Utilitarianism Theory: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

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Questions and Answers

What is an example of utilitarianism mentioned in the text?

Establishing a Food Donation Program

Fixing faulty brakes in cars

Donating clothes to people in need

Building a highway by bulldozing someone's home (correct)

How does utilitarianism relate to redistribution of money from the rich to the poor?

Encouraging wealth accumulation

Maximizing overall happiness (correct)

Supporting economic inequality

Promoting individual rights

If a CEO applies a utilitarian approach to a situation, what would they prioritize?

Avoiding any costs related to product recalls

Ensuring customer safety and satisfaction (correct)

Maximizing shareholder profits

Ignoring customer complaints

In the context of utilitarianism, why is fostering transparent and effective communication important?

To maximize happiness and minimize negative impacts Signup and view all the answers

How does a food donation program align with utilitarian principles?

It aims to benefit the community as a whole Signup and view all the answers

Which action demonstrates utilitarianism in addressing faulty brakes in cars according to the text?

Conducting pre-production testing to enhance product quality Signup and view all the answers

What is ethics defined as in the text?

The science and art of learning Signup and view all the answers

How does ethics study man according to the text?

As a rational being who can distinguish between right and wrong Signup and view all the answers

What do ethics propose for how man ought to live his life?

Meaningfully Signup and view all the answers

Who are mentioned as philosophers in the text?

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill Signup and view all the answers

What does ethics examine according to the text?

How man is accountable for his actions and their consequences Signup and view all the answers

According to utilitarianism, what is the basis for judging the rightness of an action?

The consequences or results of the action Signup and view all the answers

Who are the two proponents of utilitarianism?

Jeremy Bentham and John Lennon Signup and view all the answers

What is the principle of utility in utilitarianism concerned with?

Producing happiness or good outcomes Signup and view all the answers

According to Bentham, what are the two sovereign masters that govern human behavior?

Pleasure and Pain Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes higher pleasures from lower pleasures in utilitarianism?

Lower pleasures are base instincts while higher pleasures are more intellectual accomplishments. Signup and view all the answers

Which concept in utilitarianism states that an action is considered right if it brings happiness to the greatest number of people?

Principle of the Greatest Number Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Utilitarianism

A moral/ethical theory that emphasizes the maximization of overall happiness or pleasure
Founded by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill
Key principle: Right action/Moral act = Results to a useful consequence = Results to happiness or good

Principle of Utility

Actions are judged based on their usefulness to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness
Focuses on the consequences of an action

Sovereign Masters

Two supreme powers that drive human behavior: Pleasure and Pain
Examples of Pleasure: Ice cream, gifts, vacation, perfect score
Examples of Pain: Hunger, being fired, no money, heartbreak

Higher and Lower Pleasures

Higher pleasures: Intellectual pleasures unique to humans (e.g., music, art)
Lower pleasures: Base pleasures also present in beasts (e.g., food, sex, self-gratification)

Principle of the Greatest Number

An action is right when it brings happiness/pleasure to the greatest number of people
Examples: Bulldozing someone's home for a highway, redistributing excess money from the rich to the poor

Ethics

Combines with Science and Art
Definition: The science and art of learning, teaching, cooking, management, etc.
Ethics as a Science: The study of the morality of human acts
Ethics as a branch of knowledge: Deals with moral principles that govern a person's behavior

Human Acts

Intentional actions, such as walking, reading, playing
Distinguished from instinctual acts, such as blinking, dreaming, feeling full or hungry

Ethics and Morality

Ethics studies man as a moral being, able to distinguish between right and wrong
Immoral actions: Cheating, answering back to parents
Moral actions: Trying dogs to serve as guards

Philosophers

People who seek wisdom and enlightenment
Examples: Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Jesus, Socrates, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Emmanuel Kant

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Description

Learn about Utilitarianism, the moral/ethical theory by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Understand how the principle of utility determines right actions based on producing happiness or good consequences.