Can You Measure Happiness?

What makes an action right or wrong? In this lecture, Lee Braver classifies Mill's utilitarianism as a consequentialist theory, one that judges actions solely by the results they produce rather than the intentions behind them. He explains its core commitment: that the right action is whatever produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Braver highlights one of the theory's most appealing features: because only pleasure and pain matter, utilitarianism is radically egalitarian, counting everyone's happiness equally regardless of race, gender, or even species. However, Braver argues that this equality cuts both ways, serving as both the theory's greatest strength and its most dangerous vulnerability. If consequences are all that matter, then nothing is absolutely off limits. The ends can justify the means, opening the door to exploitation if the suffering of some leads to the pleasure of many. He closes by revealing that utilitarian bargains are not just thought experiments. From speed limits to sweat shops, we are all making them constantly.