Utilitarianism

KantianEthics

MainPoint
Williamsobjectsthattheimpartiality
ofsuchethicaltheoriesistoo
separatefromparticularothers,
andmoralagency.

WiderExamples
Onethoughttoomany
Onethoughttoofew
Thecomplaintisthatmodernmoral
theories,suchasutilitarianism,have
ablindspottoanimportantsetof
ethicalconcerns.

...theconsequentialist hasno
footingonwhichtosay'This
wouldbepermissible,thisnot';
becausebyhisown
hypothesis,itisthe
consequencesthatareto
decide,andhehasno
businesstopretendthathecan
layitdownwhatpossibletwists
amancouldgivedoingthisor
that.

Consequentialism &
Nonconsequentialism
z

Consequentialists holdthattherightaction
isthatwhichoutoftheactionsavailableto
theagentbringsaboutorrepresentsthe
highestdegreeofwhateveritisthesystemin
questionregardsasintrinsicallyvaluablein
thecentralcase,utilitarianism,thisisof
coursehappiness.
Nonconsequentialists holdthatsometimes
therightactionproducesastateofaffairs
thatisworsethanwouldbeproducedbyan
alternativeaction.

NegativeResponsibility
Forconsequentialists,whatmattersis
nothow myactionbringsaboutsome
consequences,butsimplywhich
consequencesitbringsabout.

NEGATIVERESPONSIBILITY
IfIameverresponsibleforanything,
thenImustbejustasmuch
responsibleforthingsthatIallowor
failtoprevent,asIamforthingsthat
Imyself,inthemoreeveryday
restrictedsense,bringabout.

Consequentialism
Valueisacertainstateof
affairsbeingaconsequence of
whatIdo
Relationtosomethingbeinga
"consequence"ofmyactions
isquitebroad
Leadstodoctrineofnegative
responsibility

Georgeisapoorchemist
lookingforajob.He
opposeschemicaland
biologicalwarfare.Heis
offeredajobinalabthat
researcheschemicaland
biologicalwarfare.Ifhe
doesnottakethejob,
someoneelsewith
tremendouszealfor
chemicalwarfarewilltake
thejob.Whatshouldhe
do?

Jimcomesacross20
innocentprisonersabout
tobeexecuted.Their
captorsaysthatifJimwill
shootoneofthe
prisoners,hewillletthe
restofthemgofree.Jim
dislikesthisidea,butthe
prisonersarebegginghim
toaccept.Whatshouldhe
do?

Utilitarianism
Takethejob;killtheIndian
Williamsobjects
Whatmattersisnotjusta
questionoftherightnessofthe
answers,butofwhat sortsof
considerationsaretakenas
relevantfortheagent.

Common element of cases: If the agent does not

do some disagreeable thing, others will, and
the results will be worse

Utilitarianism
Takethejob;killtheIndian
Williamsobjects
Utilitarianismfailstoappreciate
theidea,aswemightfirstand
verysimplyputit,thateachofus
isspeciallyresponsibleforwhat
hedoes,ratherthanforwhat
otherpeopledo.Thisisanidea
closelyconnectedwiththevalue
ofintegrity.

Common element of cases: If the agent does not

do some disagreeable thing, others will, and
the results will be worse

UtilitarianismandIntegrity
z

Allofushaveprojectsand
commitmentswithwhich
wedeeplyidentify.
Toasksomeonetosetthese
asideandactsoasto
maximizeoverallgoodness
istoalienate himinareal
sensefromhisactionsand
thesourceofhisactionin
hisownconvictions....It
is,inthemostliteralsense,
anattackonhisintegrity.

WhatisIntegrity?
ClassicalSense:psychic
wholeness;astateof
undividedness;aunifiedsenseof
self.
RelatedSense:Tohave
integrity istostandbyones
deepestcommitments.

