created the utilitarianism school of thought‚ which is an incredibly useful ethical position. It can be most effectively defined by Wikipedia‚ "Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall utility." Utilitarianism has many benefits‚ but those benefits are harmonized with some major flaws. I will discuss the founding fathers of utilitarianism‚ the strengths and weaknesses of act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism‚ other forms
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Jeremy Bentham
The prominant criticism of Utilitarianism is that it is extremely hard to predict the results of an action. The outcomes of all situations are hard to predict‚ so how can we possibly apply the rule of the greatest happiness for the greatest number if we do not know who will benefit most? It is also difficult to decide whether an outcome is morally good or bad. People have contrasting opinions on what they think is right or wrong and it depends on the individual who is making the decision. This causes
Premium Time Utilitarianism Decision making
Utilitarianism says that the moral and ethical thing to do is that which provides the most happiness or the least unhappiness to society. Sitting in class listening to the lecture on the moral theory of Utilitarianism it first sounded like the best moral theory ever. However as the classes continued and we learned more and more about this theory my opinion quickly changed. In this paper I will defend the idea that Utilitarianism is a failed moral theory. As stated in James Rachels‚ The Elements
Premium Utilitarianism
have some key concepts which point to what the good ultimately is: egoism‚ utilitarianism‚ and deontology. Egoism values the desires of the individual the most‚ and this is most important to the individual. Utilitarianism‚ on the other hand‚ needs to be impartial in order to value each individual’s happiness equally. Deontology also conflicts with both of these other theories because it is not consequentialist like utilitarianism‚ and does not always benefit the individual or anyone else involved. The
Premium Ethics Ethical egoism Utilitarianism
In his piece‚ “Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism” J. J. C. Smart illustrated just how different extreme utilitarianism and restricted utilitarianism are from each other and which one is more realistic to follow. Smart developed this idea by supplying his readers with various examples on each side and explaining them thoroughly. Smart’s objective from presenting this piece is to show just how unreasonable restricted utilitarianism is in most‚ if not all situations. He also explains why people
Premium Utilitarianism
job to be able to financially support your family. Most people would agree that lying or torturing someone is wrong. However‚ some may argue that if you are helping more people than you are hurting‚ then it is okay to lie to or torture someone. Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that the action you choose to perform should result in “the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people” (MacKinnon and Fiala). It is a form of consequentialism that focuses on the consequences of actions
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Morality
The two sources of moral guidance are the rivaling theories of Kantianism and Utilitarianism‚ both normative moral theories‚ meaning they deal with how we know what is right or wrong. Kantianism is a deontological theory developed by Immanuel Kant. This means that the theory holds the importance of duty and motives of an act in higher prestige than the consequences of said act. Kant argued‚ what came with is religiosity‚ that we‚ humans are rational‚ moral beings. This meant that we understand intrinsically
Free Utilitarianism Ethics
Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism In the article‚ “Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism”‚ Louis P. Pojman explained the grounds on which utilitarianism has been attacked and showed some possible response to its defenders which imply his positive attitude towards utilitarianism [1] . In order to argue that thesis‚ Pojman’s one important premise is the response to the no-rest objection. He believed that the agent should aim at maximizing his or her own happiness as well as other people’s
Premium Argument University of Oxford Utilitarianism
systems debated today are utilitarianism and deontology. These two traditions parallel the sayings “the ends justify the means” or “the means justify the ends”. Inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s philosophies‚ John Stuart Mill applied his ideas to his many pamphlets and short works regarding Utilitarianism. This philosophy considers that the best thing to do ethically for a society is to maximize its happiness‚ interests‚ preference‚ or well-being. In effect‚ utilitarianism focuses on outcomes‚ or the
Premium Ethics Utilitarianism Morality
non-consequentialist. Consequentialist is considered utilitarianism and the non-consequentialist as deontology that differs in their views. Consequentialism is all about the ‘actions of consequences‚’ which are based on justification. The people that favored affirmative action for consequences‚ for them it works until it produces the greatest happiness for the largest number of individuals. ‘Utilitarianism and Egoism’ are both forms of consequentialist. Utilitarianism is defined as the ‘principle of utility or
Premium Utilitarianism Consequentialism Affirmative action