Utilitarianism Philosophy Overview

Chapter Aims

• Addresses criticisms of utilitarianism.
• Defends the philosophy against the label of "swine philosophy" by emphasizing "higher pleasures."
• Introduces the concept of competent judges to discern higher pleasures.
• Defines happiness as a collective experience, not just individual satisfaction.
• Explains that secondary principles make utilitarianism practical.

Opening Argument

• Begins by confronting misunderstandings of the term pleasure in utilitarianism.
• Clarifies that utilitarianism encompasses both pleasure and the avoidance of pain.

Greatest Happiness Principle

• Defines the creed: "Actions are right as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness."

Importance of "Tend"

• The word "tend" implies a rule-based approach to utilitarianism, suggesting broader principles rather than mere calculations of outcomes.

Critique of Consequentialism

• Points out a limitation in focusing solely on consequences by neglecting the motivations behind actions.

Response to Carlyle's Objection

• Responds to the critique of utilitarianism as a lowly doctrine by asserting the existence of higher faculties in humans.
• Introduces the distinction between higher and lower pleasures, highlighting that not all pleasures are equal.

Support for Quality of Pleasure

• Cites Crisp's example of Haydn and the oyster to illustrate the preference for quality over mere quantity in pleasures.
• Argues that while different species experience pleasure differently, humans inherently seek higher pleasures.

Nozick's Counterargument

• Discusses Nozick's experience machine argument, which claims humans desire authentic experiences over mere pleasure.
• Mill counters that the pursuit of collective happiness cannot occur in an isolated pleasure machine, linking virtue to true happiness.

Warnock's Counterargument

• Critiques the inherent value of higher pleasures, suggesting they are just societal recommendations.
• Mill's refutation lies in the role of secondary principles and the general happiness principle guiding actions toward higher pleasures.

Definition of Competent Judges

• Competent judges are those who have experienced both pleasures in question, allowing them to make informed judgments about desirability.

Key Distinction Quote

• “It is better to be a human satisfied than a pig satisfied,” emphasizing that human discontent can yield greater utility due to the capacity for higher pleasures.