College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017

Lecturer: Professor. R.E.V. GYAMPO, Department of Political Science

Session Overview

• The session on Utilitarianism discusses the ideals of the concept as propounded by Jeremy Bentham. It highlights the basic features and examines its merits and criticisms. By the end of the session, students should be able to:

• Explain the concept of Utilitarianism

• Identify its basic features

• Explain its significance in decision making

• State and explain the various criticisms levelled against the theory

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Session Overview (Cont)

• By the end of this session, students should also be able to:

• Identify and explain the core principles and arguments of utilitarianism

• Select and public policy and examine how the principles of utilitarianism influenced its formulation

• Explain why the concept of utilitarianism seem to have been abandoned in public policy formulation and many decision making processes

Prof. R.E.V. GYAMPO, Dept of Political Science, UG Slide 3

Session Outline

• Defining Utilitarianism

• Features of Utilitarianism

• Merit of Utilitarianism

• Criticisms of Utilitarianism

• Conclusion

• Review Questions

• References

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Reading List

• Wolin, Sheldon S. Politics and vision: Continuity and innovation in Western political thought, (Princeton University Press, 2016). Chapters 5&6

• Gamble, A., An Introduction to Modern Social and Political Thought, (London: Macmillan Education Ltd, 1981). Chapter 8.

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Defining Utilitarianism

• The concept was proposed by Jeremy Bentham

• It states inter alia, that social and political decisions should be made on the basis of the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people.

• In all decision making by political leaders, the theory of utilitarianism advocates the need for the outcome of the decision to favor majority of the people.

Prof. R.E.V. GYAMPO, Dept of Political Science, UG Slide 6

Some Features

• It serves as a system of decision making that presents a criterion and basis for sound judgment

• It provides an impersonal and objective mechanism for decision making and the exercise of choice by leaders to avoid the challenges of subjective moral values

• The decision to be made must itself be one that promotes more benefits and more satisfaction

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Merits of Utilitarianism

For all theories that employ human nature as the basis of political morality, from Aristotle, Hobbes to Machiavelli, utilitarianism is the most explicit and most objective.

It is not as individualistic as liberalism

It is more practical because it is quite easy to delineate what constitute happiness

Prof. R.E.V. GYAMPO, Dept of Political Science, UG

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Weaknesses

• Object of happiness can be good or bad. Sometimes the kinds of things that make people happy may hurt a nation’s effort to develop. For instance, a nation whose citizens favor only imported goods from abroad would always face balance of payment challenges and remain poor.

• It is not easy to determine the consequence of actions to determine their utility value

Professor. R.E.V. GYAMPO Dept of Political Science, UG

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Weaknesses Cont

• It sidelines minority interests unlike liberalism that protects these interests.

• In highlighting the interest of the majority or greater number of people, the interests and rights of the minority are always abandoned

• It fails to consider individual welfare separately.

• It looks at the aggregate happiness of people

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Conclusion

• Utilitarianism should always be the consideration that shapes the making of public policy. No government can meet all the needs of its citizenry at the same time.

• There must therefore be proactive attempts to satisfy the greater number of people through the implementation of policies that delivers maximum satisfaction

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REVIEW QUESTIONS

• What is Utilitarianism?

• How relevant is utilitarianism to decision making by political leaders?

• What are the critical arguments against utilitarianism?

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References

• Bellamy, Richard and Angus Ross (eds.), A Textual Introduction to Social and Political Theory, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996).

• Gamble, A., An Introduction to Modern Social and Political Thought, (London: Macmillan Education Ltd, 1981).

• Wolin, Sheldon S. Politics and vision: Continuity and innovation in Western political thought, (Princeton University Press, 2016).

Professor. R.E.V. GYAMPO Dept of Political Science, UG

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