Utilitarianism and welfare theory - Characteristics of utilitarianism

6 important questions on Utilitarianism and welfare theory - Characteristics of utilitarianism

Utilitarianism can be seen to a combination of 3 elementary requirements:

- consequentialism
- welfarism
- sum ranking

Monistic concept of utility

assuming that all values can be measured on the same scale of pleasure(and pain)

Impossibility theorem of Arrow

Arrow proved that it is impossible to aggregate individual preferences into a social preferences into a social preference function that satisfies a reasonable minimum list of acceptable conditions
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Acceptable conditions (impossibility theorem Arrow)

opareto principle
ocollective rationality
oindependence of irrelevant alternatives
onon-dictatorship

Substantive theory of well-being

Which things are intrinsically good for people:
(these are examples of the theory:  hedonism and pluralist utilitarianism)

Fundamental thesis of utilitarianism

one should do whatever maximizes the toal sum of utilities

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