1. On your whiteboard: What is teleology? What is hedonism?
What is utilitarianism?
We tried applying utilitarianism to some ethical issues. What else did we say we needed to know?

2. Key Question: How does an act utilitarian make moral decisions?
Act Utilitarianism
Key Question:
How does an act utilitarian make moral decisions?

3. Jeremy Bentham - background
HW task – research the social, religious and political background at Bentham’s time.

4. The Principle of Utility
Jeremy Bentham based his theory on The Principle of Utility, which states that: 
The right thing to do in any situation is whatever will result in “the greatest good for the greatest number”.
Because Bentham is a hedonist, “the greatest good” means the highest balance of pleasure over pain.
So for Bentham, any time you have to choose between possible courses of action, you should choose the option which will result in the greatest balance of pleasure over pain.

5. Example:
Remember the example of the terrorist who is going to set off a bomb that will kill thousands of people. Can you shoot him to stop the bomb going off? What would Bentham say? Explain how the principle of utility would apply here.

6. Act Utilitarianism
Bentham’s method of making ethical decisions is also known as Act Utilitarianism, because you have to make this calculation for each act that you ever want to do.
But how do we measure the balance of pleasure over pain that will result from an action?

7. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. 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

17. Other key points:
We need to subtract the pain from the pleasure to see which action causes the greatest net total of pleasure over pain. Look at this example:
Act Utilitarianism is an egalitarian theory because Bentham famously said that when calculating which the right action is:
“Each is to count for one, and none for more than one”
This means that the happiness or unhappiness of any one person should count for exactly the same amount as anybody else’s.
Action A
Action B
Action C
50 units of pleasure
100 units of pleasure
48 units of pleasure
5 units of pain
100 units of pain
2 units of pain
Total: 45 hedons
Total: 0 hedons
Total: 46 hedons

18. 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?

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

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