Jenny Gonzales
Darlene Tala
John Michael Bernardo
Utilitarianism
• “(from the Latin utilis, useful) is a theory of
ethics based on quantitative
maximization of some good for society or
humanity. It is a form of
consequentialism. This good is often
happiness or pleasure, though some
utilitarian theories might seek to maximize
other consequences. Utilitarianism is
sometimes summarized as "The greatest
happiness for the greatest number."
History
• Can be traced back to Hedonism
• Hedones - greek
• Pain is the essence of life
• Will to live – overcome pain
• Planting food
• Pleasure
• Jeremy Bentham
• John Stuart Mill
• Utilitarianism
UTILITARIAN
PHILOSOPHERS
David Hume
• The concept of right and wrong is
not rational but arises from a
regard for one's own happiness.
The supreme moral good,
according to his view, is
benevolence, an unselfish regard
for the general welfare of society
that Hume regarded as consistent
with individual happiness
William Godwin
• One of the first
exponents of
utilitarianism
• Concerned with
individual moral
perfectibility, couched
in the language of
utility rather than
strictly utilitarian
Richard M. Hare
• Hare holds that utilitarianism is
the product of conceptual
analysis rather than of moral
intuition.
Richard M. Hare
• Hare claims that we ought to as act
utilitarians.
Of the
UTILITY SUPPLEMENT
1. Not confined to mere
abstract suppositions.
2. Applicable to and of good use in the science and
art of legislation.
SCIENCE OF LEGISLATION
- The knowledge of the good for the
community.
ART OF LEGISLATION
Individual interests
END or OBJECT of the SCIENCE and ART of
LEGISLATION Collective
purposes
3. Employed with fruitful application in the field of
human rights.
EQUALITY as main
Right of Life
aspect of LAW
Personality
Dignity
Individual
JHERING’S CLASSIFICATION
Political
ROSCOE POUND
OF PURPOSES
Social
Theory of Social Engineering of the Conflicting or
Overlapping Interests
CRITICISMS
1. DISTASTEFULNESS
• No room for special moral obligations to one’s family and close
friends.
• Problem of personal loyalties.
In utilitarianismSociety
one A
considers
Society B
only the sum total of pains and
Society C
pleasures,
Motives not
their distribution.10
Even though 15
the sum
15
total of units of happiness
might be the same, it might be distributed "unfairly" in various
tarianism
societies.has been criticized15for only looking at the results of actions, no
edesires
total amount and the average
10
or intentions units of value
which motivate
15
them, are the same
which manyin people
Societiesalso
A +con
B bu
tributed unevenly. The total amount of value in Society C is greater than that in
ortant. An action intended to15cause harm but that inadvertently causes g
ciety A where the distribution
10
is even. Even15rule utilitarianism must approve this
lts would be judged equal to the result from an action done with good
tribution --even slavery, if this is what is involved.
ntions. 10 5 5
10 5 5
10 5 6
5a. Happiness is
ofunobtainable. One cannot exist constantly in rapture.
ny 1.
of Variability Humanproponents
the early utilitarian Experience - Differences
hoped betweencould
that happiness people.
someh
Besides poverty, disease,
2. Number death and
of Variablesother evils prevent total happiness.
measured quantitatively and comparedinbetween
Any Situation
people through felicifi
3. Consequences 5b. People
- ability can do without
to discern happiness.
whattothey are, what countsone in
culus, although no one has ever managed construct a detailed
6. Why should other people's
andthat happiness
the the
limit be the standard of morality?
to causality.
ctice. It has been argued happiness of different people is
7. What about4.other values such as freedom, love?
ommensurable, and thusNo Time tocalculus
felicific Calculateis impossible, not only in
Are they not at least as important as happiness?
ctice, but even in principle.
IMPRACTICALITY
• The demands of political reality and the complexities of political
thought are obstinately what they are, and in the face of them the
simple-mindedness of utilitarianism disqualifies it totally. The
important issues that utilitarianism raises should be discussed in
contexts more rewarding than that of utilitarianism itself.