Week 2

Consequentialism &
Utilitarianism

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 Consequentialism

BC = heart of this general approach to morality

Central idea: What is right is to act so as to bring about
the most possible good
Rightness = creating the most goodness
NB question: What makes things good / bad?

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 2. A quick poll

Which of these outcomes is worse?

1. A driver accidentally runs over a pedestrian. The
pedestrian dies.
2. A person murders a completely innocent stranger. The
murderer feels no guilt, but never re-offends.
3. Neither: they are equally bad.

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 A quick poll

We need to distinguish the questions:

Which of the actions are worse?
Which of the outcomes are worse?

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 Utilitarian theories of value

What makes outcomes good or bad?

Utilitarianism is a version of consequentialism
Aims to answer this question
Official answer: Utility is the only thing of ultimate value
What is utility?
Something like happiness
But also refers to the usefulness, function and impact of an
action

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 Different ideas of utility

Classical utilitarianism:
Utility is a psychological state of pleasure
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
John Stuart Mill (1806-73)
Preference utilitarianism
Utility is the satisfaction of preferences
Peter Singer (1946)
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 Benthams utilitarianism

Logic of his argument:

What is good is pleasurable
What is bad, is painful
Ultimate value: Happiness or pleasure
Therefore: Should seek pleasure, for it leads to what is
good

Is this the case in real life?

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 Mills utilitarianism

Benthams theory: A doctrine worthy of swine

Too much emphasis on pleasure
Different kinds of pleasure
People not satisfied with attaining only basic pleasures
Higher and lower pleasures
Higher: Consequences of intellectual endeavours
Lower: Consequences of physical acts

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 Singers utilitarianism

Ethics takes a universal point of view

Impartial point of view
NB = Common ethical standards
Moral community: Own interests cant count for more
than others
Must think of those affected by my decisions
Maximize the interests of all those affected
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 Utilitarian principle
Utilitarians say that
(U): One ought always to act so as to bring about the maximum possible
utility

Greatest happiness principle: Always choose the action that will

maximize happiness and minimize unhappiness for the greatest
number of people

Classical utilitarians = maximum possible pleasure

Preference utilitarians = maximum satisfaction of preferences
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 Utilitarianism on killing

A classical utilitarian seems committed to killing one to save

five, other things being equal
A bit less clear for a preference utilitarian
SOL at least seemed to give killing an especially bad status
A killing is worse than a mere death
Utilitarians appear to treat killing too casually (e.g.
TRANSPLANT)
Why do utilitarians seem to give the wrong answer?
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 Utilitarianism and intrinsic value

Many of us think that killing is typically bad

(or wrong), independently of consequences
Thus: We think killing is intrinsically bad

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 Utilitarianism and intrinsic value

For the utilitarian: Goodness or badness of something

always depends on consequences
E.g. while most killings will be bad, some will be
positively good, because they have overall positive
consequences
Thus: Utilitarian can not endorse idea that killing is
intrinsically bad
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 Questions to consider

1. By saying that killing is intrinsically bad, must we mean that

killing is bad, independently of consequences? Yes or no
2. By saying that killing is intrinsically bad, must we mean that
the SOL principle is true? Yes or no
3. By saying that killing is intrinsically bad, must we mean that
life is intrinsically valuable? Yes or no

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