Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory which means actions should be made depending on their
outcome, consequence. It is also relative and normative; relative being case by case and normative being it
tells you how to make a decision. It is also reductionist as it reduces good and evil to pleasure and pain. It
believes that good and evil is measured by pain and pleasure, nothing else, this is known as hedonism.
Jeremmy Bentham and Act Utilitarianism – Bentham proposed ‘The Principle of Utility’, this is the
principle that approves or disapproves of every action according to the tendency it appears to have to increase
or lesson the happiness of the person or group at interest. So what exactly is utility? Something that tends to
produce happiness or to prevent pain.
Impartiality – ‘everyone is to count for one, nobody for more than one.’ This essentially means that
everyone is of the same value (one) and therefore judged by what will produce the most pleasure. For example
if you could save a doctor or your mother, you would save the doctor since that action will produce the most
pleasure.
Act Utilitarianism also sacrifices paternalism, meaning that you cannot decide what is good for someone else.
If someone enjoys watching a low-level soap opera rather than an award-winning theatre masterpiece, they
should be allowed to enjoy that. However this only goes so far as act utilitarianism is based on the tyranny of
the majority; what most people want goes. So if more people like the awarding winning masterpiece, the low-
level soap shouldn’t be shown.
How do you measure how much pleasure an action will produce? Well this is where Bentham’s hedonic calculus
comes in. He found seven components which determine how much utility an action has.
Continued…
Extent – How many people does this pleasure affect?
Propinquity – How close in time is the pleasure for those
involved?
Intensity – How strong is the pleasure?
Certainty – How sure are you that the pleasure is guaranteed?
Purity – Will the pleasure be followed by a sensation of pain?
Duration – How long does this pleasure last?
Fecundity – Will this pleasure lead to more pleasure?
[E×P×I×C×P×D×F] EPIC PDF
Summary – The action that has the consequences of maximising pleasure (or minimising pain) is the
moral / good thing to do. It does not matter what the action is, only the consequences. Each action is judged
individually according to its consequences.
pg. 1
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory which means actions should be made depending on their
outcome, consequence. It is also relative and normative; relative being case by case and normative being it
tells you how to make a decision. It is also reductionist as it reduces good and evil to pleasure and pain. It
believes that good and evil is measured by pain and pleasure, nothing else, this is known as hedonism.
Jeremmy Bentham and Act Utilitarianism – Bentham proposed ‘The Principle of Utility’, this is the
principle that approves or disapproves of every action according to the tendency it appears to have to increase
or lesson the happiness of the person or group at interest. So what exactly is utility? Something that tends to
produce happiness or to prevent pain.
Impartiality – ‘everyone is to count for one, nobody for more than one.’ This essentially means that
everyone is of the same value (one) and therefore judged by what will produce the most pleasure. For example
if you could save a doctor or your mother, you would save the doctor since that action will produce the most
pleasure.
Act Utilitarianism also sacrifices paternalism, meaning that you cannot decide what is good for someone else.
If someone enjoys watching a low-level soap opera rather than an award-winning theatre masterpiece, they
should be allowed to enjoy that. However this only goes so far as act utilitarianism is based on the tyranny of
the majority; what most people want goes. So if more people like the awarding winning masterpiece, the low-
level soap shouldn’t be shown.
How do you measure how much pleasure an action will produce? Well this is where Bentham’s hedonic calculus
comes in. He found seven components which determine how much utility an action has.
Continued…
Extent – How many people does this pleasure affect?
Propinquity – How close in time is the pleasure for those
involved?
Intensity – How strong is the pleasure?
Certainty – How sure are you that the pleasure is guaranteed?
Purity – Will the pleasure be followed by a sensation of pain?
Duration – How long does this pleasure last?
Fecundity – Will this pleasure lead to more pleasure?
[E×P×I×C×P×D×F] EPIC PDF
Summary – The action that has the consequences of maximising pleasure (or minimising pain) is the
moral / good thing to do. It does not matter what the action is, only the consequences. Each action is judged
individually according to its consequences.
pg. 1