UtilitarianismandIntegrity
z

Allofushaveprojectsand
commitmentswithwhich
wedeeplyidentify.
Toasksomeonetosetthese
asideandactsoasto
maximizeoverallgoodness
istoalienate himinareal
sensefromhisactionsand
thesourceofhisactionin
hisownconvictions....It
is,inthemostliteralsense,
anattackonhisintegrity.

1. Alienationfrommoral
feelings
2. Alienationfromactions
(andprojects,etc.)

Motivation:AUtilitarian
CounterArgument
Squeamishness
Thereisapowerfuland
recognizableappealthatcanbe
made thatarefusalbyJimto
dowhathehasbeeninvitedto
dowouldbeakindof
selfindulgent squeamishness.
Thesuggestionisthatweshould
resistantiutilitarianism
sentiments.

Williams Reply:Alienationfrom
MoralFeelings
Thereasonwhythesqueamishness
appealcanbeveryunsettling is
thatwe cannotregardourmoral
feelingsmerelyasobjectsof
utilitarianvalue.Becauseourmoral
relationtotheworldispartlygivenby
suchfeelings,andbyasenseofwhat
wecanorcannotlivewith,tocome
toregardthosefeelingsfromapurely
utilitarianpointofview,thatis,as
happeningsoutsideonesmoralself,is
toloseasenseofonesmoralidentity;
tolose,inthemostliteralway,ones
integrity.

ProblemsforUtilitarianAgents
Autilitarianagentmustregard
hisownprojects/commitments
asjustoneamongothers.
Projectsofotherscan,toan
objectionableextent,determine
hisdecisions:
a)Positively,ifthereareharmless
projectswithinhiscausalfield
whichhecanassist.
b)Negatively,ifthereareharmful
projectswithinhiscausalfield
whichhecanthwart

Utilitarianismdoesnotrecognize
theimportanceofaperson's
ownprojectsandcommitments
inshapinghislifeandgivingit
meaning.
Itisabsurdtoaskamanto
abandonhisdeepest
commitmentswheneverthe
utilitynetworkpointstoanother
decisionas"optimific.
Thisalienateshimfromhis
actionsandthesourceofhis
actioninhisownconvictions.

RicksChoice
InthefilmCasablancatheexpatriate
adventurerRick(playedbyHumphrey
Bogart)givesuptheloveofhislife
becauseofherimportancetoanother
man.Althoughshelovesthisother
manless,shesustainshiminhis
crucialworkasaleaderoftheanti
fascistresistance.
Inexplaininghisdecision,Ricksays
thatintheworldtheyface,itseasyto
seethattheirprivateconcernsdonot
amounttoahillofbeans andthat
theirlovemustyieldtolargerand
weightierconcerns.
(Shaw1999,277)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWaqUVac3M&feature=related

RicksChoice
Nomatterhowcentralourprojects
aretous,circumstancescancompel
ustosubordinatethemtothegreater
good. Williams writings
sometimesseemtoimplythatRick
madethewrongchoicebyputting
asidewhatwasofgreatest
importancetohiminordertoadvance
thegreaterwellbeingofothers.But
thisposition,whichsmacksofegoism,
istooextremetobecredible.
(Shaw1999,277)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWaqUVac3M&feature=related

Thesesortsofconsiderationsdonot
inthemselvesgivesolutionsto
practicaldilemmassuchasthose
providedbyourexamples;butIhope
theyhelptoprovideotherwaysof
thinkingaboutthem
Infact,itisnothardtosee
thatinGeorgescase,viewedfrom
thisperspective,theutilitarian
solutionwouldbewrong
Jimscaseisdifferent,and
harder.Butif(asIsuppose)the
utilitarianisprobablyrightinthiscase,
thatisnottobefoundoutjustby
askingtheutilitariansquestions.

1.

Williamsarguesagainst
utilitarianism,yethisargumentis
alsosupposedtocountagainst
Kantianethics.Howdoesthe
criticismapply?Isthecriticism
importantlydifferentinthiscase?

2.

Doestheintegrityobjection
smackofegoism ordoes
Williamshaveagoodcomplaint?