Negative utilitarianism

Abstract

Negative utilitarianism, defined as the ethical requirement to minimize suffering without regard for the maximization of positive goods, leads to the logically consistent but intuitively unpalatable conclusion that a “benevolent world exploder” should destroy all sentient life to eliminate future pain. While the relief of suffering often possesses a practical urgency that takes precedence over the promotion of happiness, this urgency is better understood as a rule of thumb for public policy rather than an ultimate moral axiom. Classical utilitarianism accommodates the priority of relieving misery by treating it as a high-priority component of aggregate utility, yet avoids the destructive implications of negative utilitarianism by recognizing the inherent value of positive experiences. Methodologically, moral principles are best understood not as scientific hypotheses subject to falsification by “unsatisfactory implications,” but as expressions of higher-order attitudes within a hierarchical moral psychology. Under this framework, a commitment to universal benevolence remains valid even when it conflicts with deep-seated, lower-order “folk” moralities or produces distressing results in extreme hypothetical cases. Ultimately, negative utilitarianism fails as a comprehensive ethical system because it cannot account for the outweighing of pain by enjoyment or the value of continued existence. – AI-generated abstract.