Rule Utilitarianism Flashcards

Study Notes

Rule Utilitarianism Overview

Rule utilitarianism establishes ethical rules and norms, akin to "moral traffic lights," guiding behavior for better overall happiness.
Traffic lights serve as an illustration: their absence would create chaos, reinforcing the need for universal adherence to clear rules.

Function of Secondary Principles

Secondary principles are derived from experience, promoting actions that generally yield the greatest happiness.
Adherence to these principles is crucial, even if occasionally breaking them might seem to result in better outcomes (e.g., "Do not lie").

Strengths of Rule Utilitarianism

General rules provide a framework that mitigates issues present in act utilitarianism, simplifying moral decision-making.
Rule utilitarianism advocates for following established rules, as a consistent approach is believed to achieve the greatest good.

Strong vs. Weak Rule Utilitarianism

Strong Rule Utilitarian: Consistently adheres to secondary principles without exception, with moral value tied to rule-following.
Weak Rule Utilitarian: Accepts the breaking of secondary principles in exceptional situations if it leads to a greater good; moral value is based on the principle of utility.

Examples of Practical Application

In a scenario with a dangerous individual, a strong rule utilitarian would disclose a location, while a weak rule utilitarian would prioritize the victim's safety by withholding information.

Criticism of Strong Rule Utilitarianism

Rigid adherence to rules can lead to counter-intuitive outcomes, where following the rule might result in more harm than benefit.

Criticism of Weak Rule Utilitarianism

The necessity to evaluate exceptions to rules risks reverting to act utilitarianism, which is criticized for being impractical in moral deliberation.

Rule Collapse into Act Utilitarianism

The potential for constantly refining rules to maximize utility raises concerns that rule utilitarianism may devolve into act utilitarianism.
If rules require continuous adjustments to account for varying scenarios, it undermines the simplicity and efficacy that rule utilitarianism aims to offer.

Description

Explore the concept of rule utilitarianism through flashcards that provide examples and definitions. Understand how rules like traffic lights contribute to overall happiness and order in society. Perfect for students and those interested in ethics.