1. You will learn about normative ethical theories and applied ethics.
Utilitarianism
Kantian Deontology
Business Ethics
Natural Moral Law
Situation Ethics
Euthanasia

2. Normative ethics
Teleological theories – the consequences (or ends) determine the goodness of an action.
Deontological theories – acts are intrinsically right or wrong

3. Teleological and deontological statements
We should permit the abortion because she is too young to look after a child
You should help your Mum because it is your duty
Do what your father says
It’s ok to steal if you are starving
If you tell her the truth she’ll be really upset
Whatever you say, just tell the truth

4. Which are you?

5. Utilitarianism Key Words Learning objective:
To list teleological actions and explain the principle of utility.
To consider the 18th century context of utilitarianism.
Key Words
Teleological
Consequentialist
Utilitarianism
Principle of utility

6.
Arguments why they should be held morally responsible.
Arguments why they should not be. 2 groups

7. Teleological theories
Concerned with the end/goal of an action.
Morality of an action is based on the likely consequences.
Consequentialist.
No moral absolutes.
Actions have only instrumental value, not intrinsic value.

8. For teleological theories to work, we must be able to measure how good/bad a consequence is. They rely on a principle of utility – the measure of usefulness for a purpose.

9. Homework Feedback
What did you learn from the Michael Sandel programme?

10. The Priniciple of utility for the utilitarian is… “An action is right if it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number.” Happiness is the criteria for judging the moral value of an action. The most useful thing is an action that increases happiness.

11. Jeremy Bentham ( )
Bentham was an 18th century philosopher and the most famous utilitarian.

12. What do you know about the 18th century?
Industrial revolution – appalling working conditions.
Concern for the majority.
Social reforms were put in place – abolition of slavery/factory acts.
Poor were starting to receive the attention they needed.

13. Bentham wanted a universal theory of ethics to iron out inequalities
Bentham wanted a universal theory of ethics to iron out inequalities. It targeted the real social needs of the time.
He rejected religion – evangelical Christians were preaching that poverty was a God-ordained state that could not be changed. He rejected that God could make some people rich and some poor.

14. Read page 38-39 of your handout on utilitarianism.
Highlight the important points as you read it and then summarise the information in five short bullet points in your notes.

15. ‘Everybody to count for one, nobody for more than one.’
Jeremy Bentham
Recip read quote.
Clarify
Any words or phrases that you don’t understand.
Summarise
What you think the quote means.
Question
What questions do you have about this quote? Do you agree?

16. We can therefore describe utilitarianism as an egalitarian theory and a democratic theory because it counts everybody’s happiness equally.

17. “As soon as slavery is established, it becomes the lot of the greatest number...The advantage is only on the side of a single person, the disadvantages are on the side of the multitude”
Jeremy Bentham
Recip read quote.
Clarify
Any words or phrases that you don’t understand.
Summarise
What you think the quote means.
Question
What questions do you have about this quote? Do you agree?

18. Re-cap on whiteboards…
Define teleological Define consequentialist What is the ‘principle of utility’ for a Utilitarian? Who is the main thinker associated with Utilitarianism? What century did he live in?

19. “An action is right if it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number.” So how could we decide or figure out what action would produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number?

20. Give the following a score of how much pleasure or pain they cause on a scale of -10 to 10 where 0 is neutral.

21. Bentham said…
The likelihood of an action bringing about happiness can be calculated by adding the amount of pleasure and subtracting the amount of pain. He proposed the hedonic calculus (the pleasure calculus.)

22. Hedonic calculus (p.40)
Seven tests to assess the utility of an action:
Intensity – how strong is the pleasure/pain
Duration – how long will it last
Certainty – how likely is it to occur
Propinquity – how soon will it occur
Fecundity – how likely is the action to produce more pleasure
Purity – will the pleasure be mixed with pain
Extent – how many people will be affected

23. Which would get the highest score on the hedonic calculus. Why
Which would get the highest score on the hedonic calculus? Why? (Use page 40 of your handout)

24. How useful is Bentham’s hedonic calculus in solving the following dilemmas?
You are pregnant but have booked a skiing holiday. Should you terminate the pregnancy and enjoy your skiing carefree or cancel the holiday and have the pleasure of watching your child grow up?

25. 2. You find a wallet of someone you know to be very rich
2. You find a wallet of someone you know to be very rich. You desperately need a new suit to attend a job interview since you are unemployed. The wallet is stuffed with money. Do you buy yourself a new suit to increase your chances of getting a job or return the wallet?

26. 3. You are in a hot air balloon which is losing height rapidly and will soon crash because it is overweight; therefore you have to get rid of seven of the passengers. Who would you choose? The passengers are: Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, An elderly man, Nelson Mandela, Mikael Gorbachev, Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, a pregnant woman, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Beethoven , Vincent Van Gogh , Jane Austen, a depressed person, a teenager, a billionaire.

27. Utilitarianism
Where do you stand and why?
FOR
AGAINST

28. “So long as they promised the best consequences…it would forbid nothing, not rape, not torture, not even murder.”
Philip Petitt
Recip read quote.
Clarify
Any words or phrases that you don’t understand.
Summarise
What you think the quote means.
Question
What questions do you have about this quote? Do you agree?

29. Is bentham’s theory Flawed?
Some pleasurable sensations are those of the sadist. The hedonic calculus seems to leave room for immoral acts if they maximise the pleasure of the majority.

30. Homework
Complete questions 1-6 on page 40 of your handout. You may type or hand write your answers. Make sure you…
use full sentences
Mention the hedonic calculus
Include key terms like teleological, egalitarian, consequentialist, Jeremy Bentham, democratic.