Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

Religious Studies: OCR A Level, topic 2.4.3

Debates About Utilitarianism

Is utilitarianism helpful for making moral decisions? Can we really use 'good' to make a moral decision?

A great number of people gain happiness and pleasure from the principle being applied.
As human beings, we naturally look at the consequences of an action before we make a decision. So the hedonic calculus is logical and easy for us to use.
Rule utilitarianism promotes happiness by applying societal rules that keep the hedonic calculus from being misused.
The principle as a whole is flexible and easily adaptable to different situations.

Sometimes, we cannot know the consequences of our actions.
It takes time to apply the hedonic calculus to every decision you make. So it isn’t logical to use it for every decision.
The hedonic calculus can be misused by some people and break ethical rules.
Some groups in society may be targeted using the hedonic calculus - meaning minority groups could be unfairly treated.

The utility principle can be applied universally and can reduce harm, thus increasing happiness.
But you cannot know what is going to happen in the future, so the principle cannot be used effectively when we do not know whether the action will produce happiness or pain. This means it cannot always be applicable and can be difficult to apply.

You could argue that ‘good’ is immeasurable and you cannot put a value on pleasure.
We all have a different understanding of happiness and so we cannot measure or compare pleasure and happiness.

Although it can be logical to look at the consequences of an action, utilitarianism can be used in unethical ways to produce ‘pleasure’ for some and suffering for others.
This means it can be the action itself that makes the decision wrong, not necessarily just the consequences.
Finally, you cannot always trust people to use ‘good’ when making a moral decision. Some people may act for their own selfish reasons and justify the decision based on the greater good.