What is Utilitarianism?

Summary

Utilitarianism, an ethical theory founded by Jeremy Bentham and developed by John Stuart Mill, focuses on maximizing happiness or utility for the greatest number of people. This consequentialist theory values actions that produce the most pleasure and the least pain. Bentham’s approach includes the felicific calculus, a method to measure pleasure and pain based on intensity, duration, certainty, and other factors. The theory justifies actions like Robin Hood’s, which, although morally questionable in other ethical systems, are seen as good in utilitarianism for maximizing overall happiness. The moral value of actions is determined by their balance of pleasure over pain.

Takeaways

• 😀 Utilitarianism is an ethical theory founded by Jeremy Bentham and developed by John Stuart Mill, focusing on maximizing happiness and well-being for the greatest number of people.
• 😀 The principle of utility is the core idea of utilitarianism, meaning actions are considered good if they produce pleasure or happiness and prevent pain or unhappiness.
• 😀 An action is morally good if it leads to the greatest happiness for the majority, and morally bad if it causes more pain than pleasure.
• 😀 Utilitarians may approve of actions that involve dishonest means if they lead to the greatest benefit for the greatest number, as seen in the example of Robin Hood.
• 😀 From a Christian ethics perspective, Robin Hood's action of stealing from the rich to give to the poor is immoral, but from a utilitarian view, it is morally good due to the benefit for the majority.
• 😀 Jeremy Bentham's version of utilitarianism emphasizes that happiness is the absence of pain, and he introduced the felicific calculus to measure the pleasure or pain produced by actions.
• 😀 The felicific calculus evaluates actions based on factors like intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent of the pleasure or pain they produce.
• 😀 The formula for the felicific calculus is: sum of pleasures minus sum of pains equals balance. If the balance favors pleasure, the action is good, and if it favors pain, it is bad.
• 😀 A positive balance of pleasure means the action is morally right, while a negative balance, favoring pain, makes the action morally wrong.
• 😀 For example, an action producing 10 pleasures and 5 pains results in a positive balance of 5, making it morally good, while one producing 20 pains and only 8 pleasures has a negative balance of 12, making it morally bad.

Q & A

What is utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory founded by Jeremy Bentham and developed by John Stuart Mill. It is based on the principle of utility, which suggests that actions are morally right if they produce the greatest happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people.

What does the principle of utility mean?

The principle of utility refers to the property of any object or action that tends to produce happiness or pleasure and prevents pain or unhappiness. The aim is to maximize well-being for all affected individuals.

How is utilitarianism different from other ethical theories?

Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialist ethics, meaning it judges actions based on their outcomes. Unlike deontological ethics, which focuses on the morality of the actions themselves, utilitarianism prioritizes the results of the actions.

What is the moral criterion for an act in utilitarianism?

An act is morally good if it produces the greatest happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people, and morally bad if it produces more pain than pleasure to the majority.

Why would utilitarians accept dishonest means to achieve an end?

Utilitarians may accept dishonest means as long as the end result produces the maximum benefit or happiness for the greatest number of people. The focus is on the consequences, not the means by which they are achieved.

How does the story of Robin Hood illustrate utilitarianism?

From a utilitarian perspective, Robin Hood's actions—stealing from the rich to give to the poor—are seen as morally good because they produce the greatest happiness for the majority, even though the actions might be considered immoral in other ethical frameworks, like Christian ethics.

What is the utility calculus introduced by Jeremy Bentham?

The utility calculus, also known as the felicific or hedonic calculus, is a method developed by Bentham to measure the pleasure or happiness produced by an action. It considers factors like intensity, duration, certainty, proximity, fecundity, purity, and extent of the pleasure.

What factors are included in Bentham's felicific calculus?

Bentham's felicific calculus includes factors such as intensity (strength of pleasure), duration (length of pleasure), certainty (likelihood of pleasure), propinquity (nearness of pleasure), fecundity (probability of future pleasures), purity (likelihood of pleasure without pain), and extent (number of people affected).

How does Bentham's formula for evaluating actions work?

Bentham's formula is: Pleasure minus Pain = Balance. If the balance of pleasures over pain is positive, the action is morally good; if the balance is negative, the action is morally bad.

Can you give an example of how Bentham's balance works?

For example, if an action produces 10 pleasures and 5 pains, the balance is 5 in favor of pleasure, making the action morally good. Conversely, if an action produces 20 pains and only 8 pleasures, the balance is 12 in favor of pain, making the action morally bad.