Evaluating Utilitarianism - What are the main features...

What are the main features of Utilitarianism as an ethical theory? (10 marks) Examine and consider criticisms that have been made against Utilitarianism. (10 marks) Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that pivots around the belief that morality should be judged by consequence and the way in which an action can be deemed moral or immoral, depends upon the number to which it brings the greatest happiness. A decision can be defined as ethically correct under the theory of Utilitarianism if the moral choice provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people, proving that at the core of Utilitarianism are the ideals of pleasure and consequence. Although Utilitarianism provides a useful, simplistic way for making moral decisions,†¦show more content†¦The most recognised example of this is of the Sadistic Guards scenario, where a group of prison guards enjoy torturing a prisoner. Due to the egalitarian nature of Utilitarianism, certain forms of pleasure can be justified by the theory if they were carried out on the majority by the minority. Benthams version of Utilitarianism would morally accept this situation, as the result would st ill be the greatest good for the greatest number, where sadism would be defined as pleasurable, as the guards are gaining pleasure from torturing the single man. Contrary to Benthams original principle of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill believed that pleasure should be qualitative and not quantitative and also that pleasures could be split into higher and lower order pleasures. Mill saw higher order pleasure as that gained when reading literature or going to the opera, whereas he viewed the lower orderly pleasures as bodily, for example, eating, drinking and sex. Mill therefore felt that if one had to chose, that the pleasures of the mind were to be preferred, It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. Although this version pressed out the creases of Benthams original account, it caused Utilitarianism to become elitist, where choosing to listen to classical music over drum and bass would be considered morallyShow MoreRelatedThe Stakeholder Theory11680 Words   |  47 PagesThe Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications Author( s): Thomas Donaldson and Lee E. Preston Source: The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan., 1995), pp. 65-91 Published by: Academy of Management Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/258887 Accessed: 20/04/2010 23:08 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR s Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. 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ISBN-13: 978-0-13-283487-2 ISBN-10:Read MoreBackground Inditex, One of the Worlds Largest Fashion Distributors, Has Eight Major Sales Formats - Zara, Pull and Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home Y Kiddys Class- with 3.147 Stores in 70100262 Words   |  402 Pages978-91-88902-46-7 Acknowledgements They say that the process of completing a PhD is a journey. For me it has been a long and trice interrupted journey, and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t happy that it is finally coming towards its end. Still, I have always felt incredibly privileged to be able to travel this road and I’m deeply grateful towards all the people who have contributed to make it possible. First of all I’d like to express my gratitude to Thomas Lindhqvist, my excellent supervisor