Essays on Utilitarianism

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Happiness Levels and Income Levels

A very popular question in today’s society is whether money can buy happiness. Happiness has been shown to be related to many things. It is found to be related to social class, success, power, health, valued belongings, religious beliefs, companionship, being employed in a secure …

ConfidenceHappinessUtilitarianism
Words 1231
Pages 5
Meat Eating and Animal Abuse in the Article “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases”

Writing Assignment on Select Article Alastair Norcross, “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases” Philosophy 2305, Fall 2018 Diana P. Cera I selected the article from Alastair Norcross, “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases”. The article began with the story …

Animal abuseMeatUtilitarianism
Words 822
Pages 3
Current business ethics issue

This paper seeks to analyze, synthesize, and provide recommended for the situation using the relevant theory in ethics that would govern any unethical behavior in the news article entitled “Lawyer: Trampled NY worker lacked crowd training” by Eltman (2008). This would also involve looking into …

Business EthicsEthicsPoliceUtilitarianismWalmart
Words 91
Pages 1
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Economics Malthus and Mill

The key variables in Thomas Malthusian’ Theory of Population are human population, food production or food supply, and birth & death rates. According to Malthusian, population will always exceed and grow faster than the food supply, leading to periods of overpopulation and famine. He argued …

EconomicsHappinessUtilitarianism
Words 836
Pages 4
Ethics Final Project

ETHICS FINAL PROJECT 1. Proposed Action Plan: Describe the action plan you proposed at the beginning of the semester. At the beginning of the semester we first had the idea of taking a computer to the asylum to help those people in there to have …

EthicsUtilitarianism
Words 502
Pages 2
Ethics of Welfare and Government Assistance

When the topic of welfare is brought into an ethical discussion most individuals would surely see it as an ethical act that genuinely helps those in need. This is true to an extent, but is it possible that welfare does more harm than good? Most …

GovernmentMetaphysicsUtilitarianismWelfare
Words 1473
Pages 6
Moral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting

Moral difficulties involved in war reporting contents Introduction Historical perspective on the evolution of journalistic ethics . Ethical Dilemma Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments opposed applying principles of Deontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma Journalists …

Essay ExamplesJournalismUtilitarianism
Words 3241
Pages 12
Comparing the Lives and Philosophies of Kant and Mill

Immanuel Kant was born in April 1724 to a craftsman named Johann George Kant and Anna Regina Porter (Bennagen, 2000). He was trained more in Latin and Religion subjects as compared with science and mathematics consequently forming his concepts and ideas with regards to moral …

EthicsJusticeUtilitarianism
Words 1357
Pages 5
Internal Sanctions

One of John Stewart Mill’s focuses in his book Utilitarianism, is that utilitarianism has all the sanctions of other moral systems. Events or excuses that people accept as permission to continue with a choice. These sanctions derive from a wide spectrum of different approvals, usually …

MetaphysicsMoralityUtilitarianism
Words 428
Pages 2
Animals and Their Rights: An Analysis of the Intersection of Human and Animal Geographies

Introduction This paper will discuss the question whether animals have rights or not. It will do so by first addressing the geographies of distinction between humans and animals, and the points at which they intersect. Using this understanding, it will develop an evaluation of the …

AnimalsUtilitarianism
Words 3267
Pages 12
The Ethics of Micro Finance

Christopher Martin ‘Micro-finance programmes are aimed at reducing poverty. What ethical challenges are raised by the operation of micro-finance and which ethical theory can best be applied to assess how Grameen Bank addresses these challenges? ’ Introduction: The essay seeks to examine the ethical issues …

BankEthicsFinancePovertyUtilitarianism
Words 2977
Pages 11
A Discussion on the Ethics in the Civil Engineering Profession

The Websters dictionary defines the word ethics short and simple. It states that ethics is the system of moral values; the principal of right or good conduct. When I began to research ethics in the civil engineering profession, I was amazed to find that it …

Civil EngineeringEthicsUtilitarianism
Words 1453
Pages 6
Morals and Ethics of Cloning

Regardless of what our future holds, it will be based on the decisions we make today.  Those decisions can be made using the Utilitarian Theory which states that we are doing good for the greatest number of people.  Using Rule Utilitarianism “which maintains that a …

BiologyCloningEthicsNatureUtilitarianism
Words 1703
Pages 7
Should Homosexuals Be Allowed to Marry?

