11/13/01
Jenny Vogel

Three hand-outs: 1. Deontology (Kant)
2. Exam Review
3. Web Board Direction for posting notes

Class Lecture:

Rule of Utilitariasm
Follow the rule which leads to the greatest happiness (if every followed it)

If the rule you are following in your actions would lead to non-optimal consequences, then the act if wrong. As a matter of habit would have bad consequences, the dr. example—kill one to save 5 might make 5 people happy. The consequences could be bad-bad side effect (ie. People would no go to the hospital).

Kant—you do something wrong. It brings on consequences-bad side effects. Consequences are irrelevant to whether or not an action is right or wrong.

Ie. “Should I lie to my mother about bad grades?”

Utilitariansim: Think about the act rather than the consequences.
Represents the rule: “Lie to get out of trouble”.
“Lie” Always? Under certain circumstances? Never? What is the rule for lying?

A rule could be:
“Don’t lie to get out of trouble” or “for personal gain of any kind” or “unless lying would save lives” or to “spare a persons feelings” or to spare another person more sorrow than if they found out you’re lying?

Best rule for Utilitarianism: Maximize happiness.
Rule Utilitarianism “collapses” into act. Util.
Act Util allows you to step on minorities. Rule utilitarianism—you can’t oppress minorities. Seems to respect human. Many philosophers see as a lost cause. Last time Mills Hedonistic naturalistic fallacy.
(?) Maybe it is not a fallacy:
1. Is you can’t prove ethical principles by appealing to empirical (scientific facts).
2. You can’t use a behavioral observation as to what a person should actively do
3. What people do is not necessarily what they should do.

Kant-intention of act is what is right.

Probably Mill & Kant would say: Ethical principles stem directly from your reason.

Counter argument again utilitarianism

Williams criticisms of util. (p250-252)
1. George is offered a job at a bio-warfare lab (p250). Responsibility-doing vs. allowing
2. Jim is offered a chance to execute one man and thus save 19 from execution by Pedro. On one hand all 20 die (Jim feels guilty, but less guilty). One dies and Jim feels guilty for killing the person
3. William says: It is ok for George and Jim to opt out because of integrity-needs to maintain his principles.

Util. Says kill one to save 19. George should take job for greater good: ie. Happiness

Util. alienates us from our deeply held moral principles. Morality can’t require you to become a murderer, liar, thief, etc.

Kant—Absolutist theory. Brilliant philosopher and terrible writer (hand out on deontology)

Morality has to be based in reason not desire because desires change.

Kant says the rules are absolute. If a murderer knocks on the door you can’t lie, you have to say “Mr. Murderer”, I can’t lie, my friend is hiding in the closet.” The “should not lie” rule is absolute compared to your duty to your friend.