2. BASIC
ETHICS

3. 1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
AGENDA
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2. HARM PRINCIPLE
3. DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

4. UTILITARIAN PRINCIPLE:
A. CONSEQUENCIALISM
UTILITARIAN PRINCIPLE:
GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
IS IT OKAY TO CUT OPEN SOMEONE TO GIVE THEIR ORGANS TO FIVE DYING PEOPLE?
UTILITY MONSTER
REPUGNANT CONCLUSION
INTER-PERSONAL UTILITY CALCULATIONS
PICTURE: JEREMY BENTHAM
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

5. CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (REPHRASED) :
B. KANTIANISM
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (REPHRASED) :
YOU CAN NEVER TREAT SOMEONE MERELY AS A MEANS, THEY MUST ALWAYS ALSO BE AN END IN THEMSELVES
IMPLICATIONS:
UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
DETERMINISM
PROBLEM?
ONE INNOCENT > BILLION INNOCENTS
LYING TO THE NAZI OFFICER
PICTURE: IMMANUEL KANT
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

6. THBT DESECRATION OF RELIGIOUS SITES IS A LEGITIMATE TACTIC OF WAR
USING UTILITARIANISM AND KANTIANISM
THBT DESECRATION OF RELIGIOUS SITES IS A LEGITIMATE TACTIC OF WAR
PROP (UTILITARIAN)
WAR IS DREADFUL, HENCE WE MUST TO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THE WAR END FASTER
OPP (KANTIAN)
THERE ARE THINGS WE DON’T DO EVEN IN WAR (E.G. HUMAN SHIELDS, TORTURE, RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR)
DESECRATION OF RELIGIOUS SITES IS SUCH A THING (TARGETING NON-COMBATANTS)
PICTURE: JEREMY BENTHAM
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

7. 1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
USING UTILITARIANISM AND KANTIANISM
THBT THOSE WHO BUY NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS RATHER THAN DONATING TO CHARITY ARE MORALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH’S OF STARVING AFRICAN CHILDREN
PROP (UTILITARIAN)
If a child is drowning and you fail to help him – you are morally responsible for his death. Death of starvation in Africa is no different.
OPP (KANTIAN)
Causal chain – the situation with starving Africans is exactly the same as if you have never been involved, never been born. It is implausible that there is some moral duty relative to that individual with whom you have never been involved.
PICTURE: JEREMY BENTHAM
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

8. 1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
C. NEOCLASSICAL SYNTHESIS OF RIGHTS & UTILITY
HARM PRINCIPLE :
The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of
a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." J.S. Mill
MILL MAINTAINS THIS IS STILL OPTIMAL UNDER UTILITARIANISM. WHY?
A) FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND DISCUSSION IS THE PATH TO TRUTH. TRUTH HELPS ACHIEVE OPTIMAL OUTCOMES.
B) ONLY THE INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES CAN DECIDE WHAT MAKES THEM HAPPY AND THUS THROUGH LIBERTY & NEGATIOATION ACHIEVE OPTIMAL OUTCOMES.
PICTURE: JOHN STEWART MILL
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

9. THW BAN COSMETIC SURGERY INTENDED TO ALTER RACIAL FEATURES
USING THE HARM PRINCIPLE
THW BAN COSMETIC SURGERY INTENDED TO ALTER RACIAL FEATURES
PROP (HARM PRINCIPLE)
State has the right to intervene in two situations- when there’s a social and when there’s an individual harm, autonomy has never been absolute. Individual choices don’t just affect them alone, they affect social perceptions of every other member of that race.
WOULD MILL AGREE?
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

10. VEIL OF IGNORANCE CONCLUSION:
D. RAWLS
VEIL OF IGNORANCE CONCLUSION:
WE SHOULD MAXIMIZE THE UTILITY OF THE WORST OFF INDIVIDUAL
RAWLS LOOKS FOR A SITUATION EVERYONE COULD CONSENT TO
PROBLEM?
So what if there was a principle that gave a small benefit to the least advantaged, but at a
HUGE cost to the middle class?
RESPONSE: GRAVE RISKS
PICTURE: J. RAWLS
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

11. 1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
USING THE DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
THBT MICRO-CREDIT INSTITUTIONS OPERATING IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD SHOULD ONLY GIVE LOANS TO WOMEN
PICTURE: J. RAWLS
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

12. COMMUNITARIANISM: HUMAN PHSYHOLOGY IS SHAPED BY CIRCUMSTANCES
E. MACINTYRE
COMMUNITARIANISM: HUMAN PHSYHOLOGY IS SHAPED BY CIRCUMSTANCES
BASIC IDEAS
INTERDEPENDENT UTILITY
NO ‘CREATIVE, PRE-SOCIETAL’ HUMAN BEING
OUR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE US
IMPLICATIONS
A SOCIETY THAT MAKES PEOPLE THAT ARE ‘GOOD’
HOWEVER, CONCEPTIONS OF ‘GOOD’ ARE BASED ON SOCIETAL CONTEXT
PICTURE: A. MACINTYRE
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

13. TH WELCOMES THE FALL OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM
USING THE COMMUNITARIAN APPROACH
TH WELCOMES THE FALL OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM
PROP (COMMUNITARIANISM)
Even if we were inherently selfish, it is better to live under a system that molds you into being better and not worse. Some cultures in Southern Africa, for example, don't even have a concept of individuality, hence it’s possible.
CAPITALISM MAKES US SELFISH, COMMUNISM MAKES US ALTRUISTIC.
PICTURE: J. RAWLS
1. CONSEQUENTALISM VS UTILITARIANISM
2.HARM PRINCIPLE
3.DIFFERENCE PRINCIPLE
4. COMMUNITARIANISM

14. RESOURCES
STANFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHILOSOPHY