In efforts to find summum bonum or the ultimate good, philosophers during the 20th century began to investigate ethical issues, and tried to create their own versions of an ideal moral code. During this time, John Stuart Mill and Peter Singer base their ethical beliefs in the philosophy of utilitarianism. Both Mill’s essay Utilitarianism and Singer’s work Famine, Affluence and Morality explore the pursuit of happiness and its relation to moral philosophy.
The doctrine of utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences of one’s actions as they add to the sum total of happiness. In Mill’s essay, he claims that the essence of Utilitarianism is summarized by the Greatest Happiness Principle. He goes on to explain the principle and writes, “actions …show more content…
He writes, “If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it” (Singer 6). He stresses that affluent societies have no excuse to not treat ailments we have the cure for, like starvation. Alleviating these poor conditions and human suffering is the easiest way to minimize the sum total of pain, or to follow the Greatest Happiness Principle. Singer expands on how much people are expected to give and mentions the “point of marginal utility” (10). The point of marginal utility as it relates to money essentially means that after a certain point where an individual can live comfortably, any extra income will not make the individual significantly happier. In other words, the point of marginal utility is where happiness begins to plateau in regards to extraneous wealth. To Singer, this money would be much more appreciated by someone whose suffering could be ended, rather than someone whose happiness is unaffected by it. Furthermore, Singer argues that affluent societies should not send aid merely because they have the desire to do, but because they have a moral obligation to do …show more content…
The doctrine focuses on the consequences of actions as they aim to increase the happiness of the whole. Peter Singer goes on to apply the utilitarian doctrine to assert that people have an obligation to alleviate distant human suffering. Overall, utilitarianism highlights the importance of putting the happiness of others before your own. One may argue that utilitarianism cannot be applied to society because humans are inherently self-interested. However, utilitarianism can still be applied if all people see each other as equals, and recognize that everyone’s happiness is equally
The doctrine of utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences of one’s actions as they add to the sum total of happiness. In Mill’s essay, he claims that the essence of Utilitarianism is summarized by the Greatest Happiness Principle. He goes on to explain the principle and writes, “actions …show more content…
He writes, “If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it” (Singer 6). He stresses that affluent societies have no excuse to not treat ailments we have the cure for, like starvation. Alleviating these poor conditions and human suffering is the easiest way to minimize the sum total of pain, or to follow the Greatest Happiness Principle. Singer expands on how much people are expected to give and mentions the “point of marginal utility” (10). The point of marginal utility as it relates to money essentially means that after a certain point where an individual can live comfortably, any extra income will not make the individual significantly happier. In other words, the point of marginal utility is where happiness begins to plateau in regards to extraneous wealth. To Singer, this money would be much more appreciated by someone whose suffering could be ended, rather than someone whose happiness is unaffected by it. Furthermore, Singer argues that affluent societies should not send aid merely because they have the desire to do, but because they have a moral obligation to do …show more content…
The doctrine focuses on the consequences of actions as they aim to increase the happiness of the whole. Peter Singer goes on to apply the utilitarian doctrine to assert that people have an obligation to alleviate distant human suffering. Overall, utilitarianism highlights the importance of putting the happiness of others before your own. One may argue that utilitarianism cannot be applied to society because humans are inherently self-interested. However, utilitarianism can still be applied if all people see each other as equals, and recognize that everyone’s happiness is equally