Essay On The Utilitarian Monster

How is the lottery an example of the utilitarian monster?

Utilitarianism concerns itself with promoting the best outcomes for the greatest numbers in order to be ethically acceptable, utilitarianism is a consequentialist approach which aims at results of actions regardless of how they are carried out. Utilitarian monsters, a term coined by R. Nozick, are those who “get enormously greater gains in utility from any sacrifice of others than these others lose. For, unacceptably, the theory seems to require that we all be sacrificed in the monster’s maw, in order to increase total utility”.(The Utility Monster, 2011)

The lottery is an example of the utilitarian monster because it raises money instead of raising taxes by encouraging gambling and

Could the case be made that, from a hedonistic utilitarian standpoint, the lottery is ethically recommendable because it serves the welfare not only of the winner but also of the millions of losers?

Winning the lottery is a dream most people have; it is magical thinking, believing that you, the ticket buyer will be the one defying all the odds. The only ones, from the hedonistic utilitarian standpoint whosehappiness will increase are those who actually win the lottery, a very small number from among all the players. The hedonistic utilitarian standpoint is not ethically recommendable because the lottery is only selling the dream of winning it while filling the state coffers with people’s hard earned money. (Brusseau, J. 2012)
The probabilities of winning the lottery on a single ticket isone in 175 million, a very small chance and most of us do not realize that those odds are immensity low. (Wasserstein, R.L. 2013)

One of Lindsay Beyerstein’s concerns is that the lottery tends to redistribute money from the poortoward the rich. Does a utilitarian necessarily consider this redistribution