Utilitarianism In Education

The theory of Utilitarianism (a teleological system) is founded on the works of Jeremey Bentham and John Stuart Mill. In Utilitarianism () Mills argues for a normative model of ethics contending that the basis of morals is utility, or that “actions are right in proportion as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness”. Happiness is defined as the pleasure in the absence of pain while unhappiness is defined as pain in the lack of pleasure. (Utilitarianism book). An action that increases happiness and decreases negative consequences for the most people is utility. The greatest happiness principal’s states that “the ultimate end is an existence as free as possible from pain and as rich as possible in enjoyments.” Mills contends that morality should be judged based on those outcomes that produces the most happiness and least amount of pain. Actions have no inherent moral principles; morality is judged based on the outcome. This gave rise to the saying the greatest good for the greatest amount of people.
One manner in which the measure the …show more content…
According a report by the Harvard Civil Rights Project (2003), the percentage of black student attending majority white schools is at its lowest point since 1968. One-sixth of black students attend schools that are vitally all non-white, with limited resources. In 2000, 70% of black and Latino students attended predominantly minority schools. White students are the most segregated in the school system, with only 14% of white students attending a multiracial school. Black and Latino students are attend schools with two-thirds of students are of lower social economic status. The average black or Latino student attends where nearly half the students receive free or reduced lunch. Whereas the average white student attends a school where less than one-fifth of students qualify for free and reduced