Ethics
A look at the reasons behind
decisions about what is right
and wrong.
What is the right thing to do?
2 Types of Moral Theories
Teleological Theories: Moral
judgments based on the effects of
an act. You decide whether an act
is good or bad by looking at its
consequences. Also called
Utilitarianism and Consequentialist
Moral Reasoning.
Deontological Theories:
Disagrees that consequences are
important. Instead there are
certain acts that are right or wrong
no matter what the consequences
are. Also called Categorical Moral
Reasoning.
Decide whether these statements
are teleological or deontological or
could be both.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Drinking and driving is wrong. You only have to look
at the deaths it causes to see that.
“I knew studying was the right thing to do—I’ve
passed all my exams!”
I could never go to war because I think it is wrong to
kill.
Always tell the truth
“Always obey your superiors.”
When I am older I must not take sweets from
strangers. (said by a small child)
Moral Dilemmas
In groups of 3-4 people, decide:
1. What you would do and why
2. What the deontological decision would be
3. What the teleological decision would be
Quick Check- On a separate piece
of paper…
In your own words, differentiate between teleological
moral/ethical reasoning and deontological
moral/ethical reasoning.
2. State which type of reasoning you lean towards.
1.
Utilitarianism
 Utilitarianism states that an action is right if it
produces the greatest good for the greatest number
of people.
2 Main Philosophers
 Jeremy Bentham
 John Stuart Mill
Bentham
 The idea that we ought to produce the greatest
happiness for the greatest number is called ‘ The
Principle of Utility or The Greatest Happiness
Principle’.
 For Utilitarianism an action is right if it produces the
greatest happiness for the greatest number of people.
 Happiness for utilitarianism is pleasure and the
absence of pain.
 There are 3 bigger ideas which underlie The Greatest
Happiness Principle/Utility Principle:
 1. Consequentialism:
Consequentialism is deciding whether an action is good
or bad by looking at the consequences of that action.
If the consequences of the action are good then the action
is a good one.
If the consequences of the action are bad then the action
is a bad one.
2. Hedonism
 Hedonism is the idea that pleasure is the only
inherently good thing and that pain is the only
inherently bad thing.
Acts which bring about pleasure are good acts.
Acts which bring pain are bad acts.
People should seek pleasure and avoid pain.
3. Equality
 For Utilitarians, the pleasure and pain of everyone is
equally important. Every person counts for one and
only one.
Prison guards example
Babies vs. adults
John Stuart Mill
Mill’s higher and lower pleasures
 Mill’s Utilitarianism is different to Bentham’s because Mill
says it is not just quantity of pleasure which matters –
quality matters too. Mill believed that some pleasures
counted for more than others.
 Mill is trying to solve the problem of having to allow what
most people would see as unacceptable pleasures - the
kinds of pleasures the sadistic guards were experiencing.
 For example, Mill could now say that the pleasure of
torturing someone has a much lower value than the pain
felt by the victim, so it would not fit in with Utilitarianism
to allow the guards to torture the man.
Which pleasures are ‘higher’ and
which ones are ‘lower’?
 ‘Higher’ - Intellectual pleasures such as reading,
debating, learning
 ‘Lower’ – Physical pleasures such as eating,
drinking and sex.
How does Mill justify this
distinction?
 Both animals and humans experience physical
pleasures but the pleasures of the intellect are what
make us different to animals.
 People who have experienced both sorts of pleasures
prefer the intellectual ones.
How do we decide exactly, which
are Higher/ Lower Pleasures?
 These are people who have tried both types of
pleasure. If they keep opting for a certain type of
pleasure then it must be a higher pleasure.
John Stuart Mill
“It is better to be a human being
dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to
be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool
satisfied. ”
Revisit the “Do Now”
Go back to the “Do Now” and re-categorize those
pleasures according to Mill’s theory, not your own.
-You may work together