Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Utilitarianism Overview
- teleological theory
- looks at results/consequences
when considering morality
- consequentialist
- an action is right or wrong
dependent on its consequences
- Act Utilitarianism
- Jeremy Bentham
- empirical observation
- believed that theories
should be supported by
evidence
- scientific
- believed the study of
ethics should be
undertaken in a
practical way
- his theories led to extensive social reform
- changes to criminal justice, jury system,
prison, saving banks and cheap postage
- Hedonic Calculus
- amount of pain & pleasure
- all pain & pleasure is equal
- all people considered
- each action is judged individually
- hedonistic
- Principle of utility
- greatest happiness for the
greatest number
- Rule Utilitarianism
- rule is devised and then
followed in a specific
case
- higher and lower pleasures
- quality over quantity
- John Stuart Mill
- Preference Utilitarianism
- should satisfy people's preferences rather
than maximise pleasure
- e.g) dying wishes
- Peter Singer