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Utilitarian Approach To Ethics

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As the third and last component of what determines the good life, the consequences of one’s actions are also crucial to the good life. Emphasizing consequences is important because an action can have either positive or negative consequences, which it a main factor when it comes to analyzing an action and branding it good or bad. If an action yields positive consequences, it is one step closer to being labeled a good action; if an action yields negative consequences, it is one step closer to being labeled a bad action. This is a critical area of focus because the consequences of an action heavily sway whether the overall action was good or bad, in the end also swaying how good or bad a person is. Just as with intent and actual action, the relationship …show more content…

The utilitarian approach to ethics is a useful for it notes the importance of having happiness as an end goal. According to Mill, “actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (Mill 7). Here we see that when an action considered right will promote happiness, thus making the action good; an action considered wrong will produce the opposite of happiness, thus making the action bad. For Mill, the consequences of an action determine whether the action is defined as a “right” or a “wrong” action, and these actions will produce either “good” or “bad” results. When positive consequences occur, it is because the right action produced good results; when negative consequences occur, it is because the wrong action produced bad results. In order for one to achieve happiness, good results must happen, meaning positive consequences must take place. If bad results happen instead, then negative consequences will take place and happiness will not be achieved. It is vital that people produce positive consequences so that they can achieve happiness, for once happiness is achieved then satisfaction with one’s life will also occur. The combination of reaching happiness and satisfaction with one’s life will create the desired outcome of the good …show more content…

The end goal of putting so much attention into intent, action, and consequences is to achieve this happiness for through this happiness one can feel truly satisfied with where they are in life. Once one is satisfied with their life, one has reached ultimate happiness, for through ultimate happiness comes satisfaction. Reaching ultimate happiness and satisfaction is crucial because it signifies that one has reached the good life. It is through the dedication to good intent, correct actions, and positive consequences that one can accomplish the good life. Each aspect of the good life affects and impacts the other, making each aspect just as important as the others. The process to reaching the good life goes in a somewhat step-by-step order to ensure that one reaches the end goal. One must start with having good intent, then the good intent influences the taking of correct actions, and then these correct actions produce positive consequences. The combination of these three steps results in a person with a high level of goodness, and this superior goodness makes said person feel happy with themselves and their life, achieving ultimate happiness. After hitting ultimate happiness, a person feels satisfied with their life, and the mix of ultimate happiness and satisfaction with one’s life is what leads one to reach the

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