Reading Notes for Utilitarianism PDF

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Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill I.

Utilitarianism—the moral theory holding that actions are right to the extent that they promote as much happiness as possible and wrong to the extent that they promote unhappiness, each person counting equally. II. Happiness—per Mill's utilitarianism, pleasure and the absence of pain are the only intrinsically desirable goods. III. Higher pleasure—intellectual and moral pleasures, which are superior to lower, merely bodily pleasures not because of their intrinsic nature but because of their circumstantial advantages, such as greater permanence, safety, and inexpensiveness. Additional notes • Mill defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. Mill claims that of any two pleasures, one is preferable to the other if and only if it is preferred by those who are acquainted with both. • Love your neighbor as yourself captures Mill's understanding of utilitarian ethics. Mill thinks it is, in general, immoral to lie because lying undermines trustworthiness, which is indispensable to human well-being.. Mill thinks his assertion that happiness alone is desirable in itself can be proven by observing the fact that people actually do desire it, and only it, as a good in itself. According to Mill, pleasure is the only thing desirable for itself and not as a means to some other end. According to Mill, it is better to be a satisfied pig than a dissatisfied human. • Mill does not argue that we are incapable of choosing a good we know to be less valuable than some alternative. Mill believes that utilitarianism is compatible with Christian moral principles. According to Mill, moral rules admit exceptions. Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism, Louis P. Pojman I. II. III. IV. V.

Act utilitarianism—moral theory holding that an act is right if and only if it results in as much good or utility as any available alternative. Rule utilitarianism—moral theory holding that an act is right if and only if it is required by a rule that is a member of a set of rules whose acceptance would lead to a greater utility than any available alternative. No-rest objection—argument that utilitarian morality is too demanding because it requires that I constantly consider whether I might be able to better promote utility by sacrificing my rest and my enjoyment of life. Integrity objection—argument that utilitarianism is an inadequate moral theory because it can sometimes require us to violate our most central and deeply held principles. Justice objection—argument that utilitarianism is an inadequate moral theory because it can sometimes require us to violate the rights of individuals.

Additional notes • A rule utilitarian would affirm the following statement: the best moral policy is to follow a set of rules most likely to maximize utility. • Pojman suggests rules prescribing rest and advising against preoccupation with the needs of distant people have a place in any utility-maximizing set of rules, as an appropriate rule-utilitarian response to the objection that utilitarianism is far too demanding. • According to Pojman, a sophisticated utilitarian might argue that torturing an innocent person is immoral, even when immediate utility concerns recommend doing so because human rights are outcomes of utility considerations and should not be violated lightly. • The integrity objection claims that utilitarianism leads to personal alienation. • Pojman finds rule utilitarianism more credible than act utilitarianism. • Rules are of importance to act utilitarianism. • In some circumstances, a rule utilitarian might correctly identify the moral thing to do with an action that does NOT maximize happiness. Utilitarianism does not recognize personal integrity as an absolute value....