1. Utilitarianism Morality Depends on the Consequences
Chapter 23
Utilitarianism
Morality Depends on the Consequences

2. John Stuart Mill and Ideal Utilitarianism
The form of utilitarianism advanced by Mill recognizes qualitative distinctions:
And not just the quantitative measure of pleasure endorsed by Bentham
How are we to tell which of two pleasures is the qualitatively better one?
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Bentham’s Hedonistic Calculus
The value of a pleasure or pain considered by itself, will be greater or less by:
1. Its intensity
2. Its duration
3. Its certainty or uncertainty
4. Its propinquity or remoteness
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Bentham’s Hedonistic Calculus
When the value of any pleasure or pain is considered for the purpose of estimating:
The tendency of any act which is produced, two circumstances taken into account:
Its fecundity
Its purity
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. The Introduction of Qualitative Distinctions
Mill thinks that the person who has experienced two (or more) forms of:
Entertainment will naturally prefer the “higher” of the pleasures, but is this necessarily so?
What can he mean by better when he says
“Better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied”?
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. The Introduction of Qualitative Distinctions
Why is it better to be a dissatisfied human being than a satisfied pig?
Surely Aristotle would say because we are human beings
And every creature must be true to its nature
Mill cannot take this line of argument
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Rule and Act Utilitarianism
Mill consistently denied that pleasure or happiness to be sought was only that of:
The person acting—it should include the greatest number possible
The greatest happiness principle was reworded to include the:
Greatest happiness of the greatest number
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Further Difficulties of Utilitarianism
Contemporary defenders recognize that there are several basic difficulties with the:
Original formulation of the utilitarian view
Fairness and Minority Rights
The Problem of Conflicting Rules
Proof for Utilitarianism
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism
English philosopher, economist, social critic
One of the leaders in the social movement known as utilitarianism
Mill was a staunch advocate of individual liberty and women’s equality.
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. John Stuart Mill: Utilitarianism
Among his books are:
System of Logic (two volumes), Principles of Political Economy (two volumes), and Utilitarianism
Of What Sort of Proof the Principle of Utility Is Susceptible
The only proof capable of being given that an object is visible, is that people actually see it
© Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.