Filozofija i drustvo 2018 Volume 29, Issue 1, Pages: 73-87
https://doi.org/10.2298/FID1801073C
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Utilitarianism and the idea of university: A short ethical analysis
Cekić Nenad (Faculty of Philosophy, Belgrade)
The standard objection to the utilitarian vision of morality is that
utilitarian so-called “Greatest-Happiness Principle” could justify
counter-intuitive practices such as punishing and sacrifice of innocents,
breaking of promises and manipulation. The underlying presumption is that
the greatest cause (general utility, “happiness”) must be capable of
justifying causing suffering of the few. The fact is that, in the upbringing
and education of humans (children), some degree of manipulation is needed.
Instead, in that process, we use concepts which belong to deontological
prescriptions (“obligations,” “duties”) such as “Do not lie” or “Do not
steal.” Our question is: Can we imagine the University guided by the simple
utility principle. We must remember that a University is for adults, not for
children. Why now not be open and at the University say that everything we
do we do for the sake of hedonistic “happiness,” not for the sake of duty.
That seems suspicious for several reasons. Maybe the most noteworthy
objection is that Mill’s version of the utilitarianism tends to divide
humanity into two classes: moral aristocracy, which seeks “higher
pleasures,” and others who do not. Does that mean that utilitarians must
organize secret utilitarian universities for moral aristocracy? Does it mean
that moral aristocracy, according to the utility principle, should organize
“deontological,” manipulative public universities for lower classes?
Keywords: utilitarianism, hedonism, consequentialism, university