Gay marriage is a sensitive topic in America today, mainly because we Americans are split down the middle between supporting it and not supporting it. My main concern, and main reason for supporting gay marriage, has always been “who is it hurting? ” The main …

HomosexualityMarriageUtilitarianism
Words 2916
Pages 11
Kantian Capitalism

Kantian capitalism focuses on the corporation as an individual with rights, the exercise of which is limited to the extent that the rights of others are affected. As such, the corporation and its managers are responsible for the consequences of their actions on others. A …

CapitalismCorporationUtilitarianism
Words 987
Pages 4
Kant or Mill

Instructor Gallup Kant or Mill 14 November 2011 The topic of Kant and John Stuart Mill produces much debate. Both scholars have their own beliefs that they deem to be appropriate point of views in the way man should view a moral life. In this …

BeliefEssay ExamplesHappinessUtilitarianism
Words 1258
Pages 5
Utilitarianism, Deontology and Virtue

Anthony B. FieldingUtilitarian, Deontological, and Virtue ethics The concept of utilitarianism is closely related to the philosophy of consequentialism. Basically this means that the moral and ethical value of a person’s action should be judged by the consequence of that action. Utilitarianism is believed to …

EthicsMoralityUtilitarianism
Words 381
Pages 2
An Analysis of the Philosophy of Utilitarianism by Bentham and Mill

Although Bentham and Mill’s approach to calculating utility differ quantitatively and qualitatively, both philosophers fundamentally base their theories on the promotion of pleasure and the prevention of pain. Utilitarianism holds pleasure as one’s most intrinsically valuable goal, and therefore the avoidance of pain is it’s …

PhilosophyPsychologyUtilitarianism
Words 399
Pages 2
Utilitarianism – Act and Rule

Explain the differences between Act and Rule Utilitarianism Since it began, there have been two main exponents of Utilitarianism. They are Jeremy Bentham and J S Mill, and both of them base their own individual theories on the principle of utility, which defines something (an …

Jeremy BenthamMetaphysicsUtilitarianism
Words 743
Pages 3
Does War Affect Literature

Many writers use the environment, political issues, or social issues as inspiration to their work. During romanticism nature imagery was a common occurrence in literature. However does on particular issue effect writers so much that a new literature movement is sprung from it? I pose …

ARTDiseaseLiteratureModernismUtilitarianism
Words 2491
Pages 10
Reflection Essay on Week assignment

Pornography degrades values that are held in high regard in a society. Pornography ought to be recognized as a form of free speech. And B B and C Question 8. 8. Which statement might be used to argue that pornography ought to be extensively regulated? …

EthicsHappinessUtilitarianism
Words 750
Pages 3
What Justice Means to Me

In social institutions, justice is the very first virtue. On the other hand, truth would be considered to be of systems of thought. In the case of theories, certain revisions could be done if it is found to be untrue. Even if the theory seems …

JusticeUtilitarianism
Words 1051
Pages 4
Moral Issues in the United States Navy

The United States Navy is a branch of the United States armed forces. The USN has a goal of educating and preparing combat-ready naval forces. The United States Navy’s mission is to produce naval forces that are proficient and skilled in combat mission especially in …

MilitaryMoral IssuesNavyUnited StatesUtilitarianism
Words 668
Pages 3
The Food Crisis in Venezuela

One current world issue in the developing world is the food crisis and widespread malnutrition in the developing South American nation of Venezuela. Venezuela has been experiencing a food security crisis for the past several years, as a result of a failing economy, a corrupt …

EthicsFood InsecurityPoliticsUtilitarianism
Words 886
Pages 4
Utilitarianism Case

 Utilitarianism is the most well-known consequentiality theory of ethics. The most prominent advocates of utilitarianism are John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) and Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832). The guiding principle of utilitarianism is the assumption that eventual goal of all human activity is happiness. Experience is …

HappinessMetaphysicsUtilitarianismVirtue
Words 1419
Pages 6
Analyzing the Moral and Economic Implications of the Occupy Wall Street Movement

Krystal Graham “Occupy Wall Street” Business Ethics Professor: Steven Curry “Occupy Wall Street” The “Occupy Wall Street” movement has become a big deal since it began in the fall of 2011. This movement was inspired by international protests, with thousands arriving in New York City …

MoralityUtilitarianismWall Street
Words 1615
Pages 6
Are Liberty and Equality Compatible?

