Barbara Lawson
AUPHI208
Instructor Sorensen
October, 20, 2014
Utilitarian Principles In this assignment the theory that was chosen will be the utilitarian that applies to our respecting the environment. The utilitarian theory is that of J. S. Mills and environmental ethics. Utilitarian supports the position is that human interests are no more important or if no greater moral concern than the interests of the worth or their intrinsic value. “Utilitarianism has a two part theory there is the theory of good and the theory of right which compasses the greatest good is happiness and the freedom from pain. Holistic ethics acknowledges that we have duties to humans, holistic ethics place the …show more content…
Mills defines happiness as pleasure and the absence of pain. Mills argues that pleasure can differ in differ in quality and quantity and pleasure are either higher or lower. He further goes to explain that the sentiment of justice is actually based on utility (principle of unity), that rights exist only because they are necessary for human happiness. “Utilitarianism offers a very straightforward and direct way to evaluate behavior. When given a choice between two acts, utilitarianism states that the act that should be done is the one that creates the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Philosophers (and economists) often use the term wisely to express this quality utility is the satisfaction one gets from something” as quoted by (Mosser, 2014).
Application
We owe it our future generations of people that we are not to undermine their opportunities for human and sentient life. People do have human worth and rights and our actions will undermine their opportunities for living, we wrong them with our actions that hinders there today or …show more content…
aware to all future generations a right to a fair share of non-renewable resources [that] out destruction of the environment eventually has serious impacts upon the quality of life in the future. Moral duties to future people therefore contribute to the justification of conservationist environmental policies relatig to various aspects of culture” (Saugstad, 1994). In concluding utilitarianism is a two part theory, theory of good and the theory of the right. Which compasses that the greatest good is happiness and the freedom from pain and suffering. The acts that will promote the greatest good or the (principle of utility) are morally right and acts that reduces happiness and/or acts that promotes pain is morally wrong and that not all environmental ethics believe that a valid environmental ethic must be non-anthropocentric holistic, or embrace the concept of intrinsic values these are dominant themes in our environment ethics, however, and the lack of conscious only highlights the fact that there is no widely accepts alternative to a utilitarianism environmental ethics” (Wolff, 2008, p.