Mills utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mills utilitarianism - Essay Example One thing which we should have learned by now during our philosophical journey is that we have to have a theory of human behavior which should be able to address the diversity of human environments and thus cannot be very simple and rigid. Utilitarianism is a step in that direction. Utilitarianism The founder of Utilitarianism was Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). His theory begins with proposition that nature has placed human beings under two masters: pleasure and pain. Anything that seems good must either be directly pleasurable, or thought to be a means to pleasure or to the avoidance of pain. Conversely, anything that seems bad must either be directly painful, or thought to be a means to pain or to the deprivation of pleasure. From this Bentham argued that the words right and wrong can only be meaningful if they are used in accordance with the Utilitarian principle, so that whatever increases the net surplus of pleasure over pain is right and whatever decreases it is wrong. Moreover, the net pain and pleasure to be considered is not restricted to personal level but should be the sum of the pleasure of all involved by acting or getting effected by a particular action. Therefore from utilitarianism we cannot gauge the utility of action by putting it on the persona l criteria of pleasure and pain but it has to be more wholesome resultantly more complex but practicable. Basic Objections to Utilitarianism Most difficult part in the implementation of Bentham's utilitarianism is that to take an action, one has to take into account the expanse of the effects of the actions i.e. how far the consequences going to travel. This factor leads to three basic objections to utilitarianism:- 1. Utilitarianism is too demanding as it is more inclined towards collective good than individual good. 2. Utilitarianism is a heartless doctrine as it does not concentrate/focus on the intention but on the consequences thus making the entire concept of virtuous intent redundant. 3. The Principle of Utility is impractical because one has to think the consequences for which the time and information might not be available at a particular moment. Mill's Modification to Utilitarianism These basic objections though seem valid were addressed by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). The salient points of his modification to utilitarianism were:- 1. Introduction of Higher and Lower Pleasure Mill is of the opinion that pleasure has to be distributed into categories of higher and lower pleasure. At times we may confront a situation that we find a number of actions which might lead to "pleasure". In such circumstances we would be at a loss to decide the course of action. It will be only the conception of higher and lower pleasure which will give us the ability to take correct actions at correct time. In doing so we should also consider that the most suitably equipped person to judge the distinction between the higher and lower pleasure is the one who has experienced both. 2. Introduction of Rules in Moral Decision Making Mill considers that rules can be the force behind the decision. These rules are in fact the outcome of utilitarianism and they are established by taking into consideration principles of utility i.e. rules which had been giving and will give "pleasure" to the

Home work assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home work assignment - Essay Example The authors establish why the alibi in Bancroft’s favour could well be the basis to suspect him. The truth, especially with regard to history, is bound to be vague, because even the best historical detection has more to do with probabilities than with certainties. 1 I am convinced that Sack’s method of investigation works better with Susan Hamelin / Hamilton than the one used by the two journalists who interviewed her. This is because Sack’s method is primarily based on building rapport at first with the person with whom he wishes to interact. This, to a great extent, prevents the possibility of the person being interviewed hiding or distorting facts. 2 Even as a group, Sack’s personalistic method is to be preferred to the historians’ method, because the latter, with their impersonal attitude, tend to regard the person being interviewed as an object of study whereas in Sack’s method, the person being interviewed will be touched by the apparent genuineness of the interviewer’s concern. This creates the platform for an honest exchange of ideas and information. If Sack’s method yields good results with people who are challenged, it is quite reasonable to believe that the method will work much better with people who are sane and fit. 3 If I were to pick a patient from ‘An Anthropologist on Mars’, I would choose Temple Grandin. When I try to know more about her, I would make an effort to gain an understanding of her self and identity. In this scientific investigation must go hand in hand with an emotional concern. The purpose of this understanding is to be able to suggest ways to them how the quality of life can be improved within the limitations and to explore what adaptations are possible in this direction. The devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the use of nuclear bombs continues to be acknowledged in history as the most destructive man-made tragedy in the human history and must also continue to haunt the