The Lottery Monster
Please read the case study entitled Lottery that you find in the reading assignment.
Based on what you have learned in this unit, answer the following questions:
How is the lottery an example of the utilitarian monster?
Let’s look at the definition of “utilitarian monster” in the textbook, “an individual capable of feeling disproportionately high sensations of pleasure and happiness, one who consequently requires many others to sacrifice their happiness in the name of maximizing net happiness” (p.124). It is obvious that in the lottery example, there is only one, or few people who have won the lottery can enjoy the pleasure and happiness, their happiness were maximized, but for the majority of others who bought the lottery tickets but did not win, they were not happy. Many of them may have suffered great financial loss in the sense of the gains of the …show more content…
I can set my argument to against the ethical existence of the lottery by stating that the first, the happiness is subjective, people may view happiness very differently. If everyone set his/her standards for others based on its own opinion, the world will turn chaotic, and most people will become unhappy, thus, will against the core principle of utilitarianism. Second, the happiness cannot be measured by money since the happiness is a feeling which verifies according to the individuals. It is hard to measure the happiness by money since we attachment different values to happiness under the similar circumstances.
3. Lotteries are about money and about fun—that is, even for the losers, there’s a benefit in the thrill of watching the numbers turn up. Could the case be made that, from a hedonistic (engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent 享乐主义) utilitarian standpoint, the lottery is ethically recommendable because it serves the welfare not only of the winner but also of the millions of
Based on what you have learned in this unit, answer the following questions:
How is the lottery an example of the utilitarian monster?
Let’s look at the definition of “utilitarian monster” in the textbook, “an individual capable of feeling disproportionately high sensations of pleasure and happiness, one who consequently requires many others to sacrifice their happiness in the name of maximizing net happiness” (p.124). It is obvious that in the lottery example, there is only one, or few people who have won the lottery can enjoy the pleasure and happiness, their happiness were maximized, but for the majority of others who bought the lottery tickets but did not win, they were not happy. Many of them may have suffered great financial loss in the sense of the gains of the …show more content…
I can set my argument to against the ethical existence of the lottery by stating that the first, the happiness is subjective, people may view happiness very differently. If everyone set his/her standards for others based on its own opinion, the world will turn chaotic, and most people will become unhappy, thus, will against the core principle of utilitarianism. Second, the happiness cannot be measured by money since the happiness is a feeling which verifies according to the individuals. It is hard to measure the happiness by money since we attachment different values to happiness under the similar circumstances.
3. Lotteries are about money and about fun—that is, even for the losers, there’s a benefit in the thrill of watching the numbers turn up. Could the case be made that, from a hedonistic (engaged in the pursuit of pleasure; sensually self-indulgent 享乐主义) utilitarian standpoint, the lottery is ethically recommendable because it serves the welfare not only of the winner but also of the millions of