Utilitarianism In The Trigger Warning

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“Trigger warnings” are messages at the beginning of a text, lecture, or discussion notifying students that the content they are about to be subjected to could potentially be upsetting or startling, possibly triggering unpleasant flashbacks of traumatic experiences. These warnings are becoming increasingly commonplace on college campuses across America. Trigger warnings are useful classroom tools that protect students from unwanted, upsetting memories. Ethical relativism is the belief that ethics are not universal and a sense of right from wrong derives from a society’s beliefs and customs. This belief states that there are no absolute morals that are completely right or wrong in every culture. Acts that seem questionable in our society, such as polygamy and incest, are viewed as acceptable in other cultures but are …show more content…

People refrain from behaviors like murder and rape because they cause unhappiness to the victims as well as the perpetrator if they are caught and prosecuted. Instead of murdering or raping another person people choose to not perform this action, which is the decision creates the most happiness for everyone involved in the situation. Utilitarianism can also explain the ethics behind trigger warnings. Trigger warnings are a small notice printed or verbalized before potentially upsetting content. This notice does not disturb the class, nor does it upset students. The only instance where students could be upset is if the trigger warning was left off of sensitive content. Students could unknowingly be subjected to content that triggers troubling flashbacks, creating unhappiness. Including trigger warnings is the ethical decision because the warnings do not upset anyone and they prevent victims from unhappy feelings and memories. Removing or not including these warnings is the unethical decision because more people would be upset if they were left

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