historical basis in Greek philosophy• Utilitarianism a Hedonistic theory.• This is based on the idea that ‘good’ is defined in

terms of pleasure/ happiness.• Greek Philosophers-- Plato and Aristotle both argued

that ‘good’ equated with the greatest happiness (BUT eudaimonia is a richer idea = flourishing).

• While Epicureans stressed pleasure as the main aim of life.

• Pleasure is NOT the same as happiness, as happiness results from the use of reason and cultivating the virtues to produce eudaimonia or flourishing.

• It is only if we take pleasure in good activities that pleasure itself is good.


Exercise: You have 30 happiness points to distribute across nine things. • Draw four columns marked “activity, my

score, average score, happy/sad?”• Put these nine in the first column: clothes,

family, sport, religion, romance, study, money, freedom. Allocate your points in col2

• Work out class average for col. 3.• If that average is imposed on you, will you

be happy or sad (compare col 2 and 3)?


Problem with utilitarianism

• What does this exercise suggest might be a problem with utilitarianism? (Think of Government policy on health, education)

• See Jonathan Glover’s quote (on this site, go to utilitarianism/evaluative quotes)


Bentham’s hedonic calculus Helps us choose the good thing to do and work

out the possible consequences of an action. P.R.R.I.C.E.D = acronym.• Purity – how free from pain is it? • Remoteness – how near is it? • Richness*– to what extent will it lead to other

pleasures?• Intensity – how powerful is it?• Certainty – how likely it is to result in pleasure?• Extent – how many people does it affect? • Duration – how long will it last? * Note: Bentham calls richness fecundity


Now: apply this to euthanasia• Bentham's Hedonic Calculus can be used to weigh

up the pleasure and pain caused by two courses of action - in this case, helping someone to die, or not doing so.

• Bentham would consider the Intensity of the pain and its Duration. He would have to weigh that against the number of people affected (Extent), and consider whether keeping someone alive would lead to other pleasures (Richness). He would also need to add up the amount of other 'pains' the patient would face e.g. loss of dignity (Purity), and consider the chances that there' might be a cure or treatment in the future (Certainty). The pain is immediate, while possible future benefits are Remote.

• In most cases, the degree of pain is so great that Bentham's theory would support euthanasia.


A theory of Motivation• According to Bentham, the key

psychological motivation is pleasure and avoidance of pain.

• Duty was not important, as in Kantian Ethics.

• Rules are not important, as Mill suggested.

Q. what’s wrong with putting pleasure at the centre of your ethics?


Exercise: write an answer to these points1. Are all actions only good because they have good results?2. Suppose a surgeon could use the organs of one healthy patient to

save the lives of several others. Would the surgeon be justified in killing the healthy patient for the sake of the others? NHS decisions?

3. Suppose an assault is committed that is thought to be racially motivated. Riots are brewing that may result in many deaths and long term racial antagonism. You are the police chief and have recently taken a man into custody. Why not frame him? He will be imprisoned if found guilty and this will result in peace and safety. Only you, the innocent man and the real criminal (who will keep quiet), will know the truth. What is the morally right thing to do? Similar to the case of Rachel Nickel’s alleged killer, Colin Stagg, convicted though innocent

4. You are an army officer who has just captured an enemy soldier who knows where a secret time bomb is planted. If it explodes it will kill thousands. Will it be morally permissible to torture the solider so that he reveals the bomb’s location?

If you knew where the soldier's children were, would it also be permissible to torture them to get him to reveal the bomb’s whereabouts? Similar to US Government policy of rendition (removing terror suspects to countries that torture) following 9/11.


Evaluation

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Bentham’s consequentialist act utilitarian theory?


Wrap up Bentham• On the piece of paper/ post it note, write one thing

you have learned today…

• Could be a concept you are now familiar with.

• Or, a new key term in your vocabulary.

• A theory that you are more confident in understanding.

• Developed an academic/exam skill.

• If nothing, be honest. But say why you feel nothing.

bentham's act utilitarianism

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