PHIL 181 - Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature
Lecture 12 - Utilitarianism and its Critiques. Professor Gendler begins with a general introduction to moral theories?what are they and what questions do they answer? Three different moral theories are briefly sketched: virtue theories, deontological theories, and consequentialist theories. Professor Gendler introduces at greater length a particular form of consequentialism - utilitarianism - put forward by John Stuart Mill. A dilemma is posed which appears to challenge Mill's Greatest Happiness Principle: is it morally right for many to live happily at the cost of one person's suffering? This dilemma is illustrated via a short story by Ursula Le Guin, and parallels are drawn between the story and various contemporary scenarios. (from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 12 - Utilitarianism and its Critiques |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. What is a Moral Theory? |
| [00:15:37] | 2. Introducing Utilitarianism |
| [00:37:34] | 3. The Omelas Story |
| References |
| Lecture 12 - Utilitarianism and its Critiques Instructor: Professor Tamar Gendler. Resources: Reading Guide 12 [PDF]; Directed Exercise 4 [PDF]; Credit List [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures: