PHIL 2120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Rule Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill
12 Apr 2017
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Jeremy bentham: claimed actions are deemed moral based entirely on the consequences of those actions; insofar as they increase our happiness in some way. Importantly in the u theory, each person"s happiness is worth equal consideration. Therefore the ultimate moral principle is the principle of utility. This requires us in all circumstances to produce the most unhappiness and the least unhappiness: james mill and john stuart mill. I would argue that yes because you can still feel unpleasant feelings thinking of the things you once did. The idea that consequences are all that matter. The book explains considering this sympathy for another in your decision warrants considering something other than consequences. Or more complexly, make a weighted decision considering the likelihood that the unpleasant outcome will come, and how unpleasant the outcome will be: should there be a chance of great loss, the actions cannot we warranted.
