Only TOTAL happiness in the world matters.
Objections to Utilitarianism:
1) Too permissive
-condones seemingly immoral acts
-killing innocent people
-torture
-stealing
2) Too demanding (a) Bite the bullet. Most people are selfish, fall short of the standards or morality. (b) Psychologically, it's difficult to sustain this kind of sacrifice.
3) Too difficult to calculate the consequences. **Have to consider negative utility of spending too much time calculating
4) People use the hedonistic calculus to justify what they're already doing. ***Can use rules of thumb and break when necessary. (Practical guideline)
-Utilitarianism- only the most numbers matter
Two responses/reactions:
1. Bite the bullet
-our moral intuitions are wrong, cultural immature, not rational
2. Point to bad side effects- not really permitted, bad side effects give the act less utility than you think
-Publicity Requirement- only total happiness in world matters
-Rule Utilitarianism- the right act is that which is in accord with the rule which, if universally follwed maximizes happiness.
answer to the "too permissive" objection
-Rule utilitarianism collapse into act of utilitarianism.
-Rule: maximize happiness would lead, if a rule by itself, would always be the rule.