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Sep 9, 2014

Utilitarianism:

What is utilitarianism? = Wiki

A theory in ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility,
usually defined as maximizing total benefit and reducing suffering or the negatives. Classical
utilitarianism's two most influential contributors are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

. spar- notes says about Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism, by John Stuart Mill, is an essay written to provide support for the value of
utilitarianism as a moral theory, and to respond to misconceptions about it. Mill defines
utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that "actions are right in proportion as they tend
to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness." Mill defines
happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. He argues that pleasure can differ in quality and
quantity, and that pleasures that are rooted in one's higher faculties should be weighted more
heavily than baser pleasures. Furthermore, Mill argues that people's achievement of goals and
ends, such as virtuous living, should be counted as part of their happiness.

The theory of utilitarianism has been criticized for many reasons. Critics hold that it does not
provide adequate protection for individual rights, that not everything can be measured by the
same standard, and that happiness is more complex than reflected by the theory. Mill's essay
represents his attempt to respond to these criticisms, and thereby to provide a more complex and
nuanced moral theory.
.
Mill delineates how to differentiate between higher- and lower-quality pleasures: A pleasure is of
higher quality if people would choose it over a different pleasure even if it is accompanied by
discomfort, and if they would not trade it for a greater amount of the other pleasure. Moreover,
Mill contends, it is an "unquestionable fact" that, given equal access to all kinds of pleasures,
people will prefer those that appeal to their "higher" faculties. A person will not choose to
become an animal, an educated person will not choose to become ignorant, and so on. Even
though a person who uses higher faculties often suffers more in life (hence the common dictum
"ignorance is bliss"), he would never choose a lower existence, preferring instead to maintain his
dignity.

What I got from Utilitarianism.

What does U have to do with morality?
In utilitarianism, the moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting consequences

Other set of strategies
Utilitarianism
Mill = greatest happiness principle: principle (restated) -> the right action is the action that
produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Likewise with bad actions

But what is happiness? That which does not makes us unhappy. -> suffering/pain
What about health?

Milles -> happiness is whatever is good in human life, the thing that we all want
Unhappiness-> suffering the thing we want to avoid
The thing that we all want-> 10 headaches 5 painkillers-> seems to be based in quantity vs
quality ->simple
but happiness then becomes not an incentive but a conformity
How do you measure happiness?

Does this treats the happiness of every body equally? Every body is being taking into
account exactly in the same way->
X allows suffering to be impose on a few for the sake of all

Dimension on which util. theories can vary
1. What is to be maximized
2. What is the way to maximize H method of maximization
what is happiness= pleasure
unhappiness = pain/suffering
Mill= happiness whatever it is it can
1 it can explain why everything that is good is good
2 there is no explanation of why it, it self is good

Candidates
1 pleasure/pain
2 define satisfaction

1) Benton -> vary only on intensity and duration
respond to Benton people need to experience pain to recognize happiness. What
about those people that cant experience pain?
Pleasant
Neutral
pain
2) Impossible to experience total happiness -> you will get bored
How do you compare pain with others? Across people
3) Mill higher + lwer plesures = easier to measure

Mill
Categories of pleasure
Higher
Intellectual
Lower
Sex/food ->
Why in that order= ? sport vs boring excersice
Maybe he orverstates his case, all we need is just you prefer higher pleasure over slightly

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