Utilitarianism: Explanation And Study of Criticisms The dictionary definition of Utilitarianism is: 'The doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principal of conduct.' When making a moral decision, we should look at the outcome of an action. Whatever brings the greatest happiness to the most people is the morally 'right' decision. It is a consequentialist principal where the majority rules. It is also relative as each situation is looked at differently and will have a different outcome. Utilitarianism is known as the theory of utility. The meaning of utility is usefulness. Each action is judged by its usefulness in bringing about desired consequences. The word utility was first used to describe a group of social reformers. They attempted to make laws and practices of use-useful to people. One of the earliest Utilitarians to live by this principle was Epicurus - he stated: "Friendship goes dancing round the world proclaiming to us all to awake to the praises of a happy life." Utilitarianism is the view that people should do whatever brings about the most good and the least bad for everyone affected. This is sometimes called "cost-benefit analysis" or "end justifies the means" morality. Usually, the utilitarian thinks "good" means happiness or pleasure. Similarly, the utilitarian calls unhappiness and pain "bad". Problems with utilitarianism in general include the following: We can never know what the consequences of any act or rule maybe. We may try to determine the worth of individuals. The majority maybe permitted to harm the minority. Some actions maybe to terr... ... middle of paper ... ... to the Christian church by introducing Rule Utilitarianism. This would be closer to the principals Jesus lived by. For example, it was against the Jewish law to work on the Sabbath but when people were in need, Jesus bent this rule and healed them. The largest connection Christianity has with Utilitarianism is the death of Jesus. He was crucified and died for the sins of mankind sacrificing himself for the majority. However, Utilitarianism does accept evil where Christianity most certainly does not. Philosophers like Bentham and Mill worked to produce a theory that could aid us make complex decisions with a desirable outcome. The different types of Utilitarianism make it easier to live by, yet it is hard not to let our emotions override our actions. Despite the many flaws in the theory, it is simple and easy to apply.
To begin, it is important to understand utilitarianism is and its basic components. As stated in Nardin and Maple’s Traditions of International Ethics, utilitarianism is a consequentialist tradition meaning the outcomes of an action are the focus of ethical judgment, rather than the act itself. The other premise of utilitarianism is its ability to maximize the utility (satisfaction) of the largest number of individuals while minimizing the amount of harm done.
In Utilitarianism, J.S. Mill gives an account for the reasons one must abide by the principles of Utilitarianism. Also referred to as the Greatest-happiness Principle, this doctrine promotes the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people. More specifically, Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, holding that the right act is that which yields the greatest net utility, or "the total amount of pleasure minus the total amount of pain", for all individuals affected by said act (Joyce, lecture notes from 03/30).
Utilitarianism provides a method for calculating the moral worth of specific actions in terms of their consequences. Utilitarianism teaches that happiness comprises the fundamental purpose and pursuit of human life. Therefore, the value and worth of any given action should be evaluated in terms of its ability to produce happiness. The utilitarian defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain, and teaches that in all cases individuals should act in such a way as to achieve the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people. Utilitarianism...
“Utilitarianism is the creed which accepts as the foundations of morals utility of the greatest happiness principle holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” (Mil, 90). Utilitarianism ethics is based on the greatest good for the greatest number meaning that the moral agent does what he/she thinks will be
Classic utilitarianism believes that the morality of an action depends solely on the consequences of the action; nothing else matters. The consequences matter only where they involve the greater or lesser happiness of individuals. The act is acceptable if it produces the most happiness (Rachels, 2015, p. 111). Rachels (2015, p. 111) also states that when assessing the consequences and individual’s happiness, they all get equal consideration; no one is more important than the other. According to classical
The most important question of all is what should one do since the ultimate purpose of answering questions is either to satisfy curiosity or to decide which action to take. Complicated analysis is often required to answer that question. Beyond ordinary analysis, one must also have a system of values, and the correct system of values is utilitarianism.
The main principle of utilitarianism is the greatest happiness principle. It states that, "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure" (Mill, 1863, Ch. 2, p330). In other words, it results with the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people that are involved.
Utilitarianism is a moral theory that approaches moral questions of right and wrong by considering the actual consequences of a variety of possible actions. These consequences are generally those that either positively or negatively affect other living beings. If there are both good and bad actual consequences of a particular action, the moral individual must weigh the good against the bad and go with the action that will produce the most good for the most amount of people. If the individual finds that there are only bad consequences, then she must go with the behavior that causes the least amount of bad consequences to the least amount of people. There are many different methods for calculating the utility of each moral decision and coming up with the best
Utilitarianism is a theory aimed at defining one simple basis that can be applied when making any ethical decision. It is based on a human’s natural instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
It is better to give than to receive . I believe I was about nine years old when I heard that statement for the first time . It was in church. It was one of those things that I randomly chose to hear while sitting in church every Sunday. Normally anything that was said in that building never made sense to me and I never had any use for retaining it. This time however something did make sense to me. Perhaps it was because my parents had been telling me that same thing except in a more ambiguous and indirect manner. "Isaac you should share your toys; Isaac why don't you give your food to your sister if you don't want it?; Isaac get your old toys and clothes together so you can donate them to the Salvation Army." So as I grew up I had a somewhat strong belief that it was better to give than to receive. I am now nineteen years of age and I have come to see that what I heard in that church ten years ago isn't always necessarily the true.
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.
Utilitarians believe that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its contribution to overall utility, otherwise known as the Greatest Happiness theory. Most people now would be considered to be utilitarian because many believe that something could be morally right if it gives good results a greater amount of people. A modern parallel to the attitude of utilitarianism are
Utilitarianism can be defined as: the right action is the one that produces the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Utilitarians seem to believe that humans only have two desires, or motivations: happiness and pain. They want as much happiness as possible and the least amount of pain as any other action. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory, meaning that whether it is right, depends solely on its consequences.
Utilitarianism can be described as an ethical theory that states if the consequences of an action
Utilitarianism is defined to be “the view that right actions are those that result in the most beneficial balance of good over bad consequences for everyone involved” (Vaughn 64). In other words, for a utilitarian,