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Lesson 4

We will watch a video and read to learn about utilitarianism, one of the approaches to ethics.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I formulate and use questions to establish and deepen my understanding of ethics?

  • Can I work productively in various roles with other participants?

Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “Utilitarianism: Crash Course Philosophy #36,” Crash Course Philosophy, PBS Digital Studios, YouTube
  • Unit Reader
    • “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, 2015

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – View – Discuss

We will learn about ethical approaches and theories and watch a video about utilitarianism to learn about one such theory.

Individually, read and annotate the Why Identifying Ethical Standards is Hard section of “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making.”

Note that in this lesson and throughout this section, we are going to be learning about sources for ethical standards, which we will also call ethical approaches and theories.

Now, watch the video "Utilitarianism: Crash Course Philosophy #36." Take notes in your Learning Log or Video Note-Taking Tool and discuss the following questions:

  1. How is being Kantian (that is, like Batman in the video) different from being utilitarian?

  2. How is utilitarianism a demanding moral theory?

  3. How would a utilitarian approach the ethical dilemma of self-driving cars, and how might this illustrate how it is a demanding moral theory?

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will learn about utilitarianism and apply its approach to thought experiments.

Step 1

For the activity, you will use the Attending to Details Tool. The Attending to Details Tool supports and guides a process for preparing to read, reading, and initially reacting to a text. This is a helpful process to internalize when you are working with a complex text that might require multiple reads, or one that is being read over a long period. Using this tool usually begins with a guiding question or reading purpose to determine which textual details to notice and annotate.

In a small group, read and annotate The Utilitarian Approach section from "A Framework for Ethical Decision Making." Use a copy of the Attending to Details Tool to respond to the following guiding question:

  1. What words or phrases help you understand the meaning of the utilitarian approach?

Discuss what observations you make about the approach. Consider the following question:

  1. What is the utilitarian approach based on?

Step 2

Choose one of the following thought experiments that we have discussed so far:

  • Should Batman kill the Joker?

  • The ethical dilemma of self-driving cars

  • Bernard Williams’s thought experiment (Jim on a botanical expedition in South America)

Respond to the following questions about your chosen thought experiment in your group:

  1. What is the decision that a utilitarian would make in this thought experiment?

  2. Could your team live with the utilitarian decision? Why or why not? Use evidence from the videos and from "A Framework for Ethical Decision Making" and try to come to agreement within your group here.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will discuss the challenges of utilitarianism as an ethical approach.

Share with the whole class your group’s answers to the previous activity’s questions. Think about the challenges or problems with taking a utilitarian approach in your chosen thought experiment. Discuss the following question in your small group:

  1. What is the utilitarian approach based on and how does that impact how an ethical decision is made?

  2. How is utilitarianism a morally demanding theory or approach?

Be prepared to share your answer with the whole class.