Mill and the Utilitarian Tradition Philosophy 2B - Ray Critch Lecture 6 - Problems of Authenticity and Moral Psychology

1. Mill and the Utilitarian TraditionPhilosophy 2B - Ray CritchLecture 6 - Problems of Authenticity and Moral Psychology In this lecture (Why) Do I Save My Wife? Expensive Tastes and Adaptive Preferences Utility Monsters Utility Machines

2. Two Types of Problems • Type 1: Is morality really like that? • Type 2: Are people really like that • Both highly intuitive • Both very difficult to get ‘right’ • Both deal with moral psychology • Both deal with authenticity • Difference lies in whether the problem lies in the theory or in its applicability.

3. (Why) Do I Save My Wife? • Bernard Williams’ ‘One Reason Too Many,’ scenario. • Two people are about to die, one of whom is your husband. You can only save one. There is no ‘objective’ reason to choose. • Everyone saves their spouse, the question is why? • Williams’ claim is that ‘any answer other than simply ‘he’s my husband’ is one reason too many.

4. (Why) Do I Save My Wife? • Williams’ Scenario and Utilitarianism • Precludes Utilitarian distinctions between the parties in the set-up. • As such, any utilitarian distinction would have to be due to the relationship between the parties. • Using utilitarianism to give moral value to the relationship between the parties is ‘one reason too many.’ • Explanation 1: Morally Dubious • Explanation 2: Phenomenologically Dubious

5. Expensive Tastes and Adaptive Preferences • Expensive Tastes are often the result of Adaptive Preferences • An Argument against Preference Utility • Dworkin on Expensive Tastes • The Tennis Pro and the Farmer • If what matters is satisfaction of preferences, satisfying one set of preferences might cost a society more than satisfying another preference. • If hedonism - same problem arises.

6. Expensive Tastes and Adaptive Preferences • Expensive Tastes • Two types of problems for Utilitarianism • 1) Seems to undermine equality in one way by preserving it in another. • 2) May, in cases of limited resources, force a choice between greater happiness or greater numbers.

7. Expensive Tastes and Adaptive Preferences • Adaptive Preferences • Actual v. Ideal Preferences - what circumstances count in determining ideal? • The Happy Housewife ‘I met a woman, became a wife, These are the very words she uses to describe her life; A good day ain’t got no rain, A bad day’s when I lie in bed and think of things that might have been’ Paul Simon - Slip Sliding Away

8. Expensive Tastes and Adaptive Preferences • Adaptive Preferences • The Evolutionary Account • Happy People do better over the long term • Not everyone can live in happiness-conducive circumstances • Actual Preferences - bite the bullet • Ideal Preferences - Ideal under what circumstances?

9. Utility Monsters • A Note on Thought Experiments • Caution: Use only to isolate one variable. • Intuitions have their limits. • Nozick’s Utility Monster • A Utility Monster is someone who, whatever resources he/she is given, will get significantly more pleasure (10x, 1,000x…) than anyone else. • Hedonistic Utilitarianism demands that we give the monster everything. • A similar story works for Preference Utilitarianism.

10. Utility Machines • Nozick Again • The Utility Machine and The Matrix • The Utility Machine provides the experiences of a happy / preference-fulfilled life, but you don’t actually undergo the experiences. • Problem for Experiential Approach - on what basis does it matter that the experience is genuine? • Problem for Preference Approach - on what basis must the preferences actually be fulfilled?