Lifeboat Utilitarianism

Human beings are driven by happiness. The goal is to reduce suffering and pain in life by following classic utilitarianism. Although, not everyone will adopt this moral judgement due to it being a theory. Philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Mill started the theory of classical utilitarianism. The first ideas about happiness as pleasure and an absence of pain is the works of Bentham. Later on, Mills focused on Bentham’s original ideas and also attempted to improve them. In the excerpt, “Living on a Lifeboat” by Garrett Hardin, the ideas about helping global poverty and hunger in order to reduce suffering and pain are put to the test when a lifeboat metaphor is introduced. Depending on the situation, pleasure can vary in quantity and quality, and actions can be considered morally good when they promote general happiness. By avoiding negatives, people can maximise the total benefit. Overall, as mortal creatures, there is a drive to follow utilitarianism to ensure pain and suffering is reduced. …show more content…
First, even though there is a capacity to the boat, you take everyone that is struggling in the water even though the boat will most likely sink. The second option is you only allow ten extra people to come aboard out of the many others. Lastly, you do not allow anyone else on the lifeboat, and you stick to the boat’s capacity (Hardin 857). Which one do you choose? Author, Garrett Hardin, from the excerpt “Living on a Lifeboat” happens to be in favour of the third option. In his opinion, the first option would consist of us spreading ourselves too thin. The second choice promotes selectivity, and how would one go about deciding which ten to allow? Lastly, option three preserves the safety of the people on the boat and prevents them from distributing their help. Looking at the bigger picture, if one were to select option one, the consequences for the greater society would be