utilitarianism isnât taken to have a concept of âpermissibleâ
Donât understand this point. OP is comparing giving $10,000 while killing 2 people to doing neither. Or being vegan to not being vegan while giving $$$ to animal welfare. Clearly by âpermissibleâ they mean âhigher utility than the alternativeâ
âpermissibleâ and âhigher utility than the alternativeâ are two very different things. Shooting one person at a bus stop is higher utility than shooting four, but that doesnât make it permissible, because you should shoot zero people. Pure utilitarianism says you should always do the best thing, and that means higher utility than all alternatives, not just some alternatives.
Donât understand this point. OP is comparing giving $10,000 while killing 2 people to doing neither. Or being vegan to not being vegan while giving $$$ to animal welfare. Clearly by âpermissibleâ they mean âhigher utility than the alternativeâ
âpermissibleâ and âhigher utility than the alternativeâ are two very different things. Shooting one person at a bus stop is higher utility than shooting four, but that doesnât make it permissible, because you should shoot zero people. Pure utilitarianism says you should always do the best thing, and that means higher utility than all alternatives, not just some alternatives.