Question

 

Is widespread of guns ownership good or bad for the society according to utilitarianism?

Answer 1

Utilitarianism is the belief that morals should be governed in quantitative happiness; that one’s actions should be governed by asking yourself the question “What will bring the greatest amount of happiness to greatest amount of people”. It makes morals a mathematical formula rather than a subjective religious or belief system. It is the foundation of the belief that the good of the community is simply the sum of the pleasures of the individuals' that comprise it. In regards to gun control, many people use guns as a form of recreation and receive pleasure from using them. Guns also gives you a feeling of independence with the ability to defend yourself if needs be. For a small population, guns also increase access to rare food through hunting.Increasing gun control would lower the percent of people that would have this pleasure while not using them would not net you any additional pleasure at all. In opposition, shooting or owning guns does not give everyone pleasure and for some may puts added weight on their lives which could diminish potential future pleasure. Owning a gun has been correlated with increased risk of violent death (not necessarily caused). Owning guns also increases the change for firearm accidents. Also, while much debate has centered around gun control and gun crime rates, by comparing 1st world countries, there is a correlation between gun ownership and crime. Theoretically effective gun control should decrease crime. Also there would be negative pleasure for people if you were to be shot by a gun, if your animals were killed, if the gun was used to take away pleasure from other people. The potential happiness gained by owning a gun seems much lower than the potential decrease in happiness from owning guns (e.g. getting shot, higher crime). As gun control is based largely on aversion of potential future unhappiness whereas those not wishing to have further gun control are enjoying their benefit now, I believe this category would be in favor of those not in favor of further gun control. They are currently enjoying their happiness while those in favor of gun control would gain only incremental happiness as gun control was eventually legislated and enforced.