How to Measure Pleasure

Synopsis: In a lecture drawn from Professor Michael Sandel’s course on justice, he introduces the British philosopher John Stuart Mill. Mill argued 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. Sandel tests Mill’s theory that that the higher pleasure is that which is preferred by a well-informed majority by playing video clips from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the reality show FEAR FACTOR and THE SIMPSONS. Students debate their own preferences and whether Mill’s defense of utilitarianism is successful.
Series: Justice
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Transmission details: 8 Feb 2011 at 20:30 (Channel: BBC4)
Duration: 30 mins

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