Ethics (aka Moral Philosophy) Welcome to A2!! Ethics (aka Moral Philosophy)

What is ethics? Ethical theory Applied ethics

How utilitarian are YOU??

You are being held by a terrorist gang You are being held by a terrorist gang. The leader says he will set off a bomb that will kill ten thousand people unless you shoot one man in the head.   Do you shoot the man to save ten thousand innocent people?

You have to torture the man for the rest of his life or the terrorists will kill 10,000 people. Do you torture the man?

You have to let the terrorists kill you in order to save the 10,000. What would you do?

Two kinds of ethical theory Deontological Teleological

Consequences… What is a consequence?

What would you do if your actions today didn’t have any consequences?

Stand here if you always consider the consequences of your actions and that’s the reason why you behave the way you do. Stand at the back if you think you decide how to behave without considering the consequences at all.

On your whiteboard: What is the difference between teleological and deontological ethical theories? Is your ethical decision-making usually teleological or deontological? Explain your answer

Hedonism The only thing that is intrinsically good is pleasure, and the only thing that is intrinsically bad is pain.

Jeremy Bentham What does this mean? “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.” What does this mean?

Is pleasure/ happiness what matters most? Is Hedonism true? Is pleasure/ happiness what matters most?

Robert Nozick – “The Experience Machine” "Suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Superduper neuropsychologists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, preprogramming your life experiences? [...] Of course, while in the tank you won't know that you're there; you'll think that it's all actually happening [...] Would you plug in?."

What are Karl’s three reasons for not plugging into the machine? 4.16 “You don’t want fun all in one go” 4.24 “It’s about things taking time and then looking back at the journey” 5.11 “You need a bit of the badness to have the goodness” What are Karl’s three reasons for not plugging into the machine?

Read Nozick’s Response 1. Summarise Nozick’s thought experiment. (like in the exam, focus on key points. Don’t get too bogged down with the story. Focus on the point he is making.) 2. What are Nozick’s reasons against plugging in? 3. How far do you accept Nozick’s argument?

Nozick’s argument Hedonism claims that the only thing that makes life good is pleasure If hedonism were correct, then we would plug into the machine because we would want pleasurable experiences But we would not plug into the machine Therefore, there is something other than pleasure that makes life good, so hedonism is not true.

What is teleology? 2. What is hedonism? On your whiteboard: What is teleology? 2. What is hedonism?

Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is an ethical theory. It is teleological and hedonistic. So, Utilitarianism says that the right action is…

Write this in your own words. It should be CLEAR and SIMPLE The Principle of Utility “By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according to the tendency it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question: or, what is the same thing in other words to promote or to oppose that happiness. I say of every action whatsoever, and therefore not only of every action of a private individual, but of every measure of government. By utility is meant that property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness, (all this in the present case comes to the same thing) or (what comes again to the same thing) to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered: if that party be the community in general, then the happiness of the community: if a particular individual, then the happiness of that individual.”

In your group… Discuss your issue. What would a utilitarian do in this situation? Jot down your ideas on the sheet and get ready to explain your thinking. Extension What was difficult about this task? What more do you need to know to make the decision-making easier. Based on what we’ve done so far, do you think utilitarianism is an effective way of making moral decisions?

What would a utilitarian do? Shoot one person to save 10,000? Shoot one person to save 3 people? Give your drug-addicted friend lots of heroin, or send him to rehab? Come to college, or stay at home and watch TV? Eat healthy food or eat yummy food? Shoot baby Hitler or save baby Hitler? Save a stranger or save your mum?

Final question… You have started to apply utilitarianism to some basic ethical decisions. If you wanted to use it to make all your decisions, what more do you need to know?

On your whiteboard: What is teleology? 2. What is hedonism? 3. What is the principle of utility?

Hands up! Which action causes the most pleasure…? Eating a chocolate cake or watching a film? Having a baby or winning the lottery? Getting a new cat or passing your A Levels? Helping your granny with her shopping or meeting your friend for a coffee?

But how do you measure pleasure? The Hedonic Calculus Bentham said in order to make the right decision, we need to work out which action will result in the most pleasure. So we need to know how much pleasure any action will result in. But how do you measure pleasure?

Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply:

Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration

Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness

The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness Intensity

The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness Intensity Certainty

The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness Intensity Certainty Extent

The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness Intensity Certainty Extent Purity

The Hedonic Calculus Bentham gives us seven criteria to apply: Duration Remoteness Intensity Certainty Extent Purity Succession

Bentham’s Theory as a whole: Act Utilitarianism What are the consequences of each option? How much pleasure/pain results from each consequence? Which action results in the most pleasure? What are the options? Apply Hedonic Calculus Apply Hedonic Calculus Apply Hedonic Calculus Apply Hedonic Calculus Apply Hedonic Calculus Apply Hedonic Calculus

Let’s try an example… What are the consequences of each option? How much pleasure/pain results from each consequence? Which action results in the most pleasure? What are the options?

Applying the theory… Now choose your own ethical issue and apply Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism.

Before you go… Can you remember all seven points of the hedonic calculus? Is this a good way of measuring pleasure??

On your whiteboard: What is the principle of utility? How does an act utilitarian make moral decisions? What is the hedonic calculus?

1. The Principle of Utility: The right action is the one that results in the greatest good (most pleasure/ happiness) for the greatest number.

2. The Hedonic Calculus: D R I C E P S Duration Remoteness Intensity Certainty Extent Purity Succession

3. How does an act utilitarian make moral decisions?

On your tables… Is this an easy way of making moral decisions? What makes this process difficult? (list the problems on a whiteboard)

In your notes… Knowledge of the future -Unforeseen consequences Knowledge of other people’s pleasure/pain -Mind-reading required Even if we could do these things, we couldn’t do them infinitely -consequences of consequences of consequences…

So… Having seen some of the problems with utilitarianism, can you think of any reasons why people today are still utilitarian? (there are some!!) What are the attractions of the theory?

Pub Quiz: (You need one answer paper for your table) Who came up with utilitarianism? What is the P for in the hedonic calculus? Define hedonism Who criticised hedonism? Utilitarianism is teleological. What is the opposite? What is the S for in the hedonic calculus?

Last time we saw the problems in using act utilitarianism to make decisions – it’s impossible to actually reach a decision. But, let’s assume for today that it does work. Does it give us the right sort of answer? Is the action it recommends always the right one?

A problem for Bentham – in story form!

“The ones who walk away from Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin Briefly summarise the situation in the story. What would Bentham think about this situation, and why? Do you agree with Bentham? Why/ why not? This story highlights a possible problem with Bentham’s ethical theory. What is it?

More problems for Act Utilitarianism… Abuse of minorities Overlooks justice Overlooks duties/ promises Overlooks relationships Overlooks rights/ individual liberty

On your whiteboard: Split your board down the middle and list the strengths and weaknesses of utilitarianism

Creating a revision summary What is the purpose? What should we include? What should we not include? How should we set it out?