Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Appeasement, Jeremy Bentham, Consequentialism
4 Jul 2013
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The right action is the on that maximizes utility (the good, happiness) The right thing to do is to maximize happiness. Commitment to equal concern: everyone to count for one, no one to count for more than one. Human happiness: can"t argue otherwise, everyone counts equally. Impartial concern: from an impartial perspective we must account for others" happiness. Consequentialism: only thing that matters when judging the right action to take is the consequences into considerations, only thing that matters is a forward looking perspective. The experience machine: any experience you want. Obey the law if and only doing so will produce greater happiness than disobeying. Objection: this is a law breakers charter. Do not justify particular actions by appeal to utility promotion. Well being is maximized by each of us obeying the laws. What can be beneficial to you can cause you short term pain. Obeying the law because it makes us better off.
