Rachel-Ellen Combs Mrs. Julie Pasterchick English Language AP-Gifted 23 January 2013 Paradoxes in Social Media One generality about users of social networking sites is that we are an outgoing‚ social people hiding behind our computer screens rather than enjoying the company of others. We love to be in touch with the world and catch up on what everyone else is up to‚ yet we choose to stay locked in our rooms doing so. We have thousands of Facebook friends‚ but have never met most of them
Premium Twitter Facebook Social network service
What makes something right? In the study of philosophy‚ there are many views of what is right and what is wrong. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill have differing viewpoints of this topic. John Stuart Mill has a philosophy known as Utilitarianism. In this way of thinking‚ ethics are based on the maximization of pleasure. In other words‚ it’s based on the consequences of a given action. The basic principle of Utilitarianism is that "actions are right in so far as they tend to promote happiness
Premium Ethics Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill begins his argument for utilitarianism by convincing us that‚ without a measure for determining moral value‚ we cannot accurately hold ourselves responsible as our own moral agents. In response to this concern‚ he outlines a moral code based on the principle of utility. As a promoter of the highest presence of pleasure and lowest presence of pain‚ Mill continues on to argue that the ultimate end is happiness‚ with all other actions and intentions having value only so far as being
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics John Stuart Mill
The golden rule poses a simple moral guideline that seems almost intuitive to many people: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In his attempt to determine a code for what is right and what is wrong‚ John Stuart Mill argues for the “greatest happiness principle.” In his book Utilitarianism‚ he writes‚ “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness” (7). In other words‚ the only metric of whether an action
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Hedonism
‘Increasing pleasure is more important than ending pain and suffering.’ How far would utilitarian’s agree with this statement? A utilitarian’s opinion on increasing pleasure rather than ending pain would depend upon the severity of the case being assessed. Although utilitarianism is used to decide whether or not in theory carrying out an act will bring about more pleasure‚ some utilitarian’s may argue that there are cases of suffering which require more serious attention‚ to put an end to that
Premium Utilitarianism Hedonism Ethics
Calculating Consequences: A Student Refutation of Utilitarianism Erik Z. Hallworth San Francisco State University Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory holding that moral actions are based on the maximization of overall happiness‚ defined as the Utility Principle. Mill and Bentham ’s utilitarianism makes a plausible and convincing argument‚ though not everyone agrees with it. Bernard Williams writes Utilitarianism: For and Against the theory
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics John Stuart Mill
The primary objective of utilitarianism is to provide the greatest amount of happiness‚ or utility‚ for the most sentient beings possible (Boss 234). Additionally in utilitarianism‚ the morality of an action is determined only by its consequences. In other words‚ intentions are meaningless (Boss 234). Personally‚ I do not agree with the utilitarian notion that intentions don’t matter because no one can predict the consequences of their actions 100 percent of the time. For instance‚ most people would
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Hedonism
Explain the Preference Utilitarianism of Peter Singer Preference Utilitarianism is based on the idea that a good action is one that maximises the preferences of all involved so that my own want‚ needs and desires cannot apply to everyone. Utilitarianism is a teleological or consequentialist approach to ethics‚ which means that the action’s outcome is looked at. It is the greatest happiness principle. It is the consequences of an action which judge whether it is good or bad. Preference Utilitarianism
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics Hedonism
John Stuart Mill‚ in his autobiography‚ “A Crisis in My Mental History: One Stage Onward” (1909-14)‚ argues that happiness can only be obtained by focusing on something other than your own happiness and to not expect something bigger than what you could actually get. He supports his claim by first describing his previous thoughts that just not thinking about your own happiness will make you happy‚ then showing how his thoughts changed‚ then describing why he changed his thoughts‚ and finally explaining
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics John Stuart Mill
An analysis of the Importance of Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics on Contrast to Mill’s Pleasure Principles in Utilitarian Philosophy This philosophy paper will discuss the importance of Aristotle’s argument for virtue ethics in contrast to Mill’s Utilitarian theory on the happiness of the individual. Mill’s theory of happiness is dependent on the happiness of the individual‚ as long as that individual does not harm other people in society. For example‚ the happiness of an individual is perfectly acceptable
Premium Utilitarianism Ethics John Stuart Mill