Question

1. Explain and define the ethical theory known as utilitarianism. Give reasons why you think this ethical theory has come to dominate ethical decisions in the contemporary world. Give two examples of utilitarianism. AND (this is the most important part)

a. Provide a solid criticism of this ethical theory (why you think it is not a good way to think about ethical problems)

b. Defend utilitarianism against your critique

Answer 1

Utilitarianism is defined as the ethical theory which states that what's ethical is whatever maximizes total happiness while minimizes the total pain. In this theory word "TOTAL" is important as it means the total happiness of the whole human race.

HOW THIS THEORY DOMINATE ETHICAL DECISIONS IN CONTEMPORARY WORLD:-

• Utilitarians believe that the purpose of morality is to make the life better by increasing the amount of good things in the world and by reducing the number of bad things such as pain and unhappiness.
• They rejected and donot follow the moral codes and systems that are composed of traditions, old taboos, customs and supernatural beings. Utilitarians defined that morality can only be justified when it is the positive contribution of human beings.
• Overall utilitarians main principle of act is to choose the one that will produce the maximum overall result or that produces the largest amount of good.

EXAMPLES OF UTILITARIANISM:- Utilitarianism has two main parts i.e.

• ACT UTILITARIANISM:- It states that our actions should be accordingly so that it could produce the maximum of good and happiness.
• RULE UTILITARIANISM:- It includes that a set of rules can be made in which actions that contains happiness can be included.

EXAMPLES:-

1. A pharmaceutical company which produces and sale government approved drugs in the market even they know that these drugs have also side effects, but the drug is used to help many people than their minor side effects. So, in this case maximum result that produces good is included.
2. According to utilitarianism proper utilization of resources should be done to maximize the treatment affect on the clients in hospitals, everyone should recieve equal and respective care.

SOCIAL CRITICISM OF UTILITARIANISM:-

• IMPOSSIBILITY:- This theory is impossible to apply in terms of happiness provided to a human race as we cannot measure or quantified the happiness and there is no way of comparing happiness to suffering.
• IMPRACTICALITY:- This theory id difficult to applicable as it with the help of this theory we cannot measure or predict the large number of reasons that cause unhappiness in a particular person and for a whole community it is difficult to apply on everyone and interpret the problems of every person.
• INSUFFICIENCY OF SCOPE:- It includes the principle of happiness and this theory has no accurate scope in future as it is applicable only to some extent in which utilitarians provide the happiness to the community and if in some cases it fails to do so conflicts may occur.

CRITIQUE OF UTILITARIANISM:-

• We cannot measure pleasure with the help of this theory as it is not quantified and also the pleasures are of different kind which are impossible to measure,This theory doesn't have any concern as how the pleasures are produced.
• Sometimes in this theory innocent person will suffer in order to provide happiness to large number of people, so this theory ignore the justice in some situations.

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