Utilitarianism In John Mill's Guantanamo Bay

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks detainees have passed through a prison camp that is known as Guantanamo Bay. Since then, there has been an ongoing conversation about the treatment of the detained combatants and many justify the camp under utilitarian grounds. John Mill explains utilitarianism and describes the greatest happiness principle which states that actions are right in as long as they tend to promote happiness. In this paper, I will be using the prison camp to argue that utilitarianism has flaws by not accounting for human relationships, feelings, and treating people as actual humans. I will first explain the arguments that Mill elucidated before I argue that the greatest happiness is problematic. I will then explain an alternative
This is because Mill ideas did not factor in human relationships and feelings. His greatest happiness concept is too simple and allows bias that could get in the way of get in the way of making the best possible decision. The fears and anxieties that some may hold since the attacks would allow individuals to be treated inhumanly to ensure the security of the nation. Mills’ greatest happiness principal allows for mere speculation to justify the deprivation of rights of a few so they could possibly save Americans from another mass attack. Mill also fails to see that many humans tend to only care about their own happiness in life, and less for the happiness around them. This shows that many people would not bother to care about the few who are being held at
The bias among many Americans since the September 11 attacks leads to many treating those of the Islamic faith as sub-humans; therefore, prejudice against them are justified by civilians. Decka infers that the racialization is unethical because it places people with different values against each other. In this case, it is Muslims who are often discriminated because they are seen as less civil than others. The inhumane treatment of those detained are justified because their cultural differences make them the enemy. However, Decka believes that even though they may be a potential threat, there should be alternatives and do the ethical thing and treat those detained as humans instead of