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Single Idea 22407

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 1. Utilitarianism ]

Full Idea

Utilitarianism cannot hope to make sense, at any serious level, of integrity.

Gist of Idea

Utilitarianism cannot make any serious sense of integrity

Source

Bernard Williams (A Critique of Utilitarianism [1973], 1)

Book Ref

Smart,J./Williams,B.: 'Utilitarianism For and Against' [CUP 1978], p.82


A Reaction

There will be obvious problems with this. 'My whole platoon got killed, but looking on the bright side, I preserved my integrity'. Once a theory commits entirely to one value, it then has no way to make sense of rival values.


The 5 ideas from 'A Critique of Utilitarianism'

Utilitarianism cannot make any serious sense of integrity [Williams,B]
Maybe the unthinkable is a moral category, and considering some options is dishonourable or absurd [Williams,B]
Consequentialism assumes that situations can be compared [Williams,B]
For a consequentialist massacring 7 million must be better than massacring 7 million and one [Williams,B]
We don't have a duty to ensure that others do their duty [Williams,B]