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ACT UTIL VS RULE UTIL QUESTION (40)- thematic approach
PARA 2: FLEXIBILITY
INTRO:
Some would argue that util leads to wrong moral decisions because it is too flexible
What is util- relativist theory based on an absolutist principle- the principle of utility “the greatest good for
Against- act util
the greatest number of people”- teleological, consequentialist theory
- Act util is very flexible, each situation is judged on its own merit and circumstances
- Hedonic- seeking pleasure over pain
- This means it allows for personal autonomy which is good
- Act util and rule util
- But- not useful in emergeny situations, where there is no time for the hedonic calculus (emotions
- Bentham- act- each act must be judges individually, no moral rules set in place – autonomy-
can run very high in these situations) hard to think what the morally right thing to do is
hedonic calculus
-Against-
Mill- weak
rule- there is a guideline for moral decision making based on rules that are able to adapt with
rule util
time- focusing on happiness as the ultimate goal
- Sets rules in place to help shape society and lead to happiness but they can be broken if the
My line of argument: Act util
consequences canthe
fulfil lead to wrong
principle of moral
utility decision making as it is too optimistic about human
nature and- fails
But-tothis
work
caninbepractice-
seen as but the guidance
useless provided from
and contradictory- if the rule
rulesutil
aremakes it easy
breakable to follow
then what isinthe point
moral decision makingthem
in having particularly that of strong rule util as it is logically coherent – creates a balance
between human autonomy and moral laws
Both of these have the potential to justify anything, as long as it provides pleasure for the masses- too
much emphasis on human decision making- some people can take advantage of this for their benefit
PARA (Alister Macintyre)
ONE- QUALITY AND QUANTITATE
For- strong
Against- act utilrule
andutil
the hedonic calculus
- -Created
Has set rules for society
by Bentham, that cannot
who wanted be broken-
to move away fromso does not based
theories fall into
onthis trap –authority
a divine provides an order to
- society while still keeping human autonomy
A moral theory focused on social reform and justice for the masses- at the time politics in the UK
-worked
And init is able to
favour of move
the richwith the time- as society changes- the rules are able to change and adapt to
minority
- fit into focus on creating the most amount of pleasure for the most amount of people
Wanted
- -CameWeupcanwithaccept this as acalculus
the hedonic socitey-to
there are some
support thingsused
his views- which are inherently
to measure wrong
how good (rape)- can
something is
follow these laws without being restricted
(duration, intensity, certainty)- measuring pleasure in decision making
- -Might
Strong
seemrulelikeutil is thething
a good onlybecause
way thatitworks- without
provides a clearwrong moral choices
mathematical methodbeing made making
of decision
- BUT- this leads to wrong moral decisions- as it is time consuming and not practical
- Supported by Ross- hedonic calculus is too simplistic and ignores the role of duty
For- rule util- qualitative
- To avoid wrong moral decisions being made in the name of util- rule util must be used
- John Stuart Mills development- focused on the quality of the pleasure
- He rejected the hedonic calculus- acknowledges that rules are needed as they allow people and
businesses to flourish, people are able to gain trust
- Strong util- some rules are unable to be broken, reducing the possibility of harm
So
- Util can lead to wrong normal decisions if adapted in the wrong way- in order to avoid this from
happening, strong rule util must be followed, sets moral laws in place and is more reflective of the
society we live in
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