This is really helpful. I think people have an aesthetic dislike of utilitarianism more than anything; it’s not actually moral. Everyone is, e.g., at least 90% utilitarian when they shop for groceries.
Maybe utilitarianism lends itself well to policy, whereas virtue ethics is what a lot of us still teach our kids and (largely) try and live out day to day. And where the two clash, things get a bit wobbly.
I think people are more utilitarian day to day than they realise and that there is less incongruity between the two systems than we think, if we follow Mill. Virtue ethics alone gets debased into a system where “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Yeah, although where in my decisions I am utilitarian or should be utilitarian is something I'm still struggling to understand! From your articles "...if we follow Mill" seems to be the very important bit, and so thanks for your work on this (I'm currently working through Mill's autobiography on your recommendation, will move to Utilitarianism next year, and thanks again for that Nussbaum article, which I really enjoyed). Perhaps all ethical systems get a bit unmoored when they get detached from us/politics (in the sense of politics where we all talk together and try and come to an agreement). Virtue I think is disrupted by notions of absolute goodness, and maybe utilitarianism is disrupted by a sense that there is an objective truth that's been calculated that we must all then adhere to whatever.
This is really helpful. I think people have an aesthetic dislike of utilitarianism more than anything; it’s not actually moral. Everyone is, e.g., at least 90% utilitarian when they shop for groceries.
Indeed, aesthetics is a good point it *feels* heartless but often isn’t!
Exactly.
Utilitarianism has been so influential on the modern world. It is part of what makes the West so great.
Maybe utilitarianism lends itself well to policy, whereas virtue ethics is what a lot of us still teach our kids and (largely) try and live out day to day. And where the two clash, things get a bit wobbly.
I think people are more utilitarian day to day than they realise and that there is less incongruity between the two systems than we think, if we follow Mill. Virtue ethics alone gets debased into a system where “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Yeah, although where in my decisions I am utilitarian or should be utilitarian is something I'm still struggling to understand! From your articles "...if we follow Mill" seems to be the very important bit, and so thanks for your work on this (I'm currently working through Mill's autobiography on your recommendation, will move to Utilitarianism next year, and thanks again for that Nussbaum article, which I really enjoyed). Perhaps all ethical systems get a bit unmoored when they get detached from us/politics (in the sense of politics where we all talk together and try and come to an agreement). Virtue I think is disrupted by notions of absolute goodness, and maybe utilitarianism is disrupted by a sense that there is an objective truth that's been calculated that we must all then adhere to whatever.
Glad to hear you are enjoying the a/b and Nussbaum! I recommend The Subjection of Women next. Mill’s strongest work.
War being the LEAST Utilitarian of human behaviors.