Utilitarianism and Maximizing Utility

• Heterodoxy, or heterodox thinking, was experienced after reading the questions from the 2021 John Locke Global Essay Competition, particularly regarding maximizing utility

Utilitarianism

• All human decisions are fundamentally driven by the desire to maximize utility
• The best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being
• Often summed up as "the greatest good for the greatest number"
• It is a consequentialist theory, so the morality of an action depends on its outcomes

Core Argument

• All human actions are ultimately driven by self-interest and the pursuit of happiness, even those that appear altruistic
• Utility isn't just about pleasure in a hedonistic sense, but about a broader conception of well-being
• All human actions, from trivial choices like picking a pen to major life decisions, are driven by the subconscious aim to maximize personal utility, defined as pleasure minus pain
• This is a universal trait, drawing on utilitarianism, Aristotle’s view of happiness as an ultimate end, and psychological egoism

Example

• Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and Daisy mirrors everyday decisions
• Choosing a blue pen over a black one reflects a calculation; maybe the blue evokes joy, maximizing utility in that moment

Addressing Selflessness

• Even charity maximizes utility
• Donating time or money brings joy, pride, or relief from guilt
• Psychological egoism suggests there’s always a self-interested motive, even if it’s subtle, like feeling good about helping others

Countering Duty (Deontology)

• Kant’s deontology argues actions should follow moral rules, not consequences
• People only follow rules, like honesty, if they believe it ultimately benefits them, whether through social approval or inner peace
• Duty might just be utility in disguise

Concession and Strength

• Predicting consequences is imperfect
• Action on what is believed will maximize utility based on practical reasoning, not perfect foresight
• Argument is realistic, not rigid

Criticisms of Utilitarianism

• Ignores individual rights
• Happiness is subjective and hard to measure
• It demands too much (is too impersonal)
• It only focuses on the outcome, not intentions

Ignores Individual Rights

• Utilitarianism could justify harming one person to benefit many, such as sacrificing one patient to distribute their organs to five others
• Modern utilitarianism (especially Rule Utilitarianism) in practice doesn't always support extreme scenarios
• Promotes rules that maximize happiness in the long run, like protecting human rights, because a society where everyone lives in fear of being sacrificed would create more suffering overall
• Most human decisions naturally balance self-interest and collective well-being without resorting to extremes

Happiness Is Subjective + Hard to Measure

• It may be hard to measure happiness or to know if one person's happiness is worth the same as another’s
• Utilitarianism doesn't claim to be perfect to measure happiness, it just says we should try to make the best estimate
• Many policies (like healthcare systems) already use quality of life measurements, so it's not impossible
• Subjective happiness still follows predictable patterns, like how almost everyone values health, security, and relationships

Demands Too Much (Too Impersonal)

• A pure Utilitarian should donate all their money to charity instead of buying coffee or going on vacation
• Utilitarianism is more about general guidelines than perfect self-sacrifice
• It's better if everyone does some good rather than expecting a few people to do everything
• Small acts of self-interest (like choosing what makes you happy) can still benefit society as a whole
• Maybe utilitarianism is more realistic because it assumes people will prioritize themselves first, and that's exactly what makes collective happiness possible

Only Focuses on the Outcome, Not Intentions

• If someone accidentally helps others without meaning to, it is not morally good within a Utilitarian framework
• Intentions can still matter indirectly under utilitarianism
• If good intentions often lead to better outcomes, then it's rational to promote good intentions as a general rule
• Practical reasoning happens naturally, even without consciously calculating outcomes
• Intentions often align with utility anyway, because humans are wired to feel good when they help others

Why People Still Support Utilitarianism

• Flexible and can adapt to different situations
• Promotes altruism and fairness
• Works well for public policy and is a very economic way of thinking
• Encourages thinking beyond personal biases

Final Thoughts

• Utilitarianism's biggest strength is that it forces people to think about others, not just themselves
• It asks what will actually make life better for the most people
• Maybe the real reason utilitarianism is controversial is because it forces a questioning of personal happiness matters more than a stranger's
• A heterodox twist: what if collective good sometimes requires rejecting personal utility—like risking jail for a protest?