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Traditional Ethical Theories (cont.)

Traditional Ethical Theories (cont.). Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), English philosopher A form of consequentialism An act is judged to be moral or immoral according to its consequences. Instrumentalist good vs. Intrinsic good

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Traditional Ethical Theories (cont.)

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  1. Traditional Ethical Theories (cont.) Utilitarianism

  2. Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), English philosopher A form of consequentialism An act is judged to be moral or immoral according to its consequences. Instrumentalist good vs. Intrinsic good Instrumentalist good: good as a means by which to realize an intrinsic good, e.g. medicine Intrinsic good: something good in and of itself, e.g. happiness

  3. Utilitarianism (cont.) Happiness and the absence of suffering are the ultimate intrinsic goods. The goal of morality is to maximize happiness (“the greatest good for the greatest number”) An act is good if it maximizes the collective happiness and minimizes the collective suffering.

  4. Problems with Utilitarianism Seemingly immoral acts can be judged moral, e.g. killing an innocent person. Consequences are often difficult or impossible to predict. The morality of an act may depend on chance (how the consequences happen to play out). How can you calculate units of goodness (utiles)? Happiness and lack of suffering may not be the only intrinsic goods.

  5. Varieties of Utilitarianism Act utilitarianism • classic utilitarianism Preference utilitarianism • aim to maximize the fulfillment of people’s preferences, rather than happiness Rule utilitarianism • act in accordance with rules that, in the long run, tend to maximize happiness/preferences

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