Examples Of Utilitarianism And The Right To Life

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Utilitarianism and the Right to Life for the Innocent
Human rights are perceived to be universal and inalienable. Some people believe that human rights are absolute. The right to life is a basic human right, and it should not be arbitrarily deprived of anyone. The right to life extends to the security and liberty of life and not to be deprived of it except in accordance with principles of fundamental justice. These attributes are aimed at protecting all human beings at all times. A fundamental motivation for human rights, in general, is to see to it that no one is subjected to any unbridled calculation of utility – a minority should not suffer for the benefit of the majority. However, these human rights face numerous challenges in the face …show more content…

The promotion of great happiness for many people does not justify the violation of a person’s welfare if that person has the right to the benefit in question. Utilitarianism asserts that there are scarce and limited resources in the society. This scarcity leads to the calculations of utilitarianism to allow for the allocation of such limited resources in a manner that maximizes the greatest good (Brandt, Pg. 197). To this end, individual benefits of human rights, including the right to life, may be compromised, diluted, or denied in particular situations where such rights have to be weighed against the claims of many people or the society at large. Arguments for utilitarianism with regards to the sacrifice of an innocent life for the greater suggest that there is not absolute human right, including the right to life. However, the starting point for the right to life is the assumption that it is absolute and as such innocent human lives much be protected. According to Gewirth, there has to be at least one human right that is absolute. “All innocent persons have an absolute right not to be made the intended victims of a homicidal project” (Gewirth, Pg. 108). As such, human rights must protect innocent lives from the calculations of utilitarianism otherwise the force of such rights is

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