PHIL1071 Lecture : Utilitarianism.docx
Document Summary
Bentham"s principle of utilitarianism stems from the word utility which can otherwise be defined as usefulness. He believes that the best form of morality is derived from creating maximum happiness, which is essentially the establishment of pleasure and prevention of pain. Lesser in order to benefit the more. the example sandel uses to illustrate utilitarianism is. The lifeboat decision, in which three men chose to murder a forth man in order to live. The forth man"s pain contributed to the three men"s pleasure, therefore, although an act of murder, this decision was of moral utilitarianism. It was better that one man unwillingly died to save three, rather than all four men die. Bentham"s perception of morality cares more for the whole than it does for individual rights. Consequently, this is the glaring weakness of utilitarianism. Rather, their opinions can only be added to or subtracted from the majority. Also, utilitarianism doesn"t judge the opinion; it only counts it.
