The theory behind utilitarianism is that one’s actions are right if it promotes happiness or pleasure and wrong if it does not promote happiness or pleasure. The main point to this theory is the principle of utility that states “according to which actions should be chosen that bring about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.” (Palmer) Jeremy Bentham gave essentially utilitarianism its name and brought more attention to it than those before him. Bentham came up with
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Among the most glaring problems that I see with Utilitarianism is its inclusion of animals under the umbrella that blankets this theory. It seems irrefutable that there exists an inordinate number of cases where the consequence that is against the best interest of an animal is favorable to humans‚ yet that dictating action is one that has been continually taken and condoned by the general public. This is a fundamental challenge‚ as the Utilitarian philosophy decrees that the pleasure and pain experienced
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performed on people facing serious illness and facing death. Euthanasia seems to understand the course of nature and its ways by letting the patient wish be fulfilled and let them die in peace instead of suffering in pain. Jeremy Bentham‚ founder of Utilitarianism. Actions are good/bad‚ right/wrong based on whether or not they will produce
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Utilitarianism‚ is the argument that a man should judge everything based on his ability to promote the greatest individual happiness. In other words‚ even if your actions are wrong‚ they are morally justified if it is for the greater good or‚ the greatest individual happiness. There are many different standpoints on what happiness really is‚ in John Stuart Mill’s essay on utilitarianism he argues that as long as your behavior creates bliss it is accounted for as happiness. Stuart supports his claims
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John Stuart Mills‚ in his paper Utilitarianism proposed the philosophy is "not something to be contradistinguished from pleasure‚ but pleasure itself‚ together with exemption from pain; and instead of opposing the useful to the agreeable or the ornamental..." However‚ Dickens did not find this harmony to be a possible outcome of the rigidity of logic‚ but found the imagination to be a more fertile ground for producing happiness. Dickens wrote of utilitarianism as it was applied during British industrialization
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The Philosophy of Utilitarianism may have a positive outcome‚ but it can be flawed at times as well. The Utilitarian theory states “ The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people”. Some say this approach is flawed due to it lacking reason and consequence‚ I believe this depends on specific circumstances. Abortion is a big issue now a days and I feel that the utilitarian theory would be a reasonable outlook on this particular situation. To apply the Utilitarian theory to abortion‚ first
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A person who is a utilitarian believes in one principle of utility‚ which is to opt for an action that will bring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people (Ronsenstand‚ 2013). It is not a decision made with selfish intentions‚ as it does not matter who benefits from the decision‚ as long as it is for the greater good. The utilitarian belief can be a solution to certain moral problems‚ but there are also problems that may arise from it. One of the problems of the utilitarian
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The Utilitarianism approach is that of a moral one. It is defined by the right action that maximizes the greatest amount of happiness or well-being and is the wrong action when it promotes the reverse of happiness. Not just the happiness of the person performing an action‚ but for everyone who will inevitably be affected by that action while it is taking place as well as afterwards in the future. Again‚ what matters most is the elevation of happiness and well-being. Utilitarianism relies on intrinsic
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.................................................................................................4 BIBLIOGRAPHY Bentham J‚ A Fragment on Government‚ (1776) -The Works of Jeremy Bentham (Simpkin‚ Marshal and Co‚ 1843) Coddington A‚ Utilitarianism Today‚ ‘Political Theory’‚ (Vol. 4‚May‚ 1976) Riddal JG‚ Jurisprudence‚ (2nd edn Oxford Press 2006) Freeman M‚ Harrison R‚ Law and Philosophy Current Legal Issues‚ (Oxford Press 2007) Simmonds NE‚ Central Issues In Jurisprudence‚ (Sweet
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utilitarianists‚ like Jeremy Bentham and J. S. Mill‚ offered a revolutionary approach to understand the demand-side of the economy. They consider the usefulness of the product as a whole rather than its process of production. In the development of the utilitarianism‚ reformists present a much more realistic‚ practical and comprehensive discussion of the nature of the economy: the necessity of comparative utilities‚ the concern about the distribution and quality of the utility‚ the key social influence
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