Act consequentialism supports the idea that actions are made right or wrong based solely on their consequences. This means that a person would look to the consequences of a certain action to determine whether or not that action is right or wrong. A ‘right’ action would be one that leads to the best results where as a ‘wrong’ action would be one with less than ideal consequences. According to this basic theory‚ one would always choose the ‘right’ action because it leads to the most favorable consequences
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The Forty Thieves Retold by Andrew Lang In a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers‚ one named Cassim‚ the other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a rich wife and lived in plenty‚ while Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and children by cutting wood in a neighboring forest and selling it in the town. One day‚ when Ali Baba was in the forest‚ he saw a troop of men on horseback‚ coming toward him in a cloud of dust. He was afraid they were robbers‚ and climbed into a tree for safety. When they
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Criterion of right and wrong Pleasures and pain contribute in determining the classification of one’s actions. In Mill’s Utilitarianism‚ he examines what determines an action to be considered right or wrong‚ his own version of the hedonistic utilitarianism argument. He claims that these qualities‚ including the quantity‚ are an important factor in determining‚ when included in the consequences‚ the criteria of an action. The consequences are significant in determining the results of one’s actions
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Austin Carlson 4/16/16 PHL 212 Ethics Final Paper I’m doing my final paper on John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism theory. The source I’m using is Mill‚ John Stuart Ethics: History‚ Theory‚ and Contemporary issues‚ edited by Steven M. Cahn and Peter Markie 362-396. New York: Oxford University Press‚ 2012. Thesis: I will show how the greatest happiness principle (GHP) should have greater nuance so it won’t remove happiness from others in order to create more happiness. I’m taking two quotes out
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The idea of utilitarianism classifies actions of being "morally" right or wrong solely based on the results and outcomes of the actions. This paper will analyze the problem that Arthur‚ "the art dealer"‚ faces with artwork pieces he stumbles upon. Arthur’s predicament is that he is given an opportunity to buy looted artworks. His dilemma is to either purchase or to not purchase the art work. This paper will evaluate the two analysis views of a utilitarian: act (extreme) and rule (restricted). First
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One of the core assertions of John Stuart Mill’s book‚ Utilitarianism‚ is that Utilitarianism can and should provide the basic moral framework for an individual’s decisions. He argues‚ often convincingly‚ that if all of society followed a system of morals dedicated to the maximizing public well-being‚ or utility‚ everyone would benefit. This perspective places the burden of decision making overwhelmingly on the individual who is not necessarily capable or properly equipped to make decisions which
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Gunnar Almgren (2012)‚ provides an in depth analysis of social justice theories‚ Libertarianism‚ Utilitarianism‚ Marxism‚ and the Capabilities Approach. Utilitarianism is the belief of maximizing good for the greatest amount of people (Almgren‚ 2012‚ p. 8). An example of this is taxes that are levied in order to build community infrastructures. This theory is extremely useful as it focuses on the happiness and benefits of citizens. However‚ after reading Madison Powers and Ruth Faden’s Essential
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As they had previously planned‚ Roy met up with Captain Stanley at a diner not usually frequented by firefighters. Both were more concerned than before as when the other crew members were asked how they thought Johnny did on his first day back‚ they all felt something was off. No one could really pinpoint what was different – just that Johnny seemed to distance himself from everyone and wasn’t quite the same person he was before going on disability leave. All wondered if it was due to being a victim
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Throughout the semester we studied three philosophers Thomas Hobbes‚ John Stuart Mill‚ and Immanuel Kant. Each of these philosophers believed that there was an ultimate human good. Hobbes believed that power was the ultimate human good‚ while Mill believed it was happiness‚ or pleasure in life. Kant on the other hand believed human dignity was the ultimate human good. The two points of view I chose to compare and contrast are those of Mill and Kant. As previously mentioned Mill believed that the
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Since the September 11 terrorist attacks detainees have passed through a prison camp that is known as Guantanamo Bay. Since then‚ there has been an ongoing conversation about the treatment of the detained combatants and many justify the camp under utilitarian grounds. John Mill explains utilitarianism and describes the greatest happiness principle which states that actions are right in as long as they tend to promote happiness. In this paper‚ I will be using the prison camp to argue that utilitarianism
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