system of ethics based on the idea of ‘utility’. This means usefulness and utilitarian suggest that everyone should be the most useful thing. The theory was devised by Jeremy Bentham who said “an action is right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number”. He believed human beings are motivated by pleasure and pain. Bentham lived in an era of great social and scientific change and unrest; he wanted to produce a modern and rational approach to morality. He was hedonist and believed that
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When Oliver North was asked to explain why he lied to congressional committees about his role in the Iran-Contra affair‚ he replied‚ "Lying does not come easily to me. But we all had to weigh in the balance the difference between lies and lives." Elsewhere in his testimony‚ North was asked about the false chronology of events he fabricated when preparing a summary of the government’s involvement in arms sales to Iran: Questioner: . . . You have indicated that. . . in your own mind . . . it was a
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“Explain Singer’s distinction between sentience and self-consciousness‚ and what the distinction implies for the moral status of animals. Do you believe non-human animals have the same or a different moral status to human animals? Explain the basis of your answer.” More than three decades ago Peter Singer heralded the need for a new kind of liberation movement‚ one calling for a radical expansion of the human moral canvas and more importantly‚ a rejection of the horrors human beings have inflicted
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resources and oxygen. This seems like a more practical way as it is absolutist and ethics based on pleasure when dealing with this topic is unhelpful. On the other hand Bentham can be helpful when dealing with environmental ethics. For example in recent days even farming cod is not sustainable to stop them from becoming extinct and Bentham would not only look at the pleasure of the
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Dark Side of Utilitarianism According to Bentham‚ an English moral philosopher and legal reformer‚ the highest principle of morality is to maximize happiness‚ the overall balance of pleasure over pain. This principle explains the Utilitarianism doctrine that is mostly the solution of everyone in every century. Utilitarianism can bring the most benefit for people. In contrast‚ throughout the three stories “Justice” by John Stuart Mill‚ Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro‚ and “The One who Walks Away
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for the idea of disciplinary mechanism. Foucault also describes Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon‚ a Building with a tower in the center that has wide windows all around giving the tower a peripheral vision of the cells that surround it. The supervisor can see the inmates but the inmates can’t see the supervisor‚ as a result inmates behave on their own due to the possibility of someone watching. This ensures the carrying out power. Bentham said “that power should be visible yet unverifiable.” The panopticon
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According to Bentham and Mill‚ happiness is totally established by experiences of pleasure and unhappiness is form of experiences of pain or displeasure (Timmons‚ 2014‚ p. 8). So‚ value hedonism is the philosophical doctrine in terms of explaining their theory of intrinsic value. Pleasure and pain are the only important elements of the hedonistic theory of value. The theory of value hedonism states that all pleasure is intrinsically valuable‚ and nothing but pleasure has intrinsic positive value
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Critically examine how ethical theories approach issues surrounding pornography There are many ethical theories which can be applied to the ethics concerning pornography however I believe the easiest ethical theories for giving a clear cut between what is acceptable and what is not are the absolutist theories or the ones with Absolutist rules such as Kantian Ethics or Natural Moral Law. Pornography is a form of media which is sexually stimulating for the observer. The ethical situations surrounding
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hit the group of people‚ would you push him?’. This theory of utilitarianism is in relation of the positivism presumption of situation ethics‚ were love should be the most important criterion of all. I believe the theory which makes most sense is Jeremy Bentham’s theory of the hedonic calculus. However due to many decisions and actions having to be made in a matter of seconds‚ I can’t see it being practical in everyday life. The process of the hedonic calculus can take a matter of hours let alone
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The essay discusses the context of ethics in a church environment. The ethnographic study took place at a Polish church in Izabelin and the analysis of this church organization will be covered in this essay. It will touch the context of ethics in different environments and there will be recommendations on the given organization as well. The observations took place at a Catholic church in Izabelin on a Sunday mass. The interior design of the church is very old fashion‚ stained glass windows give
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