Pros And Disadvantages Of Consequentialism

Suppose a guard works in a maximum security prison where some of the country’s most dangerous criminals are housed. Everything is going accordingly when the prisons alarm begins to blare. The guard is in the middle of a prisoner’s revolt and attempted break out. Following protocol, everything is done to secure the prisoners again. Unfortunately, there is a small band of scrappy rebels who have killed four guards already. Six lethal prisoners have made it outside the prison and are holding a guard hostage. These prisoners are the most violent of all and escape would mean bloodshed and terror for the sleepy town 20 miles down the road. The only thing to do would be to retain the prisoners and the hostage, but doing so could get the guard killed. In this situation, the actions based on Utilitarianism should be performed to ensure the greatest good for the maximum amount of people.

Consequentialism has moral theories that target a goal or state that aids in evaluating moral actions and the progression of that aimed state. The most popular rendition of consequentialisms is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism characterizes morals by the maximized results for all participants distressed by actions or

Some philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, suggest that there are disadvantages with utilitarianism principles and logic (Alican, 1994, p. 66). For example: Kant’s views speaks of morality over the happiness of others and even oneself. However, Utilitarianism excludes moral responsibility from the dimensions of one’s will and/or action so one is not able to select one’s own moral/ethical undertaking. Furthermore, some insist that Utilitarianistic actions necessitate morally opprobrious and disgraceful acts. Yet, Utilitarianism cannot depend on ambiguous intuitions or theoretical principles, but only that which is socially good and the promotion of overall happiness for the most