Readings
Texts
- J.S. Mill, "Utilitarianism", chapter 1 (from last time)
- J.S. Mill, "Utilitarianism", chapter 2 (from last time)
Notes
- Classical Utilitarianism (from last time)
- Is Happiness All that Matters? (from last time)
Cases
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (from last time)
- Adolescent Breast Augmentation (from last time)
- Smokin Ride (from last time)
- Central Park Karen's Comeuppance
- Glad-Handing Below the Belt
Synopsis
Today we got started on the first of three major moral normative theories which attempt to provide this alternative.
Utilitarian Ethical Theory (UET) is a cluster of theories all of which start from the notion that the morality of an action is determined by its consequences. Crudely put, right actions have good consequences; wrong actions have bad consequences. Exactly how we determine the good in good consequences or the bad in bad consequences is a problem for axiology, or the study of value. We might argue, for example, that happiness is the sole intrinsic good, where intrinsic goods are those goods sought for their own sake and extrinsic or instrumental goods are sought for the sake of something else. If happiness is the sole intrinsic good, then those states of affairs which bring about greater happiness are intrinsically more valuable than states of affairs which do not. If, further, we seek to maximize happiness by our actions for the greatest number considered equally, we have the core idea of what we shall call Classical Utilitarianism (CU). We'll have much more to say about all these points next time.
Taking Classical Utilitarianism as our starting point, today we fleshed out the theory and provided an example of its application. Next time we will consider many of its unique characteristics, take up some Reflective Equilibrium arguments against it, and consider how the Utilitarian might respond by developing alternative utilitarian theories. Time permitting, we will take up some concrete cases so as to better ground our understanding of the utilitarian approach to moral dilemmas.