Utilitarianism

Response Paper 1 The ethical theory of utilitarianism argues that an act is only morally right if its consequences result in at least as much pleasure or wellbeing as the consequences of every alternative act. This theory was introduced by Jeremy Bentham and later further developed by John Stuart Mill. This paper will discuss Mill’s thoughts on utilitarianism and how its application can result in new moral dilemmas. John Stuart Mill begins chapter three by pondering what exactly it is that…

demandingness objection has probative force against the theory of act utilitarianism. I will be arguing that act utilitarianism is false because it requires the agent to make very great sacrifices in order to maximise utility. This essay will be exploring Brink (1986) and Sobel’s (2007) response to the challenges faced by act utilitarianism. I will be using Williams’ (1973) argument to demonstrate the various problems act utilitarianism encounters when attempting to show that the theory does…

Ethical Framework Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that I feel aligned to personally. Utilitarianism states that the ethical choice is the one that provides the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people, even if that choice isn’t the best for everyone. Much of our politics are conducted using this approach, making decisions and laws that increase the amount of good while also reducing the amount of harm that is done. I believe this to be the most practical approach to most…

The utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that morality is not based in the act itself, but by the consequences of the act, you should do the things that generates the most happiness, or the greatest good for the greatest number. The right decision is…

Utilitarianism is based on the The Greatest Happiness Principle, which states that people should act in accordance towards maximizing one’s pleasure, while minimizing one’s pain. This is also relevant in a communal setting focusing on benefitting the majority of a group. The two philosophers that will be discussed are: Elizabeth Anscombe and Jeremy Bentham. The Anscombian point of view protests against the use of murder as a means to an end. The Bentham-style utilitarian abides by The Greatest…

The Flaws of Utilitarianism Utilitarianism can be traced back to late 18th century to the 19th century (utilitarianism). Hedonist philosopher Jeremy Bentham introduced the principle of utility or also called the principle of pleasure. The principle of pleasure acts a method to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people (Soccio 350). This passage states that an individual ought to decide the most favorable pleasure for the majority of people. As utilitarian philosopher…

From the perspective of a Utilitarian, the characters in The Lottery would be regarded as ethical in carrying out their ritualistic sacrifice, assuming what Old Man Warner said is true. After hearing dispute of the lottery’s necessity and Mr. Adams proclaiming that “the North village (is) talking of giving up the lottery, Warner retorts that they’re a “pack of crazy fools.” Warner later states that if there is “a lottery in June, corn be heavy soon”, hinting at the value of the macabre ceremony.…

Bentham’s Utilitarianism In an Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Jeremy Bentham puts forward his principle of ethics. Bentham Believes that mankind is governed by pain and pleasure and views his principle of utility as the superior moral principle and puts forward alternatives to his principle, one that is opposed to utility for the sake of being opposed to utility and another which is opposed for another reason, in Bentham’s view inferior to the principle of utility…

I believe that rule utilitarianism is better than kantianism because it is reasonable to assume consequences and humans are too complex to strictly follow the categorical imperative. Although utilitarianism could use some work, the basic principles of the theory are much more practical to apply to the real world compared to kantianism. Utilitarianism and kantianism are both normative moral theories as they are methods of decision-making rules that apply principles for the right and wrong of…

On the other hand, utilitarianism is fundamentally based on examining the consequences of an action. It is about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. If a doctor, for example, recognizes that a patient is going to die if he or she is told the truth, the doctor…