Question

You are a Geographic Information System professional employed as director of a research laboratory called the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at a private university in southern California. The officer comes to you and seeks the laboratory’s assistance in a “community mapping” project whose purpose is to “lay out the geographic locations of the many different Muslim population groups around Los Angeles". The well-funded project will involve considerable GIS work, involving support for both student interns and professional staff. However, the associate director worries about the unfavorable publicity and possible legal action that might attend the project, particularly since the University describes itself as “pluralistic, welcoming outstanding men and women of every race, creed and background” in its mission statement.

Is "community mapping" on many different Muslim population groups to counter terrorism around Los Angeles ethical according to Act and Rule Utilitarianism standards?

(Act Utilitarianism):  What good and bad outcomes can be expected? What would promote the greatest utility for the greatest number of people.

(Rule Utilitarianism):   Would this action, if it were a generally followed social policy, promote the greatest long-term utility compared to alternative policies

Answer 1

The "community mapping" on many different Muslim population groups to counter terrorism around Los Angeles is unethical according to Act and Rule Utilitarianism standards .First lets understant utilitarianism is one of the theory of morality, which promoters actions that nurture happiness or pleasure and opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a which promoters actions that nurture happiness or pleasure and opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. When directed toward making social, economic, or political decisions, a utilitarian philosophy would aim for the advancement of society as a whole.

The reason why this community mapping is unethical because instead of working for the benefit of the society as a whole it raises suspicion on a section of that very society.

Act Uitlitarianism : It is a utilitarian theory of ethics which states that a person's act is morally right if and only if it produces the best possible results in that specific situation. The good outcome here could be the nabbing of terrorists from the mapping while the bad outcome could be the raising of suspicion among other members of society for Muslim community.Also the Muslim community may distance itself from the University which identifies itself as pluralistic.This would not promote thegreatest utility for the greatest number , but rather create an environment of suspicion and counter suspicion in the society while providing little utility as there are more hate crimes in the society resulting from suspicion than thenumber of terrorists are nabbed before conducting a terrorist event.

Rule Utilitarianism:This is a form of utilitarianism that says an action is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good .This action if it were a followed social policy would not promote the greatest long -term utility as it would stem from suspicion that only Muslim community is resposible for terrorism around Los Angeles ,and would take the suspicion off other terrorist groups that may be operating there and leading to unnecessary ostracisation of the Muslim community in particular.