What is Utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism states that the actions you do are to be completely judged as right or wrong based on the happiness that they bring. This theory answers the question what is right by answering what is pleasurable or what brings the most happiness. Happiness is desirable so whatever the end is, as long as it is steeped in happiness is perfectly fine. A part of Utilitarianism is called Hedonism, which is basically sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. In order to truly know which action is right or wrong balance out the good or happiness/pleasure and the evil or pain.
Mill's version of Utilitarianism is quite different. He believed that intellectual pleasures were much more important than those of the skin. The amount of pleasure depends on the intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity and purity of that action or feeling.
Examples of Utilitarianism
Someone who is claiming to be your friend but they talk bad about you behind your back. Is this bad? A utilitarian would say that if you never found out then no it wouldn't be a problem. Another example is if someone is hurt in an accident. They can no longer do what they love because of it, but they find something else that gives them the same amount of pleasure. A utilitarian would say that it would be unfair but not wrong because they found something else that gave them happiness.
Arguments against it
This theory takes justice away from people. If there was a peeping tom and he got immense amounts of pleasure from watching you then it would be okay. It would still be okay if he was found out as long as his happiness was more than your pain. This also takes away rights from people. This theory disrupts our personal lives. Say your mom is on one side and five people are on another. You either have to kill your mother or the five people, a Utilitarian would say that you had to do in your mother because five people would equate to more happiness than just one.
What we think!
I do not like utilitarianism because I love my family and I wouldn't be able to sacrifice any of them for the happiness of others. I disagree with the fact that this theory takes away rights and justice from people. People deserve their privacy and if someone was disrupting that the same person deserves justice! I agree with Mill's version of Utilitarianism but I do not feel that pleasure is more important than pain. A healthy person has a mix of it during their entire life. Pain and the experiences that people have with failure make them who they are.
Utilitarianism states that the actions you do are to be completely judged as right or wrong based on the happiness that they bring. This theory answers the question what is right by answering what is pleasurable or what brings the most happiness. Happiness is desirable so whatever the end is, as long as it is steeped in happiness is perfectly fine. A part of Utilitarianism is called Hedonism, which is basically sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. In order to truly know which action is right or wrong balance out the good or happiness/pleasure and the evil or pain.
Mill's version of Utilitarianism is quite different. He believed that intellectual pleasures were much more important than those of the skin. The amount of pleasure depends on the intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity and purity of that action or feeling.
Examples of Utilitarianism
Someone who is claiming to be your friend but they talk bad about you behind your back. Is this bad? A utilitarian would say that if you never found out then no it wouldn't be a problem. Another example is if someone is hurt in an accident. They can no longer do what they love because of it, but they find something else that gives them the same amount of pleasure. A utilitarian would say that it would be unfair but not wrong because they found something else that gave them happiness.
Arguments against it
This theory takes justice away from people. If there was a peeping tom and he got immense amounts of pleasure from watching you then it would be okay. It would still be okay if he was found out as long as his happiness was more than your pain. This also takes away rights from people. This theory disrupts our personal lives. Say your mom is on one side and five people are on another. You either have to kill your mother or the five people, a Utilitarian would say that you had to do in your mother because five people would equate to more happiness than just one.
What we think!
I do not like utilitarianism because I love my family and I wouldn't be able to sacrifice any of them for the happiness of others. I disagree with the fact that this theory takes away rights and justice from people. People deserve their privacy and if someone was disrupting that the same person deserves justice! I agree with Mill's version of Utilitarianism but I do not feel that pleasure is more important than pain. A healthy person has a mix of it during their entire life. Pain and the experiences that people have with failure make them who they are.