Monday 20 Sept 2004: P.137-148 (EMP)

Utilitarianism and the Greatest Good (137)

• Utilitarianism – always act so that harm caused is minimized
• Described by Hutchinson, Smith, and Hume but popularized by Jeremy Bentham
• Bentham argued it should supplant any other moral theories
• He felt laws should be evaluated with it (does it net more good than any alternative?)
• He was thought to be radical; further this thought by creating a public University of London and having himself entombed there
• Felt the concept of “rights” was illusory
• Thought morality should be like a science (logical)
• Created a kind of calculus with seven variables to determine which action was best for the whole
• Required everyone affected must derive some benefit (prevents the formula from saying slavery was good, etc)
• John Stuart Mill – Bentham’s godson; most influential English philosopher in the 19^th century; espoused this theory
• The next article (by him) defends utilitarian reasoning from arguments from 19^th century critics
• Argues God is the ultimate utilitarian
• Tries to divorce utilitarian reasoning from its simplistic forms, saying actions must also be judged on the quality of their goodness
• Addresses a dispute over the Principle of Utility

from Utilitarianism (1861) (John Stuart Mill) (141)

• Utilitarianism says actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness
• Pleasure must be measured in quality as well as quantity
• Most do not wish lower themselves even to be satisfied
• It is “better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied”
• The young often have noble intentions which degrade because they are tender capacities
• They change to inferior pleasures because they do not have the time or access to better ones
• They still prefer the higher road, they just can’t take it
• Pleasure and pain are heterogeneous and it is hard to decide whether a pleasure outweighs an accompanying pain
• Greatest happiness principle – an existence exempt from pain and as rich as possible in pleasure; a standard for morality
• The Golden Rule has the spirit of utilitarianism
• Utilitarian Morality – 1) Laws and social arrangements should place happiness of every individual in harmony with the interest of the whole

2) Education and opinion should establish an association between happiness and good for the whole

• Motivation does not affect whether something is good or not in utilitarianism morality
• The multiplication of happiness is the object of virtue
• Some believe utility makes men appear cold and unsympathetic
• Not true because utilitarian are aware there are other qualities besides virtue
• The best proof of good character is good actions
• Utilitarianism is not a godless doctrine – if you believe god desires all his creatures to be happy, then god is a utilitarian
• Withholding facts can be good (from a malicious person, or from someone deathly ill) – can prevent harm
• The principle of utility must be good for weighing conflicting utilities and marking the better
• Christianity cannot guide utilitarianism because there is not always time to read through Christian texts
• Morality has been passed down and is being improved; will never be quite perfect
• We require theories to help apply the principle of morality