Assess the merits of Utilitarianism (24 Marks) Utilitarianism is a theory aimed at defining one simple basis that can be applied when making any ethical decision. It is based on a human’s natural instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham is widely regarded as the father of utilitarianism. He was born in 1748 into a family of lawyers and was himself‚ training to join the profession. During this process however‚ he became disillusioned by the state British law was in and set out
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Legal Theory Utilitarianism: Pros and Cons Random House Dictionary defines utilitarianism as “the ethical doctrine that virtue is based on utility‚ and that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons. The father of utilitarianism‚ Jeremy Bentham believed that all human beings are motivated by minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure; therefore morality and justice should be determined on those same grounds. Utilitarianism teaches that maximizing
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Utilitarianism‚ in its most basic form‚ upholds actions resulting in ends that allow for greatest good for the greatest amount of people‚ and ensures that pleasure is maximized and pain is minimized. Sovereign forces of pleasure and pain drive one’s everyday actions and justify said actions (Bentham‚ 1789). Raskolnikov’s methodical evaluation of the moral dilemma presented to him exemplifies an intrinsic understanding of utilitarianism. Raskolnikov employs the fundamentals
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Animals and Utilitarianism When one commits a good act‚ they are in the right. When one commits a not-so-good act‚ they are in the wrong. On paper‚ this appears as a proportionate distinction of right and wrong and can thus appropriately navigate human behavior in this funny little place we call “life”. But what happens when a not-so-good act takes place but produces a greater outcome for the whole? Does that act suddenly loose its negative value? Many people like to view the world in which we
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competition. Morality depends on our motives and of procedures. Although we can do what we want‚ we have to work without doing harm or violating any laws because this will result to corruption‚ violence‚ theft‚ etc. On the other hand‚ Utilitarianism states the overall and the greatest good‚ or the “Greatest happiness of the greatest number”. The basis for right and wrong depends if the given consequence or action upholds the happiness of the majority. It may promote human welfare but argument
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Thakral Essay Question: Outline one common objection to utilitarianism. Do utilitarians have an adequate reply to that objection? Essay Title: An Adequate‚ Utilitarian Response to the Utility Monster I hereby declare that the attached piece of written work is my own work and that I have not reproduced‚ without acknowledgment‚ the work of another. In this paper‚ I will refute the utility monster objection to utilitarianism by showing that it trades on questionable presuppositions
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Peter Singer asserts that utilitarianism implies a moral obligation to be a vegetarian. Utilitarianism holds that the right actions‚ or what we ought to do‚ are those actions that are expected to produce the best overall consequences‚ provide maximum utility‚ happiness or pleasure and minimize pain and suffering. Utilitarians look at the probable consequences of choices and choose their actions based on whatever they believe will produce the most utility or pleasure. Singer claims that if one is
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more than just a man who taught and wrote about psychology. He was also a big time philosopher who played a role in many philosophies. He says that good is never the same‚ without good consciousness does not exist‚ and associates moral good with utilitarianism. To John Dewey‚ good can never happen twice to anyone. The word good has many definitions and the one to be associated with it in philosophy would be the second most used one for good; which is this‚ that which is righteous or morally right.
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Promise vs. Duty in Nursing James Mele RN According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1997)‚ the definition of a promise is “a pledge to do or not to do something specified.” For the sake of not sounding like a bunch of politicians who seldom keep their rhetorical promises‚ I think we should change the word to something more honorable such as to duty. Duty‚ according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1997) is “conduct or action required by one’s occupation or position”. That is much more fitting
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Due to the many ethical issues surrounding free samples of medications‚ they should not be prescribed to the uninsured or underinsured. The basic principle underlying utilitarianism ethics is an action is right or moral if it maximizes utility or happiness. Very simply‚ happiness can be explained as an absence of pain. The patient in this scenario receiving the free drug sample will not only be upset about the quality of care but also of the quality of medicine he or she is receiving. Moreover‚ no
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