Ima Utilitarian thinks that we should apply utilitarianism directly to every decision -- by determining our options, estimating the likely consequences of each, and then picking the option with the best consequences in terms of pleasure and pain.
Ima Utilitarian thinks that we should apply utilitarianism directly to every decision -- by determining our options, estimating the likely consequences of each, and then picking the option with the best consequences in terms of pleasure and pain.
Reasoning out every choice this way would be impractical and wouldn't produce good consequences.
It's generally more useful to apply utilitarianism indirectly, by applying a "rule of thumb" about what kinds of action tend to have good or bad results. Stealing, for example, tends to have bad results. So, unless the circumstances are peculiar, we'll just assume that we ought not to steal.
Ima Utilitarian thinks that we should apply utilitarianism directly to every decision -- by determining our options, estimating the likely consequences of each, and then picking the option with the best consequences in terms of pleasure and pain.
Reasoning out every choice this way would be impractical and wouldn't produce good consequences.
It's generally more useful to apply utilitarianism indirectly, by applying a "rule of thumb" about what kinds of action tend to have good or bad results. Stealing, for example, tends to have bad results. So, unless the circumstances are peculiar, we'll just assume that we ought not to steal.