“Two Concepts of Liberty” defined the distinction between positive liberty and negative liberty. He defined positive liberty as the ability to fulfill one own potential. This Is typified by the phrase “l am my own master”. For example, if I really want to become an …

CapitalismEqualityUtilitarianismWealth
Words 3813
Pages 14
How Justin Mares Validated His Business in 2 Weeks With $100

There’s no excuse for creating a product that doesn’t sell . . . yet many new entrepreneurs continue to spend significant amounts of time and money building products that no one will buy. That’s why Justin Mares, the 26-year-old founder of the bone broth company , made sure …

BusinessEntrepreneurshipMoneyUtilitarianism
Words 911
Pages 4
Ethics Bank Bailout

This paper explores the ethics of bank executives receiving large bonuses despite the fact that they received a bailout. I identify the utilitarian and deontological implications of these executives’ actions. This paper also examines if the executives deserved the bonuses, did the banks need a …

BankMoneyUtilitarianism
Words 57
Pages 1
Reflection Essay on Moral Philosophy

I think that moral philosophy of Jeremy Bentham is the best suited for business and decision-making. Bentham’s philosophy is based on three principles of the greatest happiness, universal egoism and artificial identification of one’s interests. His philosophy is also referred to as utilitarianism. For example, …

MetaphysicsMoral PhilosophyMoralsUtilitarianism
Words 360
Pages 2
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Utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals.
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Purpose

Utilitarians believe that the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of good things (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the amount of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness).


Father

Jeremy BenthamJeremy BenthamBentham defined as the "fundamental axiom" of his philosophy the principle that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong." He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism. Jeremy_BenthamJeremy Bentham - was a philosopher, economist, jurist, and legal reformer and the founder of modern utilitarianism, an ethical theory holding that actions are morally right if they tend to promote happiness or pleasure (and morally wrong if they tend to promote unhappiness or pain) among all those affected by them.


Origin

The origins of Utilitarianism are often traced back to the Epicureanism of the followers of the Greek philosopher Epicurus. It can be argued that David Hume and Edmund Burke were proto-Utilitarians. But as a specific school of thought, it is generally credited to the English philosopher Jeremy BenthamJeremy BenthamBentham defined as the "fundamental axiom" of his philosophy the principle that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong." He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism. Jeremy_BenthamJeremy Bentham - .


Key features

As explained in Chapter 1: Introduction to Utilitarianism, the core idea of utilitarianism is that we ought to act to improve the well-being of everyone by as much as possible. Utilitarian theories generally share four elements: consequentialism, welfarism, impartiality, and additive aggregationism.

Frequently asked questions

What is utilitarianism in your own words essay?
Utilitarianism is the belief that the best course of action is the one that maximizes utility, or happiness. This can be achieved through a number of means, including providing people with basic needs like food and shelter, or by giving them pleasure. The ultimate goal is to produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
What is the main idea of utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is the ethical theory that holds that the best course of action is the one that maximizes utility, or happiness. Utility can be defined in many ways, but is usually taken to mean something like pleasure or satisfaction. Thus, the utilitarian strives to promote the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
Why is utilitarianism important to human being?
Utilitarianism is important to human beings because it is a moral theory that can be used to help us make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Utilitarianism is based on the idea that the right thing to do is the thing that will produce the most happiness for the greatest number of people. This means that when we are trying to decide what to do, we should try to figure out what will make the most people happy. One of the reasons that utilitarianism is so important is that it takes into account the consequences of our actions. Many other moral theories focus on what our intentions are, but utilitarianism focuses on what will actually happen as a result of our actions. This is important because our intentions don’t always match up with what actually happens. For example, we might intend to help someone, but if our actions end up harming that person, then we have not done the right thing. Another reason that utilitarianism is important is that it is a very practical theory. It can be applied to all sorts of different situations and it can help us to make difficult decisions. Utilitarianism is not a perfect theory, but it can be a helpful tool for making moral decisions.
What is the reflection about utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is the belief that the most morally good thing to do is the thing that maximizes utility. Utility is often defined as happiness, but it can also be defined as anything that is good for someone. So, a utilitarian would believe that the most morally good thing to do is the thing that will make the most people happy.

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