Consequentialism

Utilitarianism is a theory that places the condition of right or wrong for an action or policy solely based on the outcome or consequences that result from it. A distinction between this theory and others is that it moves beyond the scope of one’s own interests and takes into account the interests of others. Contrary to popular belief, utilitarianism is not about providing the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people, but rather providing the greatest ratio of happiness to…

Within the ethical branch of philosophy there are several theories on how one should leave their life but, most do not provide a sufficient answer, but there is one theory that has provided an answer; and that is Utilitarianism a subset of consequentialism. This theory is defined by its core idea of maximizing overall happiness of everyone, and has been used to shape some of the fundamental ideas governments use to govern their various countries; this is due to Utilitarianism providing a logical…

Morality and Moral Values In the framework of moral philosophy, moral good has been given various definitions, while the most general understanding of it is truth and the right attitude towards reality in its entirety (Solovyov 114). That is, it is the general perception of right and wrong and an expected pattern of conduct that virtually maintain functioning of our world, for it rests upon the notions of morality and good. However, an immense range of philosophical, social and religious…

Introduction Education is one of the best ways to work in assisting towards people’s transformation. Education has been both established and applied to our world over time and context. It has adopted in so many ways as being practiced by many agents around the world. Every nation has their unique experiences and strategies in both working and weaving out the best system to advocating towards the greater outcome of education. New Zealand is one of the countries that has a sound and unique…

in some circumstances, there are some paradoxical situations when a certain action may inflict more pain than happiness yet be regarded as a morally right action rather than a morally wrong action as per the ideologies of the utilitarianism consequentialism ethical theory. Such paradoxes result in the second ethical theory that is regarded as…

equally, regardless of social status, wealth, or other superficial values, and in fact, people should always act to maximize overall happiness, or utility, for everyone (Gaskill, 2005). Furthermore, utilitarianism falls under the category of consequentialism, as a decision must always depend on its consequences to determine whether it was right or wrong. Indeed, it is only right if it brings about the…

I believe that this statement is 100 percent true because without the use of facts nothing can be proven, however theories can help us create facts. With the development of theories there is a basic necessity for proof. The only way to prove a theory is with experimentation, which will lead to be factual information once experimented on. Of course there are some exceptions like in religion there are plenty of theories and none are based off of factual evidence. When it comes to Heaven and Hell…

H.J. McCloskey, in his article, “On Being an Atheist,” attempts to justify his position of unmitigated atheism. McCloskey presents a series of arguments, dichotomizing classical claims made by those who advocate the existence of a Creator, more specifically the God of the bible. He begins his series of objections by way of summarizing each of the arguments, which he calls “proofs,” McCloskey contends that the cosmological or teleological proof does not justify an omniscient creator. In fact…

solve the deep unequal distribution of social values in America. The theory of justice has some flaws, which Rawls could not respond to perfectly. These flaws imply that Rawls’s theory is idealistic and needs to be developed. Rawls thinks that consequentialism controls the political and economic spheres in America and leads to many social problems in that society, especially inequality of wealth and political rights (Rawls, 1971). In order to relieve these problems, he proposed his own theory.…

The following paper critically assesses the applications of John Stuart Mill’s philosophy of utilitarianism. Through analyzing a notorious criticism of his doctrine, I will argue that utilitarianism is a reasonable moral philosophy, as while it is concerned with maximizing overall happiness, it still acknowledges the motivations of individual actors. This paper will: consider the problem of distributive justice, argue why it fails to acknowledge his emphasis on personal dignity and private…