6.2 - Utilitarianism and Kant - Fact or Fiction?

Bentham came up with the phrase, ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’ 

• Fact

• Fiction

We should use the Hedonic Calculus for every decision  

• Fact

• Fiction

Bentham argues we need to be impartial when making moral decisions (i.e. no favouritism) 

• Fact

• Fiction

Bentham was also an intuitionist – he thought we had a moral sense of what was right and wrong 

• Fact

• Fiction

According to Mill, human life cannot be worthwhile if it involves a lot of suffering/dissatisfaction 

• Fact

• Fiction

One of the criticisms of Mill’s views is that he is getting to close to the views of Kant and deontology 

• Fact

• Fiction

Mill felt Bentham viewed human nature too simplistically (i.e. human nature all about just pleasure and pain) 

• Fact

• Fiction

Kant argued that God needed to be separated from morality 

• Fact

• Fiction

To Kant, an action, motivated by duty, is ONLY morally correct if it fulfils all formulations the Categorical Imperative  

• Fact

• Fiction

To Kant, an action, motivated by duty, is morally correct only if it doesn’t break any formulations of the Categorical Imperative 

• Fact

• Fiction