Explain the key features of Utilitarian

Explain the key features of Utilitarianism.

Utilitarianism is the belief that the rightness of an action, rule or principle is to be judged by its presumed consequences. Whilst Kant developed his view that human beings were rational animals who can develop a moral society based on reason. Kant based his moral philosophy on what he regards as a priori knowledge. Utilitarian’s in coming to a conclusion about the rightness of an action, rule or principle, are forced to answer two fundamental moral questions.

Utilitarian’s base goodness and rightness on human experience. For them what is good is that which produces, pleasure, happiness, contentment or welfare and what is right is that which ultimately maximises on or more of the things. Utilitarian’s call the method for maximising good the principle of utility and they use the term optimific to describe the achievement of maximisation. Modern utilitarian’s often disagree over what is good and what is right. These differences of opinion have resulted in four different strands of Utilitarianism.

1. Act Utilitarianism
2. Rule Utilitarianism
3. Preference Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism, in whatever form is a teleological ethical theory as each action or rule is judged on whether it end result maximises good. It is also consequentialist since the consequences of an action or rule is the sole principle to judge whether it is right or wrong.

The theory of Utilitarianism began with Jeremy Bentham as a way of working out how good or bad the consequences of an action would be. Bentham was very concerned with social and legal reform and he wanted to develop an ethical theory which established whether something was good or bad according to its benefit for the majority of people. Bentham called this the principle of utility. The principle of utility is often expressed as ‘the greatest good of the greatest number’. ‘Good’ is defined in terms of pleasure or happiness – so an act is right or wrong according to the good or bad that result from the act and the good act is the most pleasurable. Since it focuses on the greatest number, Bentham’s theory is quantative. Furthermore Bentham argues that Utilitarianism is fundamental and needs no evidence. However, he does explain that pleasure and pain are not just physical sensations; they are also the psychological state that comes from feeling pain or pleasure. It might be argued that some people prefer pain whether physical or psychological. Bentham follows up his view that human beings are under the mastery of pain and pleasure by arguing that what is good for the individual is right for human society.

Bentham’s application of his moral theory led to the construction method. All actions are to be calculated in terms of the maximisation of happiness and the minimisation of pain. This method is known as the hedonic calculus. Bentham states that there are seven basic tests for calculating whether an action will maximise pleasure and minimise pain.

1. Purity
2. Remoteness
3. Intensity
4. Certainty
5. Extent
6. Duration
7. Fecundity

The Hedonic Calculus is the test for all practical decisions. This calculus gave Bentham a method of testing whether an action is morally right, in that if it was good it would result in the most pleasurable outcome. Whatever is good or bad can be measured in a quantitative way.
Bentham said ‘the principle of utility aims to promote happiness which is the supreme ethical value’. An act is right if it delivers more pleasure than pain and wrong if it brings about more pain than pleasure.’ Therefore it is concluded like this:

Happiness = pleasure minus pain

John Stuart Mill was also a hedonist and accepted that happiness is of the greatest importance He stressed happiness rather than pleasure. Mill said ‘The Greatest Happiness Principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Happiness of Mill is more than just pleasure and also includes having goals and virtues.

Having affirmed his agreement with the principle of utility, Mill then modifies Bentham’s approach, especially the quantitative emphasis. According to Mill quality of pleasure employs the use of the higher faculties. Mill says that the quality of pleasure that satisfies a human is different from that which satisfies an animal. People are capable of more than animals, so it takes more to make a human happy. Therefore a person will always choose higher quality, human pleasures and reject all the merely animal pleasures.

Mill argues that some pleasures make people happy because they are progressive. These are the higher pleasures. Mill does not list what he considers to be higher and lower pleasures but he makes it clear that philosophers understand both types of pleasure. Higher pleasures therefore include such things as philosophical insight, educational development, self-improvement, empathy towards others, listening to music etc.…

Lower pleasures include eating a meal, drinking, sex and shopping. They make the individual happy but the pleasure gained does nothing for the person’s progressive nature.

Mill differed from Bentham who believed that all pleasures are of equal value. Bentham however regarded reading poetry and playing music as less important than playing a child’s game. The utilitarian principle of ‘the greatest good of the greatest number’ means that a child’s game is much more useful than the arts of poetry or music. Mill on the other hand, regarded reading poetry as one of the higher pleasures.

Rule Utilitarian’s argue that moral laws must be obeyed. These rules are selected on the basis of whether they will maximise general good or welfare in society. The strengths and weaknesses are as follows:

Weaknesses:

It is difficult to predict the consequences
It is difficult to define what makes you happy
There is no defence for the minorities
To invoke rules means that the approach becomes deontological not teleological.

Strengths

Rules ensure that the motive of an action is not guided by self-interest or delusion.
Rule utilitarian’s take into account the consequences of action and not only the good likely to be produced by a moral decision.
Modern Rule Utilitarianism is largely influenced by the notion of the maximisation of social benefit welfare.
Rules have consequences on actions and Rule utilitarian’s believe that actions must always be guided by the general rules that create the maximisation of pleasure or happiness.

Grace Kent
L6