Course : Ethical Leadership

Unit overview

In our exploration of major ethical traditions, the unit dedicated to consequentialist ethics invites us to delve into the intricate framework of moral decision-making based on outcomes. Rooted in the works of utilitarian philosophers such as Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, consequentialist ethics focuses on the maximization of good consequences and the minimization of harm. Through a critical examination of the principle of utility and the calculus of happiness, students gain a nuanced understanding of how actions are evaluated based on their outcomes. By engaging with ethical dilemmas and thought experiments, learners navigate the complexities of weighing competing interests and evaluating the moral worth of actions. This unit challenges students to grapple with the implications of consequentialist reasoning in areas such as public policy, environmental ethics, and global justice. By interrogating the strengths and limitations of consequentialism, students cultivate ethical reasoning skills essential for addressing contemporary moral challenges with wisdom and compassion.

Keywords

utilitarian ethics; Jeremy Bentham and unqualified pleasure; John Stuart Mill on the classification of pleasures; utility; point of view of the universe; Henry Sidgwick; Hare's criticism; Peter Singer's preferential criterion; justifying atrocity

Required readings

• Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter. "Consequentialism." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy  (Winter 2023 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/consequentialism/.

Complementary readings

• Singer, Peter. “Famine, Affluence, and Morality.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 1, no. 3 (1972): 229–243. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2265052.
• Railton, Peter. “Alienation, Consequentialism, and the Demands of Morality.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 13, no. 2 (1984): 134–171. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2265273.
• Savulescu, Julian, and Evangelos D. Protopapadakis. “'Ethical Minefields' and the Voice of Common Sense: A Discussion with Julian Savulescu." Conatus - Journal of Philosophy 4, no. 1 (2019): 125–133. doi: https://doi.org/10.12681/cjp.19712.
• Wawrzyniak, Jan R. “The Utilitarian Stigma of Environmental Protection.” Conatus – Journal of Philosophy 3, no. 1 (2018): 89–110. https://doi.org/10.12681/conatus.18368.