Utilitarianism in Government - 1653 Words

In its political philosophy utilitarianism provides an alternative to theories of natural law and the social contract by basing the authority of government and the sanctity of individual rights upon their utility, or measure of happiness gained. As an egalitarian doctrine, where everyone’s happiness counts equally, the rational, relatively straightforward nature of utilitarianism offers an attractive model for democratic government. It offers practical methods for deciding the morally right course of action - â€Å"...an action is right as it tends to promote happiness, wrong as it tends to diminish it, for the party whose interests are in question† (Bentham, 1780). To discover what we should do in a given situation, we identify the various†¦show more content†¦One major point of contention, however, is that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to measure and compare the values of certain benefits and costs. How does one assign value to human life, or time , or artistic pleasures such as literature and music? Mills response was to introduce variables to pleasure. While Bentham concentrated on quantity (the pleasures duration, intensity, etc), Mill stressed quality. Adding the feature of quality to pleasure differentiates â€Å" higher†, intellectual pleasures from common, physical ones. He argues in his famous quote â€Å"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is only because they only know their own side of the question†. This reasoning is not very satisfactory if we consider how subjective (and elitist) it can be. Who is to determine which activities are more high-brow or low-brow, and what makes a competent judge? Mill states it should be person who has experience of the activities in question, but a key aspect of utilitarianism it the requirement of making these judgemen ts impartially and impersonally. With the diversity of this world it is highly unlikely that the tastes and preferences will all align in accord. Even if we attempt to make our decisions based on how others would be affected, it is impossible for us to know or measure theShow MoreRelatedJeremy Bentham And Utilitarianism1461 Words   |  6 PagesJeremy Bentham was an English philosophy (1748-1632) who challenged the idea of the Social Contract theory, which states that the people create a social contract to agree to form of government. Bentham opposed the idea of natural rights and followed the idea of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is the idea that political and moral decision should not be based on natural rights, but based on which choice produces the â€Å"greatest good for the greatest number†. For an example, this principle explains whetherRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Jefferson Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesaffect others (Costly 2016). Locke highlighted the government should exist exclusively for the protection of natural rights and enforcing its principles. It is assumed if these rights are protected, the people will trust the government and obey the law. Rebellion is justified by Locke if the government becomes corrupted and violates the rights of citizens. Locke accentuates the people have the rights to abolish and recommence their government if, it does not serve its purpose of protecting theirRead MoreCorporate Welfare And Utilitarianism : Utilitarianism And Kantian Ethics914 Words   |  4 PagesCorporate Welfare and Utilitarianism Case one proclaims that the American economy is failing millions of Americans. In today’s day in age, having a full time job does not guarantee an income above the poverty line. Currently, there are â€Å"80 government assistance programs† which provide working families the means to survive. It is important to note that these programs cost $153 billion annually, and these costs are covered by the government from the tax revenue they receive from hard working AmericansRead MorePolitical Philosophy: Is Utilitarianism the Best Way to Fight Discrimination?694 Words   |  3 PagesUtilitarianism states that the moral worth of an act is completely determined by its practicality in reducing negative service and exploiting utility as summed in every sentient being. The utility principle states that an act is right if it produces more pleasure of all people affected by and immoral if it doesnt. It is founded on the idea that happiness and pleasure are naturally treasured and suffering and pain are not, and that all else has value if it is generating pleasure and inhibiting happinessRead MoreUtilitarianism, Utilitarianism And Rule Utilitarianism1565 Words   |  7 PagesUtilitarianism has some positive aspects and some problems within the theory, like any theory. There are ways to try to improve it by creating act-utilitarianism and rule-utilitarianism. J.J.C. Smart of La Trobe University evaluates the difference between the two and their inevitability. He also inspects how consequentialism is going to hurt the theory of utilitarianism. Also, Rawls is going to propose a solution to this problem. His theory, Justice as Fairness, seeks to have everyone be seen asRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism1642 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial sentiments of happiness on Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarianism, believing that goods are the means to greatest happiness for the greatest number of peoples. Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher, who similarly encouraged people to follow his pleasure based philosophy to obtain happiness. Unlike Mill, Epicurus’ philosophy is based on individualistic hedonism, which often may seem more practical and acceptable. Although, Mill’s utilitarianism is indeed a form of social hedonism rather than individualRead MoreUtilitarianism Vs Libertarianism : Utilitarianism And Libertarianism1287 Words   |  6 Pagescurrently enrolled, â€Å"Social Justice† our class spend copious amount of days talking about Utilitarianism and Libertarianism. These are two important theory’s that have been discussed for a very long time. These are two philosophies that elaborates how the citizen pleases to live by. Utilitarianism and Libertarianism may have similar things in common but at the same time they are very distinguishable. The Utilitarianism theory tries to maximize the happiness of the community and minimize the pain over allRead MoreUtilitarianism : Theory And Contemporary Issues1 350 Words   |  6 Pagesof utilitarianism provides a solution to this but at what cost? What are the benefits and disadvantages of utilitarianism? Is utilitarianism an idea one should live by? What is utilitarianism? I plan on answering these questions within this paper and understand how they relate to everyday life. I will also look at arguments for and against utilitarianism. Then analyze the appealing and unappealing features to determine if utilitarianism should be followed as an absolute rule. Utilitarianism canRead MoreUtilitarians Ethic and Politics: What is the Purpose of Human Life?1655 Words   |  7 Pageswhile doing a barbecue in the park? Utilitarian ethic and philosophy can answer to Wonder Womans struggle. But first lets see what Utilitarianism is. -Utilitarianism The Utilitarianism is the theory which fund the morality on the utility, and affirms that the true utilitity for and individual cant not always get along with the general utility. The utilitarianism fixes as a starting point the thought which recognize that one of the condition of human nature is to think firstly about his own interests:Read MoreThe Act Utilitarianism And Social Contract Theory1057 Words   |  5 Pagesnature of Jean’s actions, his actions can be justified through numerous ethical arguments. These arguments include: Kantism, Act Utilitarianism, Rule Utilitarianism, and Social Contract Theory. These of these theories would be used to justify the actions in various ways from the categorical imperative of Kantism, to the balancing of benefits and harms with Act Utilitarianism. Immanuel Kant’s theory, Kantism, states that an action is good if it can pass the categorical imperative, that is to say that