Thursday, December 26, 2019

Essay about Utilitarianism and Its Shortcomings - 1273 Words

Utilitarianism is the argument that all actions must be made for the greatest happiness for the greater number of people (Bentham, 42). However, utilitarianism cannot always be the basis of one’s decisions due to the fact that people need to look out for their own pain and pleasure before consulting others’ wellbeing. I will first explain the arguments of the utilitarianism ideal. Then I willl explain why this argument is unconvincing. Ultimately, I will then prove why people consider their own happiness before considering others. Thus showing the utilitarianism view is implausible due to the need for people to consider their own happiness when making decisions or else they themselves will be experiencing the most pain and unhappiness. In†¦show more content†¦Thus Bentham believes humans consider the possible outcomes of the acts they are about to do before they do them by weighing the pleasures and pains of the act and that we should try to strive for the greatest happiness for society as a whole when choosing the acts we execute. John Stuart Mill adds more arguments to Bentham’s view of Utilitarianism, which are important factors to consider when discussing this topic. Utilitarianism is the idea to promote the greatest happiness to the general society as opposed to oneself (Mill, 114). Each pleasure is said to have its own difference in quality, so people are able to make the choice between two pleasures (115). Mill believes mental pleasures reign more important than bodily pleasures seeing that bodily pleasures are seen as inferior to the greater good (115). It takes a higher grade of pleasures to make a human satisfied and pleased. â€Å"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied† (116). An important factor for choosing higher pleasures over inferior pleasures is that you only have time for one pleasure and if you chose the inferior pleasure it will be wasted (117). However the standards of what is right and wron g are not decided by the person’s own happiness but the happiness of everyone who is concerned in the decision (117). Being a Utilitarian forces you to stay anShow MoreRelatedUtilitarianism And The Most Important Argument1679 Words   |  7 PagesIn this essay, I will be writing about utilitarianism and the most important notion that arises from it, which is that an action is morally right only if it maximizes the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Cahn, 114). First, I will explain what utilitarianism is, when and by whom it was originally created, and a brief explanation of what it stands for. I will then explain the two different types of classical utilitarianism and explain the differences between the two. Next, I will giveRead MoreMilners Response to Too High for Humanity Essay790 Words   |  4 PagesToo High for Humanity This paper will evaluate the merits of the argument â€Å"Too high for humanity† against the validity the theory Utilitarianism. More specifically we will introduce the argument, Milner’s responses to the argument then analyze the arguments’ structure, validity and soundness. The argument â€Å"Too high for humanity† is the notion that: if being morally right only exists when people maximize pleasure to society, then it is something that humans are not capable of. To clarify, this isRead MoreEthics Vs. Kantian Ethics1249 Words   |  5 Pagesuniversal questions. Beyond answers, philosophers explored schools of thought that would best govern human decision making. Two prominent ethical theories that arose were utilitarianism and deontological ethics. Both ethical theories developed to establish and justify a set of different moral rules and principles. Utilitarianism, otherwise known as consequentialism, is an ethical theory that sees the best moral decision is one that maximizes utility, which implies that no moral decision is intrinsicallyRead MoreEthical Implications Of Business Morals1647 Words   |  7 Pagescongruity to promoting. Next, we clarify ISCT and show to some degree how ISCT might be down to earth to one of the more unyielding issu es of showcasing morals, that of pay off. At long last, we recognize suggestions for administrators and analysts. Utilitarianism is one of the best known and most powerful good hypotheses. Like different types of consequentialism, its center thought is that whether activities are ethically right or wrong relies on upon their belongings. All the more particularly, the mainRead MoreUtilitarianism And The Political And Economic Aspects Of Development1493 Words   |  6 PagesUtilitarianism in the political and economic aspects of development has been widely recognized and human social practice plays a huge impact. But the utilitarian always at the place of criticism, misunderstanding. People tend to equate utilitarianism simply with individualism. In fact, the means of utilitarianism not only consider a behaviour and motivation, and to emphasize life purpose should emerge to the scope of his own happiness, to care about other people s happiness and the improvement ofRead MorePhilosophy: Deontology vs. Utilinarianism Essay761 Words   |  4 Pagesby following universal rules or performing what is ought to do, but by respecting human beings as rational beings as well. Deontology judges the ethical motive of an action not by its consequences, merely by the reasoning behind it. Utilitarianism 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 minimizingRead MoreUtilitarianism : Mill s Theory Of Utilitarianism1394 Words   |  6 PagesKonstantin Keller Anne Portman Philosophy 2010 21 October 2015 In Chapters 2 and 4 of Utilitarianism, Mill responds and attempts to refute misconceptions and arguments against utilitarianism and further broadens his examination of happiness. Along with this he also defines the subtle differences in his own theory of utilitarianism. By claiming that it is better to be â€Å"better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied†, Mill asserts that it is better to use one’s higher capacities to be awareRead MoreUse of Exaggeration in Hard Times1545 Words   |  7 PagesHard Times, in the form of caricature and farce to criticize the theory of utilitarianism; the popular way of living in the Victorian age. Utilitarianism comes under the theory of consequentialism which dictates that one should always judge an action from its consequences, and follow the course which benefits the majority. By exaggerating his characters he essentially uses them to represent varying views on utilitarianism; ie; what it implies not only as the basis of society but also at the personalRead MoreMovie Analysis : Film 1250 Words   |  5 Pageswhile Dino escaped the original punishment. †¨ According to the critics of Utilitarianism, this argument illustrates one of the theory s most serious shortcomings, namely, that it is incompatible with the ideal of justice. Justice requires that we treat people fairly, according to the merits of their particular situations. In McCloskey s example, Utilitarianism requires that we treat someone unfairly. Thus, Utilitarianism cannot be right. (217)†¨Morals indicate that you are someone who works withinRead MoreUtilitarianism : The Ethical Theory1848 Words   |  8 Pages Utilitarianism came about through the consequentialist ethical theory, which states that consequences determines whether something is good or bad. It is the idea that humans should act in a way that promotes the best utility for the most people. Utility can vary depending on the culture, but for the most part it means the greatest happiness or good for the most amount of people versus unhappiness. In order to determine what the best utility is, one must first determine what is intrinsically good

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.