The prominant criticism of Utilitarianism is that it is extremely hard to predict the results of an action. The outcomes of all situations are hard to predict‚ so how can we possibly apply the rule of the greatest happiness for the greatest number if we do not know who will benefit most? It is also difficult to decide whether an outcome is morally good or bad. People have contrasting opinions on what they think is right or wrong and it depends on the individual who is making the decision. This causes
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ABSTRACT: This paper will describe the four different types of ethical perspectives. We will start by describing my ethical perspective; which I found out to be "character" from my results on the Ethical Awareness Inventory Assessment. We will then evaluate the four types of ethical perspectives. Which include character/virtue‚ obligation/deontology‚ results/utilitarianism‚ and lastly‚ equity/relativism. Then we will conclude with a brief discussion on issues one is likely to encounter dealing with
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Utilitarianism says that the moral and ethical thing to do is that which provides the most happiness or the least unhappiness to society. Sitting in class listening to the lecture on the moral theory of Utilitarianism it first sounded like the best moral theory ever. However as the classes continued and we learned more and more about this theory my opinion quickly changed. In this paper I will defend the idea that Utilitarianism is a failed moral theory. As stated in James Rachels‚ The Elements
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The textile industry in the US took off with Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793 (http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu). This caused the expansion of the cotton economy (normally slave-based) that could provide raw materials to make the cloth‚ mechanical spinning frames and the development of techniques to catch water power‚ it also gave way to the growth of spinning mills (http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu). Over time and successful competition with British textiles the “Waltham-Lowell system” with
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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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Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad. It all depends upon the consequences of that particular act of cheating. One of them is “Rule Utilitarianism”‚ an action is right if it confirms to a rule when adopted‚ and then produces more overall happiness. The other kind of utilitarianism is called “Act Utilitarianism‚” an action is right if it produces overall happiness in a given situation. To an extent it’s a pretty simple ethical theory‚ it can be very complex because it needs to take
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Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is one of the most powerful and persuasive approaches to normative ethics in the history of philosophy. Though not fully articulated until the 19th century‚ proto-utilitarian positions can be discerned throughout the history of ethical theory. Though there are many varieties of the view discussed‚ utilitarianism is generally held to be the view that the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. There are
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1963 changed the political temperament of the nation. The new President‚ Lyndon B. Johnson‚ utilizing a blend of the national state of mind and his own political shrewdness pushed Kennedy’s motivation; most notably‚ the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What’s more‚ the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had an immediate effect on the government‚ states‚ and neighborhoods. A result of the Voting Act‚ occurred on August 6‚ 1965‚ when approximately one-quarter of a million new African American voters were registered
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Topic: Write a review of a play from the perspective of a stagehand. 23 April 2008 It is the night of the first performance and everyone is nervous especially the stage hand because‚ it is my job to make sure that everything is in order. we have to keep everything in order and take the actors and actresses to their entrances when it is their queue. We as stagehands have to keep all the props organized and if one prop goes missing it is our fault. In all my years of experience‚ The Theater and Two
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Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics‚ holding that the moral action is that it maximizes utility. Utility is defined in various ways‚ including as a pleasure‚ economic well-being and lack of suffering. Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism‚ which implies that the “end justifies the means." This view may be contrasted or combined with seeing intentions‚ virtues or the fulfillment of rules as ethically important. Classical utilitarianism the two most influential contributors are Jeremy
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