PHIL 230 Lecture Notes - Value Theory, Hedonism
25 Feb 2013
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Four characteristics of a pleasure or pain to account for: intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity. Everything human beings do is motivated by pain and pleasure. Moral judgments- we approve or disapprove of an action in regard to its ability to augment or diminish total happiness (principle of utility) Happiness is a synonym for pleasure (pleasure + the absence of pain) Believes that all of us already accept the principle of utility, his job to clarify misconceptions. Moral theory- utilitarianism- the rightness or wrongness of an action is wholly determined by its impact on total happiness. Value theory- hedonism- pleasure and pain alone are intrinsically valuable: mill does not see them as independent. Is he really a hedonist: we question this because of the hierarchy of pleasures . Pleasure and pain alone are intrinsically valuable. Hedonism commits us to the view that humans ultimately seek pleasure. He says we have higher pleasures than pigs.
