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Utilitarianism
1.a) What is Utilitarianism?
The dictionary definition of Utilitarianism is: ‘The doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the guiding principal of conduct. ... Utilitarianism is known as the theory of utility. ... The well known phrase associated with Utilitarianism was produced by Francis Hutcheson. ... ”
This is the basis of Utilitarianism yet, like Hume, Hutcheson was also not regarded as a Utilitarian.
One of the main exponents of Utilitarianism is Jeremy Bentham. ...
The other exponent of Utilitarianism is John Stuart Mill. ... Two of his important books were ‘On Liberty’ in 1859 and ‘Utilitarianism’ in 1861. Mill wanted to modify Bentham’s theory of Utilitarianism to make it more acceptable.
There were a number of things Mill did to change Utilitarianism. ... ”
Mill also linked Utilitarianism with Christian morality. ... ’ This made many more people accept Utilitarianism as it linked with their religion. Rules were introduced into Utilitarianism by Mill. ...
There are three types of Utilitarianism, Act, Rule, and Preference. Act Utilitarianism is where you look at the consequences of each individual action and asses which brings the most good. ... Rule Utilitarianism does not look at individual acts but the usefulness of a rule in morality. ... Strong Rule Utilitarians never break rules, and Weak Rule Utilitarianism keep rules in mind yet are prepared to break them if necessary. Preference Utilitarianism is where the preferences of those involved are taken into account when making the decision. ...
Utilitarianism is used in many societies, especially in politics. ... Utilitarianism is there to ensure that this pleasure is present and is maximised to its full potential.
b) What do you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of Utilitarianism as a moral theory? ... Many different people have their own interpretations of Utilitarianism and some may not agree with the strengths and weaknesses but here are some of the major arguments connected with the theory.
The major criticism of Utilitarianism is that it is extremely hard to predict the results of an action. ... This refers to preference Utilitarianism where the action is taken that is most favourable to the majority.
The rules of Utilitarianism allow people to do things, which are usually considered immoral. ... Utilitarianism requires people to put their personal feelings and ties aside and act on the absolute rule of the theory. ... Utilitarianism sees that everybody’s duty is to do what is best for the majority. ...
Despite all the arguments against Utilitarianism, there are some valid points for the theory. ... Utilitarianism allows people to contemplate the situation before making the decision. ... These are two desirable things as Utilitarianism says that pleasure is the sole good and pain is the soul evil.
Approximate Word count = 2169
Approximate Pages = 8.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
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