Using Rule Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism: “The idea that an action is right, as long as it promotes happiness, and that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principle of conduct (Oxford Dictionaries).” This theory was thought up as far back as the 17th century, but didn’t become well known until late into the 18th century when Jeremy Bentham a legal and social reformer gave a powerful presentation of the idea. “Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you, will invite you to add something to the pleasure of others, or to diminish something of their pains (Jeremey Bentham).” Deontology: “An ethical theory that the morality of an action should be based on whether

In this paper I will explain how Act Utilitarianism, pure Rule Utilitarianism, and pseudo-Rule Utilitarianism would differ in their reasoning regarding the case of Al and Betty. With each method of reasoning, I evaluate the situation without background or moral assumptions of each character, and then separately with the assumption that while Al was away Betty became chronically ill and has one day left to live.

I have always been one to side with a utilitarian’s point of view, such as Mill and Bentham. The greatest happiness of the greatest number, or as cold as it may be, sacrificing the few for the good of the many. Utilitarian moral theories evaluate the moral worth of action on the basis of happiness that is produced by an action. Whatever produces the most happiness in the most people is the moral course of action. I will give the best arguments against Utilitarianism, and show in my own opinion, why I think they are wrong.

1. Thesis Statement: John Stuarts Mills Theory of Utilitarianism is correct and valid as it was then.2. State what you will argue: Utilitarianism gives us a quantifiable method to live one's life, Utilitarianism affirms the importance of happiness as the goal of human life, finally it has a clear defined goal in maximizing good and minimizing bad.3. Transition: His theory remains relevant because it gives us a practical rules to live by.

The basic utilitarianism view holds that an action is judged as right or good on the basis of its consequences. The ends of an action justify the means taken to reach those ends. As a consequentialist principle, the moral authority that drives utilitarianism is the calculated consequences, or results, of an action, regardless of other principles that determine the means or motivations for taking the action. Universalism, or can be called as deontological ethics, holds that the ends do not justify the means of an action is the right thing must always be done, even if doing the wrong thing would do the most good for the most people. Universalism, therefore, is also referred to as a non-consequentialist ethic.

First, looking from a rule utilitarian point, the question must be asked what does a rule utilitarian consider ethical and what might they consider unethical? The best way to define what a rule utilitarian might think is ethical would be “obey those laws, rules, and principles that tend to cause the most happiness.” Although this is the way a rule utilitarian would think, what really matters in the end is if it did or did not end up causing the most happiness, so the thinking may be ethical, but if in the end more people are unhappy when the law tends to make more people happy, people are still unhappy in the end so the choice was unethical. Whatever in the end causes the most happiness is the most ethical thing to do according to a rule utilitarian.

Recent reports from the Toronto Star have shown that there have been an increasing number of health care providers prescribing antipsychotic to residents in long-term care facilities in Ontario and across Canada (Bruser & McLean, 2014). After working in a long-term care setting, I have come to realize that the number of residents living in these facilities with dementia or Alzheimer’s is also rising. It is expected that over the next few decades, over 1.4 million Canadians will be living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia (Vogel, 2014). I have witnessed many of the residents experiencing restlessness, agitation, hallucination and unstable moods and many of these residents are on antipsychotics. The drugs are being given to these

In utilitarianism, promoting self-happiness through an action is an important factor of nonchalant happiness and the greatest than anyone could ever receive. Two Reading, Ohio boys in Winter of 2007, took actions into a very disgusting and unnerving way. They decided to spray lysol into a cat’s face, pop its eyes out, crush its spine, strike it with a stake and dismember it; disgusting enough to even say it. The day after, they bragged about it in class to their classmates. As utilitarians say, animals are a part of the moral community and within that, rights are secured and with respect, everyone takes each other’s needs seriously. As quoted, “Every moral theory needs to have a way to determine who gains entry to the moral community. The utilitarian test is recorded in a famous slogan by Jeremy Bentham: ‘the question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But Can they suffer’” (Landau, 2015, p. 130). It is important to know that animals, like human beings have their own right. Although utilitarians say it is okay to harm others in their moral community, it comes at a price--it does not just go unseen or unheard of.

According Waller (2005) states that “relativism is a used in a variety of ways and disciplines, ranging from physics to anthropology” (p.84). There are two forms that the author talks about in the book sociological relativism and cultural relativism. Sociological relativism is different

However, some arguments against the rule utilitarianism are mentioned, such as they may do the more good with violate the rule than obey it who are irrationally supporting the rule-based actions which criticized by act utilitarian, and they think this like a form of “rule worship”, non rational respect to rules that has no utilitarian

Utilitarianism has its foundation name from “utility”, meaning “usefulness”. The action based on this theory is moral if it is useful, as well as bring the desirable and the end of the action is good. Actions based on this theory have to bring happiness for the people, who affected by the action. Utilitarianism is based on two main forms: act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. According to the act utilitarianism, people should do actions that bring the majority amount of good, rather than the bad for people who would affect by the acts. This theory also stated that actions should not base on setting rules. The reason for that is because each individuals have different circumstances, and each person is different too. People must find the

Rule utilitarianism principle in a general sense states that certain actions that decrease the utility of the society as a whole can be deemed unethical. In the case where a company actively markets and sells spyware to government agencies and those spyware application are used by such agencies to catch and deter criminals and terrorist; the company’s actions in such a scenario can therefore be deemed ethical within the bounds of rule utilitarianism principle as their actions are helping deter criminal and terrorist acts. When criminals and terrorists intent to harm the society through means of violence their actions are unethical and thus bring harm the natural rights innocent civilians. Their act of violence therefore has a negative impact

In the utilitarian approach, the decision has to provide the most good and the least amount of harm. In the situation, with a new car being delayed in release because of a small problem with the door locks that may or may not affect the locks from working depending on if the temperature drops extremely low. I believe a utilitarian would release the car that has the problem with door locks because this will provide the least amount of harm. In the description of the car it said the door locks could stop working when the temperature gets cold. I believe people who live in places such as; Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota could possibly be affect with this problem. People who live in places such as; Florida, California, and George would not have to worry about their car doors being broken. More people would benefit from the car being released having the problem with the door locks.

Mylan should provide 50 percent off coupons to customers. By applying Utilitarianism approach to the second, our solution is ethical, because it helps thousands of patients and only hurts shareholders because of a lower return for their investments.

2. To begin, I will be defining both act and rule utilitarianism. In act utilitarianism, you determine the morality of an act by measuring the pleasures and pains for a specific situation Angeles 326). Act utilitarians take into consideration only those affected in the specific situation. However, rule utilitarianism determines the morality of an act “according to the good or bad consequences that ensue from following a general moral rule of conduct…” (Angeles 326). Good examples of those general moral rules are phrases like, never steal or never tell a lie. In any situation, people can use either act or rule utilitarianism to determine the correct course of action.