Examples Of Utilitarianism

699 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The case of utilitarianism

Throughout human history, the way in which we define what is right and wrong has gone through many different transformations. The way we treat our fellow human beings has been altered by war, propaganda, racism and cultural differences. The division of land and power in the middle ages, the crusades, women’s suffrage and slavery are all derived from the ethics of particular cultures and perspectives. By looking at the ethics of previous eras and cultures, I hope to develop a particular ethical standpoint that is fair to all people of all cultures. For me, this is the standpoint that the end justifies the means, otherwise known as utilitarianism.
Utilitarianism is a life principle that I have thought about and decided upon extensively. I have never quite understood my own ethical standpoint or been able to put it into writing, until heard of utilitarianism. I believe that the values this principle stems from are most likely: being true to myself, making steadfast decisions and a small amount of greed (Which dwells within all of us instinctively (Taflinger, 1996)). Utilitarianism is a challenging standpoint, almost in the same way that socialism is a challenging standpoint between communism and capitalism. This also means that like socialism, my ethical standpoint is different from its counterparts, and so, has different effects on my life.
Being a young man, I am rarely subjected to making adverse decisions relating to morality. As I currently stand, my ethical principle has few ill effects, with most unethical acts being petty quarrels with friends and family. Also, I don’t have the life experience that allows me to decide the worth of benefits and the seriousness of various acts. This puts me in a state where my ethical principl...

... middle of paper ...

...tirement tunnel is approaching quickly, and making decisions against retiring early and being happy or continuing on and ensuring a long fulfilling retirement. These decisions may also have something to do with the value of greed, and wanting to attain wealth as a young adult.
In conclusion, humans, no matter race culture or gender, have some form of ethical principle, whether it is for better or for worse. Humans put labels on what is right and wrong in order to attempt living a fulfilling life. Our individuality through our important life stages and relationships can alter what we define as our ethical principle. Values of the person in question, life experience, childhood and social influences affect the outcome of the persons ethical principle. This ultimately results in character traits such as generous, lovable, tough and fair, that in turn make up who we are.

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Utilitarianism: Dropping The Bomb

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare against the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later on August 9th, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Just six days after the second atomic explosion, Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the United States after almost four years of war. Philosophers have argued that President Truman took a utilitarian point of morals when deciding to use nuclear weapons: do what is best for the largest number of people. Others say he blatantly ignored Kant’s teachings regarding the morality of attacking non-combatants. Regardless, President Truman was faced with one of the most morally difficult decisions any

    Read More

  • Singer, Bentham and Utilitarianism

    1951 Words  | 4 Pages

    Utilitarianism was initially a school of thought brought about by Jeremey Bentham throughout the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Centuries. John Stuart Mill would later go on to shape it closer to the form we know today. On the surface the Utilitarian way of thinking seems simple: every action must be done for the sake of the greater good. However, as one digs deeper into this notion it is clear that this cannot be achieved by relying solely on a common sense approach to life. In the following paragraphs we will explore the history of Utilitarianism and those who formed it, how it is meant to guide life, and how it is relevant to life in the Twenty-first Century.

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism Essay

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    The aim of utilitarianism in general is optimal happiness, which is the only intrinsic good according to Mill. More specifically, act and rule utilitarianism differ in the manner in which they asses what will yield the greatest amount of happiness. Often, one of the objections to utilitarianism is that it is overly demanding. However, this objection that the utilitarian view is too demanding is fitting for both forms of utilitarianism, according to the Fundamentals of Ethics. In the following, I will address why utilitarianism is habitually seen as overly demanding, and I will provide a defense of utilitarianism contrary to these objections.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Utilitarianism In Gattaca

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    Utilitarianism tells us society should be ran on impartiality. Also, that in society justice cannot foreclose the sacrificing the innocent for the good of humanity. I believe in the film Gattaca the happiness or in other the words utility of utilitarianism, of the lives of those deemed invalid was sacrificed. Utilitarianism is also the basic idea that one person’s consciousness is as worthy of consideration as any others. The film Gattaca is about a world where your life is pre-determined by your D.N.A. I will further discuss how the main theme of the film Gattaca, genetic engineering’s role in society, is the root cause of natural fallacy within the new world Gattaca exhibits and does not cure the imperfect world. Then to conclude I will explain how for these same reasons genetic engineering’s use of utilitarian views is a contradiction of utilitarianism.

    Read More

  • Examples Of American Utilitarianism

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Suppose Jim is a utilitarian. Does he shoot one Indian to save the others? Were the men on the raft practicing utilitarianism? Why or why not? Would you shoot one Indian and let Hudson drown? Why or why not?

    Read More

  • The Ethical System Of Utilitarianism

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Utilitarianism is an ethical system that states that one should make moral choices based on which moral option brings the most pleasure and for the most people. This system is a consequentialist one, meaning that means or actions do not matter; only the consequences or results of one’s actions determine if the choice made was morally right or wrong. Actions and decisions can only be evaluated by the results they produce. If someone’s actions result in more pain than pleasure, then that action is determined to be a morally wrong one; if an action results in the most pleasure for the most people, then it is considered morally good. This system can be hard to apply when evaluating and weighing moral options since it is a consequentialist system;

    Read More

  • The Case Study Concerning Joelle

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    Utilitarianism is an ethical theory in which determining the rightness or wrongness of action or decision is based on determining whether the greatest benefit or happiness will be provided in the highest or greatest number of population. This simply means that action or decision must be based on the highest amount or number of beneficiary (Martineau, 2006). However, this ethical theory has two major types. First is the “act utilitarianism” and second is the “rule utilitarianism.” Act utilitarianism specifically adh...

