What is Utilitarianism? Kwame Anthony Appiah for the Royal Institute of Philosophy

Summary

Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses the pros and cons of utilitarianism, a moral theory focused on maximizing happiness by considering the consequences of actions. He explores its key features such as impartiality, agent neutrality, and the concept of expected utility. Appiah highlights various objections to utilitarianism, including its emphasis on subjective well-being, the difficulty of measuring utility across individuals, and its potential to justify morally questionable actions like murder for the greater good. Despite these challenges, he acknowledges the ongoing defense and complexity of utilitarian thought in moral philosophy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Utilitarianism is a consequentialist moral theory, meaning it judges actions based on their outcomes and aims to maximize overall well-being.
• 😀 The central idea of utilitarianism is to choose actions that produce the most pleasure and the least pain, measured by their effects on the happiness of all sentient beings.
• 😀 Preference utilitarianism adjusts the theory by considering what individuals prefer, rather than just focusing on pleasure and pain.
• 😀 Utilitarianism is impartial and agent-neutral, meaning it treats everyone's well-being equally, regardless of personal relationships or specific circumstances.
• 😀 The concept of expected utility allows for decision-making under uncertainty by calculating the probability and value of various outcomes.
• 😀 Act utilitarianism focuses on evaluating individual actions, while rule utilitarianism emphasizes the long-term consequences of adopting certain rules of behavior.
• 😀 Utilitarianism faces criticism for neglecting moral motivations, such as goodwill and the moral significance of emotions like indignation, which are not captured by utilitarian calculations.
• 😀 Deontological critiques argue that certain acts (like murder or breaking promises) are inherently wrong, regardless of their consequences, challenging the consequentialist nature of utilitarianism.
• 😀 Utilitarianism may demand impractical levels of calculation, as assessing all options and their outcomes for every individual is a complex and nearly impossible task.
• 😀 Critics argue that utilitarianism's focus on maximizing well-being may justify morally questionable scenarios, such as a utopian world like the Matrix, where people live in a fake but pleasant reality.
• 😀 The theory of impartiality in utilitarianism is questioned by those who believe in the moral value of partiality, such as giving special treatment to family members over strangers.
• 😀 Interpersonal comparisons of utility in utilitarianism are problematic, as different individuals have different preferences and psychological responses, making it difficult to meaningfully compare their well-being.

Q & A

What is the central idea behind utilitarianism as discussed in the transcript?

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that suggests individuals should act to maximize utility, often defined in terms of happiness or pleasure, and minimize suffering. The aim is to choose actions that result in the best overall consequences.

What are the key differences between act and rule utilitarianism?

Act utilitarianism evaluates the consequences of individual actions, while rule utilitarianism focuses on adopting general rules that tend to lead to the best outcomes over time. Rule utilitarianism suggests that following rules, like 'lying is wrong,' will lead to better consequences in the long run.

What is preference utilitarianism, and how does it differ from traditional utilitarianism?

Preference utilitarianism suggests that the utility of an action should be based on what individuals prefer, rather than just the amount of pleasure or pain it causes. This approach takes into account personal preferences, making it more subjective than traditional utilitarianism, which focuses on overall pleasure or happiness.

How does utilitarianism address the issue of impartiality?

Utilitarianism is impartial in that it argues everyone’s interests should be treated equally. It suggests that moral decisions should be based solely on the outcomes for others, not influenced by personal relationships or preferences, ensuring no one is treated unfairly.

What role does expected utility play in decision-making under utilitarianism?

Expected utility is used to guide decision-making when the consequences of actions are uncertain. It involves calculating the probability of various outcomes and multiplying the utility of each by its likelihood, then summing these values to determine the best action.

What are some moral criticisms of utilitarianism, as highlighted by the speaker?

Some criticisms include the idea that utilitarianism overlooks moral motivation, such as the intention behind actions. Additionally, it is criticized for justifying morally questionable acts, like murder, if they lead to good consequences, and for being impractical due to the complexity of measuring and comparing utility across individuals.

Why does the speaker mention deontological ethics in the critique of utilitarianism?

The speaker refers to deontological ethics to highlight that certain actions, such as promise-breaking or murder, are morally wrong regardless of the consequences. This contrasts with utilitarianism, which might justify such actions if they lead to better overall outcomes.

What is the challenge of 'supererogation' in relation to utilitarianism?

Supererogation refers to actions that go above and beyond the call of duty. Utilitarianism’s emphasis on maximizing utility suggests that we must always do the best thing possible, which is seen as unrealistic by critics who believe that moral duties should simply aim to secure a decent life, not the best possible life.

How does the focus on subjective well-being in utilitarianism create ethical dilemmas, according to the speaker?

The focus on subjective well-being can create ethical dilemmas because it may justify scenarios where people's experiences are artificially manipulated, such as in a utopian world where people are plugged into a machine that feeds them fake, pleasurable experiences. This raises concerns about the value of genuine human experiences.

What difficulty does utilitarianism face in measuring and comparing utility across individuals?

Utilitarianism faces the challenge of comparing utility across individuals with different preferences and psychologies. The speaker argues that it is impossible to objectively measure and compare preferences between individuals, making interpersonal comparisons of utility problematic and difficult to apply consistently.