Discussion of Utilitarianism
In this paper I will be discussing utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is
the theory proposing the principle of utility as the correct ethical
standard. I will also be talking about the THEORY of RIGHT CONDUCT,
which is also a part of moral theory. I have been asked to prove if
Bentham or Mills’ version of utilitarianism is right for the sadistic
voyeur case. I will begin by telling you about the case.
Case: this man enjoys watching women being brutally raped; he is
locked in a room. He cannot exit the room, there is a window in the
room and a curtain covers it. Behind the curtain a woman is being
brutally raped by several men. If the man opens the curtain he will
gain a great deal of pleasure and no pain, but if he doesn’t open the
curtain he will receive no pain or no pleasure.
Bentham’s principle of utility states this: that an action ought to be
done if and only if it maximizes the total amount of pleasure to those
persons affected by the action. The hedonic calculus is also included
in with Bentham’s principle of utility. The hedonic calculus is a
method in which the total amount of pleasure is produced by an action
that can be discerned. There is a list of seven characteristics of
the hedonic calculus. The first set is known as intrinsic
characteristics of pain and pleasure and they are, intensity of each
pain and pleasure, duration of each pain and pleasure, probability
that the pain and pleasure will occur after the act. Next, there are
things that the intrinsic characteristics are affected by, propinquity
nearness of time of the pleasure and pain to the act. Finally, there
are consequentia...
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thing to do. Like the sadistic voyeur situation, Mills would it would
not worth the satisfaction, but Bentham thinks that if it is desirable
then you should fulfill that desire. All of that is wrong.
Mills does have additional problems, for example, Mills says that if
something is desirable, it is in some way worthy of being desired. Now
that statement is very problematic. Not everything is worthy of being
desired. It’s like me saying that I desire money; true money is a very
important factor in living in today’s society. But it is not the
answer to every problem I have, so therefore it is not worthy of being
desired.
This paper was a learning experience for me. I have never really done
a research paper of this sort. I really enjoyed doing this and I hope
that this paper is somewhat to your satisfaction.