Two broad divisions in ethical theories:
•
The Principle of Utility
“Actions are right as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.”
“By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the absence of pleasure.”
In utilitarianism, the goal of ethics is to maximize happiness/“pleasure” for the greatest number of people.
Does utilitarianism advocate pure self-indulgence?
Does utilitarianism advocate egoism?
Utilitarianism
Some notable applications
Problems for utilitarianism
Problems for utilitarianism
Suppose someone is walking in the woods, and they come across a person drowning in a river, so they decide to rescue them. As it turns out, the person they rescued was a terrorist who would eventually set off a bobm killing dozens.
Problems for utilitarianism
Suppose someone commits a vicious murder just because they felt like it. As it turns out, the person that they killed was a terrorist who was plotting to set off a bomb that would kill dozens.
Problems for utilitarianism
Suppose someone is walking in the woods, and they come across a person drowning in a river, so they decide to rescue them. As it turns out, the person they rescued was a terrorist who would eventually set off a bobm killing dozens.
Two kinds of utilitarianism
Two kinds of utilitarianism
Other Problems
Two notions of justice
Two notions of justice
?
Is illegal file-sharing unethical?
First pass:
Is illegal file-sharing really the same as stealing of physical property?
Is illegal file-sharing really the same as stealing physical property?
Quick utilitarian argument AGAINT IP rights:
Incentives-Based Rule-Utilitarian Argument