Philosophy: Utilitarianism and John Stuart Mill

Utilitarianism

• A theory of moral philosophy that is based on the principle that an action is morally right if it produces a greater quantity of good or happiness than any other possible action.
• It is consequentialism in nature, meaning that the moral rightness of an action is determined by its consequences.
• The greatest happiness for the greatest number is the ultimate goal of utilitarianism.

John Stuart Mill

• A British philosopher and economist who expanded and refined the ideas of utilitarianism.
• He was a wayward disciple of Bentham and believed that an act is morally right if it produces the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.

Principles of Utilitarianism

• An act is morally right if it produces the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people and it is morally wrong if it produces more pain than pleasure to the greatest number of people.
• There are three generally accepted principles of utilitarianism.

Objections to Utilitarianism

• First objection: Utilitarianism allegedly endorses a "swinish doctrine" because it does not account for the moral goodness of acts of martyrdom or self-sacrifice.
• Second objection: It is bound to fail because there is no objective way to decide which type of pleasure is superior to the other types.
• Third objection: It cannot account for the moral goodness of acts of martyrdom or self-sacrifice.

Kant's Categorical Imperative

• A moral philosophy that classifies duties as perfect and imperfect.
• Perfect duties are always true, while imperfect duties allow flexibility.
• Kant argued that perfect duties are more important than imperfect duties, as they must be followed in conflicts between duties.

Types of Duties

• Hypothetical Imperatives: These are based on desires or goals.
• Categorical Imperative: This is a moral principle that is based on reason and is universal.

Criticisms of Kantian Ethics

• Kantian ethics criticizes its discounting of outcome in evaluating morality.
• Kant's formula of humanity states that human life is sacred and inviolable, and killing one person for millions is impermissible.

Millenials and Fillenials

• Millenials are people born between 1980 and 1995.
• Fillenials are Filipino people born between 1980 and 1995.

Emotions and Morality

• Emotions provide rapid, intuitive responses to moral dilemmas, helping individuals make swift decisions in complex situations.
• Feelings can highlight the moral significance of a situation, prompting individuals to give more thought to ethical consideration.
• Feelings can act as a moral compass, helping individuals align their actions with their personal values and personal norms.

Cons of Feelings as a Modifier of Decision Making

• We make quick decisions without knowing why, and then create rational reasons to justify a poor emotional decision.
• The intensity of emotion can override rational decision making in cases where it is clearly needed.

Intellectual and Moral Virtues

• Intellectual virtues relate particularly to our professions, i.e., they will differ for a truck driver, cook, lawyer, farmer, doctor, etc.
• Moral virtues are common to all humans, but they may vary in degree according to our capacities.

Natural Law

• The rational understanding and following of God's final purpose.
• Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) believed that humans were created with the ability to reason and can therefore choose to follow an intended purpose.
• St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) developed the idea of natural law, stating that God created everything with a sense of purpose.
• Anything that prevents or interferes with the purpose for which something is created is wrong.

Good Character

• Happiness comes from developing a good character.
• A good character comes from the development of good habits.

Two Causes

• Efficient cause: the agent that brings something about.
• Final cause: the final aim or purpose of something.

Secondary Precepts

• These are more specific such as to only have one husband or wife.
• They must be interpreted in the context of the situation.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Natural Law

• Strengths: Based on reason, good guidance is given on how to behave, it is an example of absolute morality, it is a clear-cut theory, and it is straightforward.
• Weaknesses: There is no need to look at each individual situation to work out if an action is right or wrong, and it is not flexible.

This quiz covers the basics of utilitarianism, a moral philosophy that aims to maximize happiness, and its relation to John Stuart Mill, a British philosopher and economist.