1. Utilitarianism Nozick’s Experience Machine
The fact that most people wouldn’t hook themselves up shows they value something other than pleasurable experiences.

2. Utilitarianism
When calculating how much pleasure an action will produce, one should consider
Intensity
Duration
Fecundity (capacity for “growing” more pleasures)
Consequences must be calculated for everyone, not just oneself.

3. Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
Developed Utilitarianism into a popular system
His name, not Bentham’s is synonymous with Utilitarianism today

4. Utilitarianism
Objection: Utilitarianism is a crass, hedonistic philosophy
Mill’s reply: Some pleasure are qualitatively better than other (quality vs. quantity)

5. Utilitarianism
Mill’s defense: “It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.”
Not all pleasures are created equally.
We know some pleasure are better than others because people familiar with both prefer higher pleasures.

6. Utilitarianism Higher pleasures Intellectual Cultural Lower pleasures
Physical/bodily
Common, “blue-collar” pleasures of the uneducated masses

7. Utilitarianism Some pleasures are qualitatively better than others.
Bentham’s system treated all pleasures alike in kind, only differing in quantity.

8. Utilitarianism Objections
Mill is smuggling in other values under the guise of higher quality
pleasure + knowledge
aesthetic (artistic) value
Mill is universalizing the values of the bourgeois elite (classist, ethnocentric)

9. Utilitarianism
Mill: Educating the masses will allow them to experience higher pleasures also.
Objection: What you find pleasurable is purely a matter of conditioning
Reply: Man’s nature will gravitate towards learning, art and culture if afforded the opportunity

10. Utilitarianism: Objections
Too permissive
Utilitarian response: (1) bite the bullet (2) try to show negative side-effects, long-term consequences
Rebuttal of the anti-utilitarian: The Publicity Requirement
Rejoinder: Just don’t get caught
Too demanding

11. Utilitarianism Thought experiments: The Fat Man The Drifter Hanged
The Unwilling Organ Donor
Torturing the Terrorist
The Drowning Child
The Bioweapons job
The Corrupt General and the Coerced Executioner

12. Utilitarianism: Objections
Impractical - calculating takes too long or is too complicated to be practical
Turns people into unfeeling calculating machines beholden to the results of hedonistic calculus
Godless doctrine
“Dirty Hands” objection: Requires one to compromise one’s principles and integrity for the greater good

13. Utilitarianism Notes on the Mill’s text
p. 42 L Epicurus: Ancient Greek Hedonist Philosopher--also misinterpreted, followers called swine
Utility not meant in the common sense of “useful” or “pratical” as distinct from pleasurable

14. Utilitarianism 42-43 Definition
Pleasure of intellect, feeling, imagination, moral sentiment always valued over physical sensations by hedonists
43 Objection: Doctrine worthy of swine

15. Utilitarianism
50 There is nothing good in sacrifice itself, but only for the happiness it produces.
51 Utilitarianism is too demanding
52 Utilitarianism makes people into unfeeling utility-calculating machines

16. Utilitarianism
45 L It’s easier for someone with limited (mental?) capacities to satisfy her desires.
Pigs and fools are easily satisfied, but that doesn’t make their lot superior to human beings or Socrates.
46 R Greatest Happiness Principle: Happiness includes quality and quantity (higher as well as lower pleasures)

17. Utilitarianism 53 R Utilitarianism is “a godless doctrine”
54 R No time to calcuclate the consequences
56 L Too easy to create biased results with calculations

18. Utilitarianism Peter Singer
Does world poverty make Utilitarianism into a demanding philosophy after all?
It is demanding, but that’s no objection, just shows we’re selfish.
Examples
Bob’s Bugatti
Dora’s TV Set