Utilitarianism As A Solid Moral Theory

Utilitarianism, in the contrary, is based on the principle of utility or usefulness. Utility is what encourages an agent to act in a particular way (Tuckett, 1998). Utility can be explained as maximizing the good like pleasure and happiness and minimizing the bad like pain and evil, all leading to the greater good for all parties involved. It weights the consequences of the actions equally between the ones involved, and the ethical solution would be to follow the greater good for most if not all the parties involved.

Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory that states something is considered to be right when it does the most good for most the most amount of people (Duignan 2015). This theory doesn’t consider the feelings of the individual; it considers the feelings of the majority (Duignan 2015). Utilitarianism is very different from relativism, which takes into account the totality of circumstances, this philosophical theory states that what is considered to be right or wrong can vary depending on people and society (Rachels 2015).

153). In essence, utilitarianism is maximizing everyone’s happiness, which can almost be considered a universal acceptance (Boylan, 2009, p. 154). Jeremy Bentham is one of the proponents of modern utilitarianism and states, “nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure” (Boylan, 2009, p. 154). In business utilitarianism shares the nonmoral views that the best decision that had no moral conflict would be to maximize profit, which would be the greatest good of the company and its employees (Boylan, 2009, p. 162). Utilitarianism does not always hold true in some minds. Utilitarianism does not take into account motives of the people (Boylan, 2009, p. 165). “If one acts in accord with the general principle and its corollaries, then one is moral” (Boylan, 2009, p. 165).

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

Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory. It concerns how to evaluate a large range of things that involve choices communities or groups face. These choices include policies, laws, human’s rights, moral codes,

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory that judges an action on its outcomes and aims to maximize happiness. This means finding the action that generates the “greatest good for the greatest number”.

Utilitarianism is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions (Shaw & Barry, 62).

As stated in the lecture video, Utilitarianism is that the goals of moral actions should be to increase the most lasting happiness for the most amount of people. So basically the amount of happiness and suffering created by a person's actions is what really matters. To reach this amount of happiness for everyone we may have to break traditional moral rules to achieve this outcome.

Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that holds the morally right course of action in any given situation is the course of which yields the greatest balance of benefits over harms. More specifically, utilitarianism’s core idea is that the effects of an action determine whether actions are morally right or wrong. Created with the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), Utilitarianism began in England in the 19th Century. Bentham and Mill built their system of Utilitarianism on ancient hedonism (pursuing physical pleasure and avoiding physical pain). Although both of these philosophers agreed on the basic principals of Utilitarianism they disagreed on what exactly hedonism is.

As a result, a utilitarian would promote the acts of sympathetic individuals helping others as opposed to the non-sympathetic individuals as the happiness of society as a whole is higher in the former action.

I don’t believe that utilitarianism is an appropriate moral theory. Since it is based on the principle of unity, that is, under all circumstances we should make as much happiness as possible. To me, at first, it sounds great. Who wouldn’t want to make the world the happiest it could be? I am a Christian and this theory does not agree with my beliefs. I am trying to put my beliefs aside and have an open mind. As I do the reading about utilitarianism I am finding other reasons to believe at it is not an appropriate moral theory.

Taylor Stewart First Paper Philosophy 15 October, 2014 Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is well known compared to most ethical theories because it is one of the most effective theories. This theory focuses on acts of individuals and who the act is benefiting.

Firstly, utilitarianism claims that it is the happiness or well-being of sentient beings that is the most valuable thing. Although, this is quite catchy in the sense that it goes along with the happiness of man. Utilitarianism divides the society into two: It’s either you’re deciding for the majority or a minority suffering from the majority’s total happiness. In this particular view, only those who can assert themselves are deemed powerful in a particular society and the minorities are enslaved by their decision and choices.

It fundamentally means that nothing else really matters except the happiness of creatures that can be happy. This is the distinction between acts that attempt to maximize the good (utility) and acts that seek to minimize harm. Rachels describes utilitarian theory as being based on social reform in human behavior of which offers an alternative to natural laws. Utilitarians emphasize the deep connection between doing the right thing and causing happiness to make creatures happy. Some believe to do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do versus doing the right thing for happiness. The theory comes with different Pro and Cons of making some happy or having happiness.

Utilitarianism is one of the most commonly used ethical theories from the time it was formulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill in the nineteenth century. In his work, Utilitarianism, Bentham “sought to dispel misconceptions that morality has nothing to do with usefulness or utility or that morality is opposed to pleasure” (MacKinnon, 2012, p. 53). To simplify the utilitarian principle, which is one of utility, one can surmise that morality is equated with the greatest amount of utility or good for the greatest number of people (MacKinnon, 2012). Also, with its orientation to the “end or goal of actions” (MacKinnon, 2012, p. 54), Utilitarianism thus, espouses the consequentialist principle, e.g., the evaluation of any human act lies not so much in the nature of the act or the drive behind the act but rather the result of the act (MacKinnon, 2012).