Utilitarianism

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Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is the greatest good of the greatest number. It takes

the view that an action is right if it is likely to produce the best

consequences compared to all the other possible actions. The best

consequences are those which involve the maximization of what is good

and the minimization of what is bad. The worst consequences are which

involve the maximization of what is bad and the minimization of what

is good. The basic premise is the idea that the greatest good comes

from creating happiness for the greatest number of people. Pleasure

and freedom of pain are the only things desirable as ends. In

Utilitarianism it is the greatest happiness of everyone involved which

is right, so one must be impartial to one's own happiness.

Utilitarianism takes the view that if needed, you should sacrifice

your own happiness for greater pleasure of others. For Utilitarianism

bases action on pleasure and pain. It clearly takes pleasure to be

desirable as it recommends producing greatest pleasure and minimal

pain. If something is intrinsically good, it is god in itself no

matter what its consequences are. If something is instrumentally good,

it is good because of its consequences. A Utilitarian would say that

pleasure and only pleasure is intrinsically good. For example they

would argue that health is only good as it makes us feel good and it

is that which causes us pleasure, whereas being unhealthy makes us

feel bad.

There are a few minor problems with the application of the Utilitarian

argument. First of all how can one measure happiness and decide which

action would result in the gr...

... middle of paper ...

...is also the view that

Utilitarians take - maximum happiness for the majority and minimum

unhappiness for the majority.

In conclusion, Utilitarianism does provide an adequate basis for

making moral decisions to an extent as it is good and morally right to

promote as much happiness as possible and the greatest good for the

greatest number is therefore right. However the principle of justice

and individual rights are ignored in Utilitarianism especially where

autonomy and deterrence are concerned, as the innocent should

definitely not be punished.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

============

1. Utilitarianism

For and Against

---------------

J.J.C. Smart, Bernard Williams

Cambridge University Press 1973

2. Moral Philosophy

Second Edition

D.D. Raphael

Oxford University Press 1994

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