Preview

Utilitarianism May Be Used For Good Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
525 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Utilitarianism May Be Used For Good Analysis
Utilitarianism is the philosophical idea of doing the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. It removes human values and emotions from the decision making process. It is more or less a numbers game. If a friend were to tell you of a crime they committed an innocent man was accused of the crime; using utilitarianism I would turn in my friend because if I didn’t then I would have a guilty conscious and an innocent man would go to jail. You relieve the innocent man of his crime, while your friend gets what he deserves for something he is well aware that he shouldn’t have done. I would carry little to no guilt because at least the right person is being prosecuted. Personally, I would react in the same manner as the utilitarian decision because I could not possibly live with the guilt of sending an innocent man to jail. …show more content…
An example of lies being used for good was D-day. The opposing forces of the Nazi Party fed false information to them, so they would remove soldiers from one spot and move them somewhere else. This lead to an easy invasion by the Allies because there was little to no military units. This was a crushing blow the Nazi Party which lead to their downfall. This lie caused lots of Allied lives to be saved and the liberation of Germany from the Nazi Party. Lies can easily make people happy even if they think you’re lying to them. An example of this would be when people are having a “fat day” where they feel unattractive and you boost their self-esteem and confidence by telling them that they look absolutely beautiful. They may know you’re lying to them but either way it makes them feel much better about themselves. It let’s them have the strength to take on the day with a smile instead of a frown. It may not be the most convincing and long lasting lie but for a moment they’ll be

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Lying, something the human flesh has struggled with for ages. It has shattered the lives of millions and offered the illusion of hope to countless others. Can this mechanism ever be operated for good? In the classic book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Tom was faced with this same question, is lying always bad? Lying is saying something that is not true. But can a lie be good? Everyone agrees that a lie is saying something untruthful. Some believe that, used in the right way; lies can be used for good. Still others believe that a lie is a lie and there is no way to make it a work of good. There is such thing as a good lie for three reasons. It provides emotional protection. It supplies physical protection. It delivers…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    UNV 100

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages

    -The definition of Utilitarianism is ethical doctrine of greatest good-ethical doctrine that greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the criterion of the virtue of action.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Utilitarian approach- the ethical concept that moral behaviors produce the greatest good for the greatest number.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarian ethometrics- The principle which seeks to creates the greatest amount of happiness, good, or benefit for the greatest amount of people (100).…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism revolves around the concept of “the end justifies the means.” It believes that outcomes as a result of an action have a greater value compared to the latter, the morally right action is the action that produces the most good. It also states that the most ethical thing to do is to take advantage of happiness for the good of the society. This normative theory considers the overall good for all people and not just a single person.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism = an ethical philosophy that says the most ethical decision or course of action is the one that maximize utility.…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the article, “Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism”, Louis P. Pojman explained the grounds on which utilitarianism has been attacked and showed some possible response to its defenders which imply his positive attitude towards utilitarianism [1] . In order to argue that thesis, Pojman’s one important premise is the response to the no-rest objection. He believed that the agent should aim at maximizing his or her own happiness as well as other people’s happiness and is best not to worry much about the need of those not in our primary circle.[1] .…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethics 316

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Oxford dictionary describes utilitarianism as one who practices the doctrine that produces the greatest happiness of the greatest number. For example, a busy mother gives great sacrifice of putting her needs aside to take care of her three children who are home sick with the flu. At this moment, the mother, who is also sick with a temperature of 102 F, is not practicing virtue theory because; the mother has currently put her needs aside. The mother is practicing patience and compassion to assure that her children get the care that they need.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy which seeks to maximize well-being for the largest amount of people. This means that if you can secure pleasure at no moral cost, you should do so. It also means that if you can prevent displeasure for others without sacrificing anything of equal moral value, you should. In Utilitarianism the key is the well-being for the entire population.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism in ethics is the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the most happiness of all those affected by it. The word utilitarianism comes from the Greek word telos, which means “end”. Under this direction, acting ethically means making decisions and taking actions that benefit the people by maximizing “good” and minimizing “bad” (danielsfund.org). Englishmen Jerry Bentham and John Stuart Mill were too of the most influential developers of the utilitarian view point. Utilitarianism focuses on the pursuit of happiness.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Utilitarianism is a relativist, consequentialist and teleological system of ethics based on the idea of ‘utility’. This means usefulness and utilitarian suggest that everyone should be the most useful thing. The theory was devised by Jeremy Bentham who said “an action is right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number”. He believed human beings are motivated by pleasure and pain.…

    • 972 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Do People Lie

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For some, small lies or exaggerations can have positive psychological effects on those involved. According to research found in a recent study, college students partaking in interviews who fabricated their GPA later displayed clear growth and improvement in their grades (Boser). For these students, fiction turned into reality. Lying to oneself stimulates feelings of confidence and faith. Lies help people to believe in themselves.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When it pertains to lying, I believe it is morally permissible to lie to someone given a specific situation. The most imperative circumstance in which lying has the potential to make more people happy is when it applied to prevent harm/protecting someone’s life. Lying is the right thing to do in this situation as it safeguards your fellow man. According to Emanuel Kant (2008), “Immediately I realize that I could will •the lie but not •a universal law to lie; for such a law would result in there being no promises at all, because it would be futile to offer stories about my future conduct to people who wouldn’t believe me; or if they carelessly did believe me and were taken in ·by my promise·, would pay me back in my own coin.” (p12) Kant believes…

    • 316 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Occupy Wall Street

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Utilitarian is the moral doctrine that we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions. The greatest happiness of all constitutes the standard that determines whether an action is right or wrong. Our belief that we are individuals and society is the net result of our choices. For example, the practice of blowing up rocks to release underground natural gas would not be permitted near residential areas if energy complaints…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Utilitarian Approach

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What is morally right, and what is morally wrong? Different ethical theorists have a wide variety of definitions to this question. Although it wasn't until the ethical revolution during the 18th and 19th centuries that utilitarianism took center stage defying all other theories. David Hume, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart set this revolution into progress stating that utilitarianism explains that morality is only correct when in pursuit of happiness, human or animal. At first this seems a little "far out," meaning if everyone did what made them happy some things we think are morally wrong would then be right. Not only does utilitarianism relate to animals and their pursuit of happiness, it also contradicts sacred religious views of morality how God decides what is morally right and wrong.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays