Morality by the Numbers – The Deeper Thinking Podcast

Morality by the Numbers: Utilitarianism, AI, and the Ethics of Optimization

The Deeper Thinking Podcast is digitally narrated

For anyone questioning whether the good can be calculated—or whether moral depth resists simplification.

Can we measure what is right? This episode explores the enduring allure—and deep complications—of utilitarianism, from Jeremy Bentham’s felicific calculus to the moral puzzles emerging from AI decision-making and climate policy. We explore what’s at stake when ethics is treated as math—and whether maximizing happiness comes at the cost of justice, democracy, and human rights.

From the Enlightenment’s dream of rational morality to contemporary dilemmas posed by autonomous systems, we trace the appeal—and dangers—of moral efficiency. We also consider whether utilitarian thinking has become the default in modern systems, even when its assumptions go unexamined.

This episode asks not just whether utilitarianism works—but what is lost when feeling, dignity, and moral ambiguity are flattened into numbers.

Reflections

This episode unpacks the quiet assumptions beneath modern systems. It wonders whether quantifying the good ends up minimizing what truly matters.

Here are some reflections that surfaced along the way:

• Not everything that matters can be measured. Not everything measurable matters.
• Ethics is not only about outcomes—but about what we become through our choices.
• Maximizing good may end up erasing the particular, the vulnerable, the inconvenient.
• Utilitarianism often feels logical—until it’s your dignity on the line.
• The clean lines of calculation often hide the messy realities of power.
• Justice doesn’t scale well. It demands presence, not just metrics.
• We don’t just need to ask what works—we need to ask what’s worthy.

Why Listen?

• Explore the roots and evolution of utilitarian moral theory
• Understand the dilemmas posed by AI ethics and algorithmic justice
• Engage with the tension between efficiency and equity in public policy
• Reflect on the philosophical stakes of optimizing for happiness

Listen On:

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

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Bibliography

• Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. Dover Publications, 2007.
• Bentham, Jeremy. The Principles of Morals and Legislation. Prometheus Books, 1988.
• Sandel, Michael. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009.
• Ord, Toby. The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity. Hachette Books, 2020.

Bibliography Relevance

• John Stuart Mill: Refines utilitarianism to include liberty, dignity, and the complexity of happiness.
• Jeremy Bentham: Offers the original utilitarian vision of quantifying good through measurable outcomes.
• Michael Sandel: Challenges utilitarian assumptions through real-world dilemmas and public reason.
• Toby Ord: Connects longtermist thinking to policy, risk, and moral responsibility at scale.

When we turn morality into math, we may gain clarity—but lose humanity.

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