Skip to main content
Log in

Rule utilitarianism and decision theory

  • Articles
  • Published:
Erkenntnis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show how some of the controversial questions concerning utilitarianism can be clarified by the modelling techniques and the other analytical tools of decision theory (and, sometimes, of game theory). It is suggested that the moral rules of utilitarian ethics have a logical status similar to that of the normative rules (theorems) of such formal normative disciplines as decision theory and game theory.

The paper argues that social utility should be defined, not in hedonistic or in ideal-utilitarian terms, but rather in terms of individual preferences, in accordance with the author's equiprobability model of moral value judgments.

After describing the difficulties of act utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism is discussed as a possibly superior alternative. Brandt and Lyons have tried to show that these two forms of utilitarianism are actually equivalent. To test Brandt's and Lyons's equivalence thesis, a decision-theoretical model for utilitarian theory is proposed. The model shows that the thesis is definitely false. The basic difference between the two theories results from the expectation effect and the incentive effect, which, surprisingly enough, have been almost completely neglected in the philosophical literature. The paper illustrates these two effects in connection with the moral duty of promise keeping.

Yet, even if we do neglect the expectation and the incentive effects, and concentrate on the coordination effect, as most of the philosophical literature does, it can be shown that rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism have very different practical implications. This is demonstrated by analysis of three voting situations. Hence, the equivalence thesis fails even under the assumptions most favorable to it.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baier, K. E. M.: 1958, The Moral Point of View, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, R. B.: 1959, Ethical Theory, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, R. B.: 1963. ‘Toward a Credible Form of Utilitarianism’, in H. N. Castañeda and G. Nakhnikian (eds), Morality and the Language of Conduct, Wayne State University Press, Detroit: pp. 107–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ezorsky, G.: 1968, ‘A Defense of Rule Utilitarianism Against David Lyons’, Journal of Philosophy 65, pp. 533–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gert, B.: 1970, The Moral Rules, Harper and Row, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbard, A. F.: 1965, ”Rule Utilitarianism’, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 43, pp. 211–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. M.: 1952, The Language of Morals, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. M.: 1963, Freedom and Reason, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrod, R. F.: 1936, ‘Utilitarianism Revised’, Mind, 45, pp. 137–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harsanyi, J. C.: 1953, ‘Cardinal Utility in Welfare Economics and in the Theory of Risk-Taking’, Journal of Political Economy 61, pp. 434–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harsanyi, J. C.: 1955 ‘Cardinal Welfare, Individualistic Ethics, and Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility’, Journal of Political Economy 63, pp. 309–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harsanyi, J. C.: 1958, ‘Ethics in Terms of Hypothetical Imperatives’, Mind 47, pp. 305–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harsanyi, J. C.: 1975, ‘Advances in Understanding Rational Behavior’, Working Paper CP-366, Center for Research in Management Science, University of California, Berkeley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, D. H.: 1967, Consequences of Utilitarianism, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoerster, N.: 1971, Utilitaristische Ethik und Verallgemeinerung Karl Alber, Freiburg and München.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, D.: 1965, Forms and Limits of Utilitarianism, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G. E.: 1903, Principia Ethica, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narveson, J.: 1967, Morality and Utility, Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Maryland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rawls, J.: 1955, ‘Two Concepts of Rules’, Philosophical Review 64, pp. 3–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart, J. J. C.: 1956, Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism’, Philosophical Quarterly 6, pp. 344–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart, J. J. C.: 1961, An Outline of a System of Utilitarian Ethics, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smart, J. J. C. and B.Williams: 1973, Utilitarianism—for and against, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stout, A. K.: 1954, ‘But Suppose Everyone Did the Same’, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 32, pp. 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, B.: 1973. See Smart and Williams (1973).

Download references

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Harsanyi, J.C. Rule utilitarianism and decision theory. Erkenntnis 11, 25–53 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169843

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00169843

Keywords

Navigation