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of Utilitarianism

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    For this reason, in the following we analyze the theory behind the technology ofgenetically modified organism.GM food were first commercialised in the US in the early 1990s. The US food regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allowed the first GM foods onto world markets in spite of its own scientists‘ warnings that genetic engineering is different from conventional breeding and poses special risks, including the production of new toxins or allergens (Shibko, 1992) The FDA formed a policy for GM foods that did not require any safety tests or labeling.

    Read More

  • Arguments Against Utilitarianism

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a philosophical approach, utilitarianism generally focuses on the principle of “greatest happiness”. According to the greatest happiness principle, actions that promote overall happiness and pleasure are considered as right practices. Moreover, to Mill, actions which enhance happiness are morally right, on the other hand, actions that produce undesirable and unhappy outcomes are considered as morally wrong. From this point of view we can deduct that utilitarianism assign us moral duties and variety of ways for maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain to ensure “greatest happiness principle”. Despite all of moral duties and obligations, utilitarian perspective have many specific challenges that pose several serious threats which constitute variety of arguments in this essay to utilitarianism and specifically Mill answers these challenges in his work. These arguments can be determinated and analyzed as three crucial points that seriously challenges utilitarianism. The first issue can be entitled like that utilitarian idea sets too demanding conditions as to act by motive which always serves maximizing overall happiness. It creates single criterion about “being motived to maximize overall happiness” but moral rightness which are unattainable to pursue in case of the maximizing benefit principle challenges utilitarianism. Secondly, the idea which may related with the first argument but differs from the first idea about single criterion issue, utilitarianism demands people to consider and measuring everything which taking place around before people practice their actions. It leads criticism to utilitarianism since the approach sees human-beings as calculators to attain greatest happiness principle without considering cultural differ...

    Read More

  • Jeremy Bentham's Utilitarianism

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    Utilitarianism is a movement in ethics which began in the late eighteenth centaury and is primarily associated with the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham and was later adapted and fully developed by John Stuart Mill in the ninetieth century. . The theory states that we should try to achieve ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’. Utilitarianism is a teleological theory of ethics. Teleological theories of ethics look at the consequences to decide whether an action is right or wrong. Utilitarianism is defined as a doctrine that the useful is the good and that the determining consideration of right conduct should be the usefulness of it consequences: specifically: a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible

    Read More

  • Examples Of Utilitarianism

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    Overall, I do believe that my moral code is based on utilitarian views. I believe everyone should be free to be who they want to be, do what they want to do and choose their own life. Below, I will go through some different aspects of the utilitarian view that apply to me and what I believe I would do based on my moral code in certain situations.

    Read More

  • What Is An Example Of Utilitarianism

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    Utilitarianism is a moral theory of Jeremy Bentham. It defines that actions are morally right if they produce the greatest amount of pleasure at the end. According to Bentham’s official argument, we are morally required to perform actions that brings the most pleasure as consequences. Conversely, considering Bentham’s real case for Utilitarianism, many objections and alternatives could be raised facing the theory. In this paper, I would explain Bentham’s theory of Utilitarianism, provide a counterexample, and also discuss an alternative of the theory.

    Read More

  • Utilitarianism: Is It Right Or Wrong?

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Utilitarianism is defined as “Actions are right to the degree that they tend to promote the greatest good for the greatest number.” [1]. Main focus of utilitarian is the best consequences of their own actions as they believe that their actions should not have a negative influence on anyone else. They not only should be morally correct but must have an awareness to moral codes and wellbeing’s of others. The life of a utilitarian follows general moral rules that guides them to maximize pleasure and also minimizes pain to themselves and others. I think, some of the moral rules followed by utilitarian includes being honest, not cheating, caring for children, family, being reliable, following rules; and many more. I do believe that many of us probably

    Read More

  • Ethical Theory Of Consequentialism

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this way, utilitarianism offers an ethical theory that is applicable to many everyday situations. However, on the negative side, utilitarianism is “seen as objectionable by some because it assigns no intrinsic moral value to justice, friendship, truth, or any of the many other goods that are thought by some to be irreducibly valuable” (Weijers n.d.). In other words, most brands of utilitarianism take no account of right or wrong, but rather allows for ethical decisions to be based on a cold, rational cost-benefit analysis. Nevertheless, and as will become clearer later, this is a powerful theory for making decisions where a seemingly obvious right or wrong doesn’t present itself. In such cases, utilitarianism offers a very convenient ethical theory on which to bases

    Read More

  • Philosophical Analysis of Donald Wurdock

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    I have unknowingly been practicing utilitarianism for most of my life. Due to the extent of my ignorance, I have not been following the ethical theory perfectly. But then again, I think the ability to practice even without requiring knowledge beforehand is utilitarianism’s greatest advantage. The founding ideal of “do the best for most” is the driving force for my interests and connection to the ethical theory. I am amazed at how easy the theory is to practice and how many people most likely have a daily practice of it anyways.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Utilitarianism

Open Document