Utilitarianism: Income Inequality In The United States

Utilitarianism is amongst the most famous moral theories to argue social issues. Developed by Jeremy Bentham, Utilitarianism is a belief that welfare and happiness should be maximized. Bentham believed that the morality of an action was determined by how much overall utility resulted from that action. Following were philosophers like include John Stuart Mill and John Rawls who mentioned that utilitarianism was a moral theory that could be used to justify inequality. Utilitarianism however is perhaps the most efficient theory to approach normative ethics. This consequential theory is understood to hold that the right action will always produce the greatest good. It is not concerned with the means to achieve the greatest good but how much good is produced. So, to refer back to Rawls’ comment, utilitarianism is a theory most commonly effective to argue against inequality since both Bentham and Mill will agree that, the action that produces ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ will always be the right action. Because utilitarianism in all emphasizes social welfare, it is best to acknowledge that the rising income inequality in the United States is unethical.
Following 18th century unjust laws, Philosopher’s like Bentham and Stuart Mill saw social actions that effected everyone and sought to develop a normative theory to call upon this actions. To better understand the relationship between income inequality and Utilitarianism it is imperative to understand the historical background of how Utilitarianism started. A native of London, Bentham lived to see a massive social-political uproar. This change included a rise in the newly created middle class and the French revolution. With the revolution, he though that those who advocated for social welfare would also follow with