Re: Philosophy: Normative Ethics: Classical Utilitarianism

[LDHegemon]

@flwjharris The issue with your argument is that people cannot be states of affairs. If this where the case then a state of affairs (a person) would have/ be affected by another state of affairs(being happy). In essense, if humanity is not an agent and is simply a states of affair, then ethics itself would infinitely regress in an attempt to find the agent, so as to legitimately prescribe moral action. Insofar as ethics are prescriptive and not descriptive, this cannot be the case.

[ftwjharris]

One utilitarianist cannot speak for the whole philosophy. The collection of people fall within the states of affairs. If there is no individual, there is no states of affairs. I do not see your logic. Arguably people are states of affairs and their states of affairs are beneficial.

[rsdonoghue]

Evan Evan Evan...

Nice vid.