Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 02: 'PUTTING A PRICE TAG ON LIFE'

PART ONE: PUTTING A PRICE TAG ON LIFE

Today, companies and governments often use Jeremy Benthams utilitarian logic under the name of cost-benefit analysis. Sandel presents some contemporary cases in which cost-benefit analysis was used to put a dollar value on human life. The cases give rise to several objections to the utilitarian logic of seeking the greatest good for the greatest number. Should we always give more weight to the happiness of a majority, even if the majority is cruel or ignoble? Is it possible to sum up and compare all values using a common measure like money?

PART TWO: HOW TO MEASURE PLEASURE

Sandel introduces J.S. Mill, a utilitarian philosopher who attempts to defend utilitarianism against the objections raised by critics of the doctrine. Mill argues that seeking the greatest good for the greatest number is compatible with protecting individual rights, and that utilitarianism can make room for a distinction between higher and lower pleasures. Mills idea is that the higher pleasure is always the pleasure preferred by a well-informed majority. Sandel tests this theory by playing video clips from three very different forms of entertainment: Shakespeares Hamlet, the reality show Fear Factor, and The Simpsons. Students debate which experience provides the higher pleasure, and whether Mills defense of utilitarianism is successful.

[umair]

I am a mechanical engineering student, i don’t know why I am listening this lecture a day before exam.

[DanielPeaster]

This guy should teach a class called: “How To Instantly Memorize Names”

[alokkumar-wuvp]

I feel privileged to live in the era when I can watch Harvard lectures for

[primeho]

I'm doing my research in Philosophy of Accounting.

This morning i sent an email to Professor Michael Sandel for asking permission to cite his material based on this forum.

After 10 hours, i got a reply directly from him... giving me permission.
Oh.. you know it feels like amazing grace when got his reply.

Thank you so much, Professor.
God bless.

[IronDogger]

Thank you Harvard for posting these lectures. I miss the luxury of going to lectures and having educational debates. When I recover from Leukemia, I hope to further my education so this is keeping me hopeful until then. I would go to school for the rest of my life happily with lectures like this. Thank you.

[sanjitsiriguppi]

I like how he doesn't judge his students, he simply appreciates a diverse point of view. I wish I could sit in his class someday.

[kamalkamal]

00:26 - Putting a Price Tag on Life
01:00 - Introduction to life of Jeremy Bentham - Manifestor of Utilitarianism

03:58 - Phillip Morris Study
Czech Republic - ⬆️ of excise in smoking
Phillip Morris Cost/Benefit Analysis - found net substantial gain to state if citizens smoke - But it misses the cost of trauma faced by family of deceased and value of person's life

06:52 - Ford Pinto Case - what should be the value of life? can we even measure the value of life in monetary terms?
Also thought to ponder upon here is that - Is it justified to arrive at a moral conclusion using utilitarianism in each and every case?
pinto case - fuel tank in the rear -- reasoning for not incorporating extra safety measures is derived from a cost-benefit analysis.
An analysis that incorporates value of life as $2, 00, 000

19:29 - Objections to utilitarianism
- Utilitarianism fails to respect individual rights + not possible to aggregate all values and preferences into $$

22:47 - Thorndike study conclusion - 'Any want or satisfaction which exists, exists in some amount and is therefore measurable.

25:29 - Ethical Dilemma regarding Terrorist and Torture
Contention between Utilitarian approach and Categorical approach

30:41 - While objecting to the Utilitarian approach - it is contended that not possible to aggregate all values and preferences - But why is it necessary to aggregate all values? Isn't there distinction b/w higher and lower pleasures and pains ?

31:36 - Quote by Jeremy Bentham - "The quality of pleasure being equal, pushpin is as good as poetry."

34:02 - Utilitarian 'John Stuart Mill' reply to objections of Bentham's philosophy of utilitarianism - He states that the idea that our de facto actual empirical desires are the only basis for moral judgment. Also he affirms the possibility of distinction b/w higher and lower pleasures

38:51 - John Stuart Mill assets that higher pleasure is the one which comes naturally -- followed by an experiment of the visual experience of Shakespeare, fear factor and Simpson.

48:02 - Quote by John Stuart Mill - "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied. Better to be a Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool or the pig are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their side of the question."

50:23 - Justice by John stuart Mill - "Justice is a name for certain moral requirements, which, regarded collectively, stand higher in the scale of social utility and are therefore of a more paramount obligation than any others."

in the hindsight - It is observed in lecture that, absoluteness of either of approach can be easily contradicted with basic sense of today's moral standard. lt is the dynamic balance, we try to perfect as progressive beings. A balance which exactness is founded on circumstances of application.

[roughpatches]

I appreciate seeing older folks in these lectures - lifelong learning!

[theoroborous]

The problem with the whole idea of "For the Greater Good" is that most of the people who make decisions based on that idea are quite assured they are part of the "greater good". One must ask our conscience how we would have taken the same decision if we were part of the worse of minority.

I really am impressed with the Professor and the clarity with which he teaches.He seems like a class act and a person that one would love to have a conversation.

[nuddle]

I can't express how thankful I am to Harvard for spreading free knowledge

[MaVichhayOfficial]

Finally I can attend the highest university in the world without costing any money. I am so happy to be here, this lecture is also relevant to my course. It helped me a lot to understand more about this course. I am curious to learn and gain new experience from this class. Thanks you

[OughtaBeFun]

He addresses every question that I ask myself in my head. This guy is just too awesome.

[chandrikav]

This is the best thing ever happened on the internet.. learning on YouTube has now become my highest pleasure.

[onlinestudent]

Now I realised why these top universities are always at top🔥
He is such great teacher even after straight 13 year still like I'm in his classroom 🌃🙃

[PranjalDugar]

"You have to adjust for inflation" - hangover from economics class 😎.
These are the kind of class mates that I want to make my studies much more interesting.

[pierreguyalyphilippe]

And he always remembers students'name even if it's 30 minutes after their opinions.

[maz]

I have a question: what's the difference on putting a price on a human's life and calculating how much time one person should spend in jail due to a crime he/she committed? 

In this class, they start debating: can we put a price on human life? and everybody seems so shy while debating, however, our society does a similar calculation everyday: how much time one must spend in jail because he stole something or murdered someone, etc. 

How do we calculate that one person must spend 2 years in prison for theft? How do we decide that one must spend 30 years in prison for murder? How do we get to this numbers?

To my view, calculating how much time one should spend jail due to a certain felony or misdemeanor is pretty much the same discussion as putting a price on somebody's life.

[mylifestories]

I am experiencing higher pleasure by watching this video instead of enjoying some meaningless hours on Facebook. What a great lecture!

[samrinfatima-]

The fact that we all are preferring these lectures over the entirety of YouTube itself proves Mill❤