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Utilitarianism: - Movie Clips
Utilitarianism: - Movie Clips
Movie Clips
P G - 1 3 Strong Language
LeGuin won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1974
Modern Criticisms
Quantification and measurability of the good
Incommensurate notions of the good
Ignores other, morally relevant considerations
Human Rights
Justice
Distribution of the good
Difficult and often inconsistent in practice to
solve for U(x) and maximize this variable
No supererogation
No value in performing more than required
by duty
John Stuart Mills Revisions:
Utilitarianism
Elevate the Doctrine of the Swine
Pleasures of the intellect, not the flesh
Qualitatively better, not quantitatively
An act is right if, and only if, it An act is right if, and only if, it
results in as much good as any is required by a rule that is
available alternative itself a member of a set of
rules, whose acceptance will
lead to greater utility for society
than any other available
alternative.
Pojman 151-152
Rule Utilitarinanism
Set of utility-maximizing rules
Simple rules of thumb you follow unless there is a
conflict between them
Help those in need
Resolve conflict between the rules
Keep your promises vs Help those in need
e.g., What if you see someone in an emergency on your way to a meeting?
Remainder rule:
Do what your best judgment deems to be the ACT that
will maximize utility
Option$
A B C
Moe $100 $150 $300
But
if your principle as CO is protect the
lives of your men/women, then how do
you justify giving the order to
intentionally kill one of your men?
Why?
Is it just Math:
.saving 140 vs saving 4?
.Is that how we make decisions?
Utilitarianism:
Judges the act, not the person
Does not consider intentions or motive
So, good intentions could produce a bad act
And bad people (with bad intentions) can produce a good
act
So much for good intent!
More Thoughts
Isnt the military the
ultimate Utilitarian?
We are willing to sacrifice
soldiers to achieve our
desired end state?
Patriot Act?