Essay on Utilitarism

It can be considered then, that yes, utilitarianism is demanding. This assignment will endeavour to define the statement “Is Utilitarianism too demanding?” it will also discuss the arguments presented by Geoffrey Scarre.

Integrity isn’t always being honest because people can be completely honest with one another but it might not be the right thing to do.

Integrity is having a standard of morals and ethics, and living by them. It is a willingness and ability to do the right thing even when it is hard. The story To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with integrity. For example, many of the people in Maycomb share a prejudiced sense of integrity when it comes to its racist views. However, it is Atticus Finch’s integrity throughout the novel that really embodies the idea of moral and ethical principles. He puts into action every moral idea that he supports. Atticus is a role model to not only his children, but to the whole town of Maycomb, and his integrity is a great part of what makes him such a good example. Integrity

According to Elena Popan (2016), integrity is the relationship between someone’s actions and beliefs. Characteristics of integrity include honesty, responsibility, dependability, loyalty, and trust. Integrity can also be influenced by outside factors such as family, religion, economic status, and philosophical ideology (Popan, 2016). However, integrity is ultimately determined by the individual (Stefano & Wasylyshyn, 2005). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that integrity guides behavior and is determined by the choices you make and the principles you follow (2016).

Classical utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory which holds that an action can only be considered as morally right where its consequences bring about the greatest amount of good to the greatest number (where 'good' is equal to pleasure minus pain). Likewise, an action is morally wrong where it fails to maximise good. Since it was first articulated in the late 19th Century by the likes of Jeremy Bentham and later John Stewart Mill, the classical approach to utilitarianism has since become the basis for many other consequentialist theories such as rule-utilitarianism and act-utilitarianism upon which this essay will focus (Driver, 2009). Though birthed from the same

Utilitarianism is a practical doctrine that is widely accepted in modern society’s economics, politic, and ethics. Utilitarian is driven by the pursuit of happiness. For a utilitarian, everything that will be helpful in the pursuit is considered good. In utilitarianism, an action is good or evil based on its consequences on the happiness of an individual and the happiness of the community. Similar to other doctrine, utilitarianism is not without a flaw. Bernard Williams, in his paper Utilitarianism and Integrity, voices his primary concern in regard to utilitarianism by providing two concrete examples to demonstrate how utilitarianism is only concerned about the consequences of the action and not about the means used to get there. Williams argues that utilitarianism fails to acknowledge the integrity of a person because the ultimate goal of utilitarianism is to produce the greatest happiness overall.

A person with integrity is humble – He is more concerned about what is right than about being right. He recognizes principle and puts it ahead of self.

Integrity can be defined as "an uncompromising adherence to a code of moral, artistic or other values, utter sincerity, honesty and candor, avoidance of deception, expediency, artificiality or shallowness of any kind" (Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary 1174). In simpler words this means to maintain high standards and follow the rules, even when no one is watching. Integrity is very important in our everyday life if we wish to be good people. The sad thing is that if you ask some people what integrity means to them they will probably tell you that it doesn't mean much and some may not even know what integrity is. Certain people feel that in order to get ahead in life they need to break certain rules. It is

Opponents of Act Utilitarianism attempt to argue that Act Utilitarianism (henceforth AU) does not account for justice when applied to ethical dilemmas. It is the authors opinion that these claims are factually incorrect and this essay shall attempt to prove this through analysis of common arguments against AU, and modifying AU to allow for justice to be more readily accounted for.

Williams has a recurring gripe with the ideas of utilitarianism. He believes that in making a utilitarian decision one must forget his integrity, for in making his decision, it is not his personal reputation which takes priority.

In this essay, I will argue that utilitarianism cannot be defended against the injustice objection. Utilitarians may be able to reply to the injustice objection in some cases by invoking one of two replies, the ‘Long term consequences’ reply, in which utilitarians will avoid unjust actions that increase short-term utility because in the long-term they will not lead to the greatest good. The other reply that may help utilitarianism avoid injustice in some cases is the ‘Secondary principles’ reply, where some rule-based principles such as not murdering (because it generally decreases happiness) may avoid injustice.. However, I will focus on the ‘bite the bullet’ objection, which states that when we do not know what the long term consequences

Ultimately, I believe that Bernard Williams’ argument that utilitarianism is inconsistent with personal integrity is right. It removes the ability for formulate a decision based on one’s own ideas and values. Utilitarianism can truly limit one’s life and that is not right. The basis of morality is the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct. Therefore, morality cannot demand that one make decisions that he/she truly does not choose. Every person has a free will and should be able to make decisions for his or herself. With that, everyone has projects or goals he/she want to fulfill based on his/her own interests. These plans are projects that are integral to who that person is and the person he/she have strived throughout

John Stuart Mill introduces his assessment of Utilitarianism by stating how a standardized system in which people’s actions may be judged to differentiate between right and wrong has been minimal in progress. He expresses the misconception with the way utility is understood by the general populous and other philosophers. The struggle to lay the foundations in what constitutes as right and wrong dates longer back than 2000 years ago.

Utilitarianism has been defined as a philosophy which supports the view that the actions of every person are motivated by the desire to maximize utility. In this paper I seek to answer questions based on the understanding of utilitarianism as discussed by John Stuart Mill in chapter four.

A problem with utilitarianism is the psychological effect it has on one person. The utilitarian course of action is one where the good is defined before the right. If the consequences turn out bad, the person with the integrity is going to feel bad and think that they did the wrong thing. A utilitarian will think they did the right thing because of how the outcome appeared to be before the actions took place.