CORE1020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Rule Utilitarianism
Document Summary
Utilitarianism: direct vs indirect consequences, quantitative utilitarianisms (bentham) v qualitative (mill) v preference (singer, act vs rule utilitarianism. Enlightenment: eighteenth century philosophical movement marked by rejection of traditional social, religious, and political authority, and an emphasis on using one"s own reason. Consequences: good or bad results produced by an action. Hedonic calculus: developed by bentham to measure the quantity of various pleasures and pain. Hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure is the primary good that life has to offer. Principle of utility: actions are morally right to the extent that they produce utility or beneficial consequences. Qualitative distinctions amongst pleasures: for mill & singer the quality of pleasure or satisfaction produced by an action is the primary focus of calculation for the impartial decision maker. The moral theory of utilitarianism builds on the classic greek concept that the pursuit of happiness is the ultimate goal (telos) for human beings.
