Utilitarianism vs Kantian Ethics

Watch

• How Ethics Can Help You Make Better Decisions | Michael Schur | TED ↗TED
• Utilitarian Ethics Part 1 ↗darkwaterhermit
• Kant & Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35 ↗CrashCourse
• Utilitarianism vs Deontology ↗Language and Philosophy
• Kill 1 to Save 5? Consequentialism vs. Deontology ↗Thinking About Stuff
• Kant and business ethics for H573/2 ↗Peped

Read

• Utilitarianism ↗The foundational text articulating the 'greatest happiness principle,' advocating for actions that maximise overall well-being.John Stuart Mill
• Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals ↗The indispensable exposition of deontology, establishing the categorical imperative and the concept of duty as the bedrock of moral action.Immanuel Kant
• Famine, Affluence, and MoralityA seminal essay that forcefully argues for a radical revision of our moral obligations towards those suffering from poverty and famine.Peter Singer
• Practical Ethics ↗A compelling application of utilitarian reasoning to contemporary moral dilemmas, from animal rights to global poverty, challenging conventional wisdom.Peter Singer
• Creating the Kingdom of Ends ↗A collection of insightful essays that illuminate and defend Kant's ethical philosophy, offering a nuanced understanding of its enduring relevance.Christine M. Korsgaard
• Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? ↗An accessible and engaging introduction to major ethical theories, including utilitarianism and Kantianism, through thought-provoking real-world examples.Michael J. Sandel

Voices to follow

• Peter Singer ↗A pre-eminent advocate for effective altruism, his work consistently applies utilitarian logic to pressing global issues, from animal welfare to extreme poverty.Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
• T.M. Scanlon ↗His influential contractualist theory, articulated in 'What We Owe to Each Other', offers a sophisticated non-utilitarian framework for moral obligation, often contrasted with consequentialist approaches.Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Harvard University
• Shelly Kagan ↗A forthright proponent of consequentialism, he meticulously dissects its philosophical underpinnings and robustly defends it against common deontological objections.Professor of Philosophy, Yale University
• Martha Nussbaum ↗Her extensive scholarship on human capabilities and emotions provides a compelling alternative to purely aggregative ethical systems, often highlighting the limitations of utilitarian reasoning.Professor of Law and Philosophy, University of Chicago

Glossary

• Categorical ImperativeThe Categorical Imperative is a central idea in Kantian ethics, meaning a moral command that applies to everyone, everywhere, all the time, without exception. It's like a universal law you must follow. For example, "Always treat people as an end in themselves, never merely as a means" (meaning don't just use people) is a categorical imperative.
• ConsequencesConsequences are the results or effects of an action. In ethical thinking, especially utilitarianism, we look at whether the outcomes of our choices are good or bad. For example, if you study hard for a test, the positive consequence is getting a good grade.
• DutyA duty is a moral obligation or a responsibility to do something, simply because it is the right thing to do. In Kantian ethics, duties are universal rules that apply to everyone. For example, you might feel it's your duty to tell the truth, even when it's difficult.
• EthicsEthics is the study of what is right and wrong, and how people should live their lives. It helps us think about good choices and bad choices. For example, deciding whether it's okay to lie to protect a friend's feelings involves ethics.
• IntentionsIntentions are the reasons or purposes behind your actions – what you mean to do. In Kantian ethics, the goodness of an action comes from your intentions, not just the results. For example, if you try to help someone with good intentions, but accidentally make things worse, a Kantian might still see your action as morally good because your intent was pure.
• Kantian EthicsKantian Ethics is an ethical theory that says actions are right or wrong based on whether they follow universal moral rules, not on their results. It emphasizes duty and doing what is right because it is right, regardless of the outcome. For example, a Kantian would say lying is always wrong, even if telling a lie might lead to a good outcome, because lying breaks a universal rule.
• Moral DilemmaA moral dilemma is a situation where you have to choose between two or more actions, and each choice has a strong moral reason for or against it. There isn't a clear "right" answer that satisfies everyone. For example, if you find a lost wallet with money, you face a moral dilemma: keep the money or return it to the owner.
• RightsRights are fundamental entitlements or freedoms that every person is believed to have, such as the right to life, freedom, or privacy. Ethical theories often discuss whether actions respect or violate these basic rights. For example, everyone has a right to express their opinion, even if others disagree.
• UtilitarianismUtilitarianism is an ethical theory that says the best action is the one that creates the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It focuses on the results of an action. For example, a utilitarian might argue that building a new hospital that helps thousands of people is better than building a small park that only a few people will use, even if the park is also a good idea.
• Well-beingWell-being refers to a person's overall state of being healthy, happy, and comfortable. In utilitarianism, the goal is to maximize the well-being of the greatest number of people. For example, providing clean water and good schools in a community improves the well-being of its residents.

Threads 5

Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Incentives & Rational Choice Economics

  There's an old idea that the right choice is whatever brings the most happiness to the most people. That's basically an optimization goal: get the biggest total 'good'. Every time a company weighs costs against benefits in a spreadsheet, it's running that centuries-old moral math.

• Neuroscience Psychology

  Imagine pushing one man off a bridge to save five people. Brain scans show that thought lights up your emotion centers, screaming 'no', while cold calculation fires a different, more logical part. So a giant moral debate might really be two parts of your own brain arguing.

• Criminal Law & Punishment Law

  Why do we jail people: because they deserve it, or to stop future crime? That's the exact fight between two big theories of right and wrong. One says follow the rule (punish because it's earned), the other says chase the best outcome (punish to protect people). Every prison sentence is secretly a philosophy argument.

• Healthcare Systems & Access Health

  Imagine one ventilator and two dying patients. Hospitals face this real 'trolley problem' daily, deciding who to save by counting which choice does the most total good. That's one whole moral theory in action, and it clashes head-on with another that says you must never treat a life as a number.

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Technology

  A self-driving car about to crash may have to 'choose' who gets hurt, and a programmer has to write that choice into code before the car ever hits the road. So the old classroom debate about right and wrong, save the most people or never cross certain lines, suddenly becomes an actual engineering spec someone has to type out.