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Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that determines the morality of actions based on their consequences. According to Jeremy Bentham, an action is right if it results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, based on factors like intensity and duration of pleasure. John Stuart Mill distinguished between higher and lower pleasures. Critics argue that utilitarianism ignores individual rights and justice, and it is difficult to quantitatively measure and compare utilities. Kant's deontological ethics is based on moral duty rather than consequences. He proposes the categorical imperatives of universality - act based on maxims that could be universal natural laws - and humanity - treat humans as ends rather than means. Specific duties include not

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94 views3 pages

Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that determines the morality of actions based on their consequences. According to Jeremy Bentham, an action is right if it results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people, based on factors like intensity and duration of pleasure. John Stuart Mill distinguished between higher and lower pleasures. Critics argue that utilitarianism ignores individual rights and justice, and it is difficult to quantitatively measure and compare utilities. Kant's deontological ethics is based on moral duty rather than consequences. He proposes the categorical imperatives of universality - act based on maxims that could be universal natural laws - and humanity - treat humans as ends rather than means. Specific duties include not

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Ashley Martin
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LGST001 Week 2

Utilitarianism (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill)

 A theory based on consequences and outcomes


 An action is right and ought to be performed if it results in overall happiness/benefits
 In practise, it is largely dependent on the moral actor’s prediction of the likely consequence

 Bentham -> hedonistic calculation, pleasure is an intrinsic good in itself; 7 factors to determine
 Intensity of pleasure
 Duration of pleasure
 Certainty of materialisation
 Remoteness of pleasure sought
 Repeatability of pleasure
 Purity of pleasure (i.e. will it be accompanied by pain)
 Extent (number of people who will be affected by pleasure)

Mill’s Utilitarianism

 ‘Good’ is equated with happiness, as he observed that people desired happiness as an end in
itself
 Happiness = Pleasure - Pain suffered
 Combination of empirical facts and ethical reasoning
 Impartiality is the core of Utilitarianism
 Moral actor should act as ‘disinterested and benevolent’ spectator, give equal weight to
pleasures and pain experienced by himself and those affected
 Quote Jesus, “love thy neighbour as himself”
 Important to distinguish between higher and lower pleasures, not just duration or intensity
 Some kinds of pleasure are more valuable than others
 Higher pleasure is one that cannot be exchanged for any amount of lower pleasure
 Ascertainment of higher/lower pleasures should rest with ‘judges’ who have had
experience/knowledge of both pleasures
 Raises issue of subjective perception, personal circumstance and resource constraints

 Act Utilitarianism -> Focuses on consequences that arise from individual act
 Evaluates how an action contributes or detracts from overall happiness
 Rule Utilitarianism -> Focuses on consequences emanating from adopting a general rule
 Adopts a rule-based approach to dictate if an action is right or wrong
 E.g. Mill posits that lying in general is wrong, adopting Rule Utilitarianism. Instead we can use
Act Utilitarianism to evaluate lies as a moral action if it contributes to overall good (white lies)

Criticisms of Utilitarianism

 Ignores the rights of the minority as the overall good of society is always taken into account
 Coupled with majority rule, may lead to rights of minority groups being dismissed
 E.g. building a highway by demolishing land where homes are located
 Is the moral actor obliged to the General Happiness Principle?
 Why is the moral actor bound to promote general happiness, and not just consider his own?
 Mill posits that the moral agent may experience attacks on his conscience and remorse for
immoral actions
 Including external sanctions in the form of disfavour or displeasure from others, or God
 1. Difficulty of assigning quantitative figures to aesthetic values and human attributes such as
love and friendship as well as human life
 Duration of benefits also comes into play, such as the value of freedom of speech or
environmental protection
 2. Moral actor is unable to make interpersonal comparison of utility, and is unaware of the
preferences of all members of a community, or the strength of their preferences
 Determination of strength of preferences also depends on individual circumstance, e.g. a
beggar would place a premium on food and accommodation over arts and culture scenes
 Knowledge of all preferences of the community is an impossible task
 3. Utilitarianism does not take into account ‘Justice’ (fairness in distribution)
 Utilitarianism does not account for the distinctness of each person in society, only overall
welfare and welfare produced, which does not equate to equitably distributed benefits

Kantian Ethics (Immanuel Kant)

 Sceptical about grounding ethical conduct in notions of happiness, which are based on
empiricism, senses and inclinations
 Kantian ethics is deontological – based on moral duty
 One must act from a moral duty, instead of acting based on inclinations and interests
 Concepts of Pure Reason, Good Will and Freedom or Autonomy, which are divorced from
sensory perceptions and facts of the world
 Kant’s rules are Categorical Imperatives, meaning they apply as necessary rules and are without
exceptions
 Two Categorical Imperatives
 Principle of Universality: Act Only According to the Maxim by which You can at the same
time Will that it Should become a Universal Law
 Do not have double standards in determination of ethical conduct. Ethical maxim which
you apply to yourself should be applicable to anyone else, and to the entire universe
 Principle of Humanity: Act so that you treat Humanity, whether in your own person or in
that of Another, always as an End and never as a Means Only
 humans exists as ends in themselves, as contrasted with physical tools which are used
merely as a means unto an end
 the principle does not prohibit the use of persons as a means to an end, but it is against
the use of persons solely as a means to an end (e.g. treatment of employees in the event
of downsizing, difficult to escape conclusion that employees are treated as a means to
an end)
 Four specific duties derived from Categorical Imperatives
 No suicide as this is contrary to self-love. Also, suicide amount to using your own person as a
means only, voids the Principle of Humanity
 No false promises as it results in distrust, such as borrowing money knowing that you are
unable to repay, treating the lender as a means only
 Develop one’s talent and capacities as a rational person will necessarily will the
development of capacities, also the developing of talent advances the end of humanity as an
end in itself
 Show benevolence towards others as it advances the ends of others in a positive manner
 Maxims can be tested through the Categorical Imperatives
 if maxim that allows stealing is accepted, then concepts and rights to private property won’t
exist -> nobody will have ownership of anything -> thus stealing is unethical

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