Question

The utilitarian approach in ethical decision-making proposes to consider :

• A. The effect of each decision alternative on all parties and select one that optimises the greatest number of people
• B. An action which is intended to produce a greater ratio of good to bad for an individual
• C. Standards of equity, fairness and utility
• D. Decision that best maintains the rights of those affected by it

Answer 1

Answer:

A. The effect of each decision alternative on all parties and select one that optimises the greatest number of people

Utilitarianism in Ethics

• The core principle of utilitarianism is to maximize overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people.

• It is a consequentialist ethical theory, meaning that the morality of an action is judged solely by its outcomes or consequences.

• Key figures associated with utilitarianism include Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

• Jeremy Bentham proposed the 'hedonistic calculus' to measure pleasure and pain, suggesting that actions leading to more pleasure than pain are morally right.

• John Stuart Mill refined Bentham's ideas, distinguishing between higher (intellectual, moral) and lower (physical) pleasures, arguing that higher pleasures are more valuable.

• In practical decision-making, a utilitarian approach involves:

  • Identifying all possible courses of action.

  • Assessing the potential consequences of each action for everyone affected.

  • Calculating the net happiness or unhappiness produced by each action.

  • Choosing the action that yields the greatest net happiness.

• This approach emphasizes impartiality, as everyone's happiness counts equally.

• Challenges to utilitarianism include:

  • Difficulty in predicting all consequences accurately.

  • The potential to justify actions that seem intuitively unfair or unjust to minorities if they benefit the majority.

  • The problem of measuring and comparing happiness across different individuals.

• Utilitarianism is often contrasted with deontological ethics (duty-based ethics) and virtue ethics.