2.4.1
The Utility Principle
Utilitarianism and the Utility Principle
Utilitarianism and the Utility Principle
Utilitarianism is the philosophical theory that analyses whether or not an action gives the greatest happiness to the largest amount of people.
Teleological & consequentialist
Teleological & consequentialist
- Utilitarianism is a teleological theory, which means it is focused upon the end goal, the result, as opposed to the moral theory.
- It is also a consequentialist theory and focuses on the outcomes of a moral judgement.
Jeremy Bentham - 'pleasure'
Jeremy Bentham - 'pleasure'
- Jeremy Bentham was the leading philosopher in Utilitarianism and he promoted the utility principle as the best way to make a decision for the majority.
- Bentham focused on the idea of ‘pleasure’ as opposed to happiness.
- So, his theory, when applied to decision-making, was not about considering how happy the greatest amount of people were; it was about how much pleasure they would receive from an action.
The utility principle
The utility principle
- The utility principle argues that an action is correct if it promotes happiness and wrong if it creates pain.
- The definition of utility is usefulness. So the utility principle analyses the usefulness of the actions.
- The utility principle is applied to potential decisions and is used to decide whether this action will produce the largest amount of pleasure for the largest amount of people. If it does, it is the correct action to take. If it does not, then an alternative should be found.
The hedonic calculus
The hedonic calculus
- The hedonic calculus is a method of applying the utility principle to potential decisions and working out which action will produce the most pleasure.
- The hedonic calculus asks seven questions about the potential action. This then concludes how much pleasure and how much pain would result from this action.
Hedonic calculus: 7 questions
Hedonic calculus: 7 questions
- Purity: Will this pain lead to another pain?
- Remoteness: Is the pleasure or pain in the near or distant future?
- Richness: Will this pleasure lead to another pleasure?
- Intensity: Is the pleasure or pain intense? How intense?
- Certainty: How certain are you that the pleasure or pain will actually happen?
- Extent: The number of people that would be affected by the pleasure or pain.
- Duration: Will the pleasure or pain last for a long time? A short time?
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Jump to other topics
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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