MF 5
MF 5
MF 5
U5litarianism
Ac5ons
are
not
good/evil
in
themselves
Depends
on
the
consequences
Not
concerned
with
mo5ve
U5litarianism
Balancing
the
needs
and
interests
of
everyone
Greatest
Happiness
for
the
Greatest
Number
Cost-Benet
analysis
2/20/14
Peter Singer
Democra5c,
progressive,
empiricist,
and
op5mis5c
Equality
of
concern
Not
aristocra5c
Who Counts?
Each
human?
Each
member
of
our
own
society?
Each
sen5ent
being?
Peter
Singer
b.
1946
Hedonism?
All
other
goods
are
instrumental
for
producing
pleasure/happiness
Cf.
psychological
egoism
Cri5cisms
of
U5litarianism
Too
hard
to
predict/calculate
outcomes
Ignores
moral
intui5ons
about
what
really
maeers
Reduces
to
hedonism
Rejects
egois5c
self-interest
Jeremy
Bentham
1748-1832
In
favor
of
u5litarianism
Happiness
(pleasure)
does
seem
to
be
the
nal
end
that
we
all
pursue
and
desire
Impar5ality
and
neutrality
are
key
Quan5ta5ve
analysis
of
pleasure/happiness
allows
for
a
calculus
2/20/14
J.S.
Mill
1806-1873
Mill
Humans
experience
higher
goods
Some
kinds
of
pleasure
are
more
desirable
No
human
wants
to
be
a
mere
beast
Higher
being
needs
higher
pleasures
to
make
him
happy
(more
sensi5ve?)
Ex.
Love
of
liberty
and
independence
maeer
for
human
beings
2/20/14