Camellia Hickey
Ethics
Class Notes
11/01/01

Exam Question Example: Utilitarianism
falls under what
broader classification?
A.Deontology B.Virtue Ethics
C.Emotivism
D.Absolutism/Universalism E.Relativism

Answer: D
Why? Although there seem to be no hard
and fast rules
and you evaluate each situation
individually, the
criteria is always the same. Maximize
Happiness.

Utilitarianism: Comes from utility: Gives
idea of
usefulness. Means pleasure in the
absence of pain,
simply happiness.

Utilitarianism is a two part theory.
Part 1: Theory of value, Hedonism.
Happiness is the only intrinsic(actual)
value,
everything else is a tool to get
pleasure/happiness.
E.X. You get a college degree to get
money to get
pleasure.
(Happiness) Intrinsic V.S. Instrumental
($)

How do you get happiness? You weigh.
Do the scales tip
toward net pleasure?
Net like your paycheck:Taxes=Pain Net
Earnings=Pleasure

What promotes value of net pleasure?
Part 2. Theory of
actions-Consequentialism
The view that the morality of an act stems
from its
consequences or results, not from some
quality in the
act itself. Maximize utility (Happiness)

Example: Every act of torture is inherently
wrong.
Contrast with Deontology
What if you could prevent future acts of
terrorism
thought torture.
Utility: Maybe it is O.K. if it can maximize
happiness
Deontology: No, all acts of torture
inherently wrong.

Kant says "What if you are the person
being tortured?"
It contradicts theory.

If one person had to suffer for a whole
town, would it
be moral? Utilitarianism: Yes if it
maximizes
happiness for the greatest number of
people.

If you had the choice between some
happiness and more
happiness: you have to choose the
maximum amount.
Anything less is immoral.

Bentham's Hedonistic Calculus: Each act
is assigned a
value, you choose the option of highest
value.

Exam Question Example: Utilitarianism
says act is
right if it produces more unhappiness
than
unhappiness. T or F
Answer: False. Must be maximum
happiness to be
completely true.

Criticism: Too demanding as a moral
theory. Usually
means sacrificing you own happiness
and personal
projects for others.
$20 for flowers, what about 3rd world
countries?
Utilitarianism says the $20 would
produce maximum
happiness by giving it to the 3rd world
country.

Doing your own thing and not hurting
people is
immoral, you must act to maximize
happiness for
maximum number of people.

Only a few luxuries are allowed as this is
human
nature. Example: you can have a car, but
not a BMW.

When you do good for other people you
screw up.
enabler/resentment

Criticisms:
1. Difficult to calculate consequences.
2. We end up merely justifying
preconceived values we
already had.
Example: You are an artist. All your time is
spent
making art because it brings so much
happiness, no
comparison to hunger. You put great
importance on are
as opposed to hunger.
3. How long do you wait to see of act is
wrong or not.

4. Motive according to utility is irrelevant.
You can
do the right act with the wrong intent.
...Not necessarily a criticism, but some
thing to be
considered. You need to maximize
happiness for all
feeling beings-even animals. Utility says
animals have
to be considered for themselves.

Say you want to eat breakfast before
school
Count Chocula or Bran Flakes
2% milk or skim
Research to find out which maximizes
happiness would
take to long and you would not get any
breakfast.
Every decision could take so long that you
might not
get anything done.

Mills Defense:
1. Use rules of thumb as a practical
guideline. You
can break them as you need so when the
axe murderer
knocks on the door asking for your
roommate it is o.k.
not to tell him she is in the closet.
However in
general it is bad to lie because it bring on
bad
effects, thus not maximizing happiness.
2. Just wait a "reasonable" amount of
time. Use common
sense as a guide. short time=little thing,
long
time=big thing. Consider rational
probability. You can
expect perfection. Most of the time people
do a good
job deciding.