If ones action leads to good, or happy, consequences, then that action is morally permissible. In accepting the job, George prevents someone else who might indirectly harm others by promoting chemical and biological warfare from getting the job. It will, for example, weaken the trust among members of a community, and destabilize the social relations of individuals within that community. Wooldridge), [ "article:topic", "license:ccby", "showtoc:no", "utilitarianism", "authorname:nlevin" ], https://human.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fhuman.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FPhilosophy%2FIntroduction_to_Ethics_(Levin_et_al. With this in mind, people will strive to be morally and ethically good to avoid the . Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges whether or not something is right by what its consequences are. Read more. Consequentialism is the belief that the outcomes of actions, the consequences of certain normative properties decide the rightness or . <> Many forms of consequentialism have been proposed that attempt to deal with the issue of comparing moral value. No one desires the strife of war in life, but it is sometimes necessary and morally justified to engage in war. (ed. We would thus be led to speak of more than one concept of, e.g., freedom, democracy, etc.) How did you use the result to determine who walked fastest and slowest? Consequentialism and deontology are two such theories that are classified under ethics of conduct, i.e., our behavior and the way we conduct ourselves. The focus of this paper will be on Utilitarianism, as this is undoubtedly the most popular form of consequentialist theories. There is not, however, a general consensus on what human flourishing is or how best to achieve it. This is the argument between moral principlists [1], and moral particularists. Our work is only made possible because of you. More specifically, I will argue that, despite its initial appeal, there are serious problems with Utilitarianism that render it a problematic moral theory. hasContentIssue true, Copyright The Royal Institute of Philosophy 1981, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100050543, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. Suppose George accepts the job because he is motivated to end chemical and biological warfare, or that his reason for taking the job is to help support his family. Finally, Mill also claims that happiness is the only thing that is desirable in itself as an end. This paper explores the strengths and weaknesses of these concepts. A common way to express this is . Lack of concern for consequences can . Relating this to the case of George, we see that George needs to assess the situation from a neutral perspective. Mainly, just how far into the future should we look when considering the consequences of our actions? The oppressor, obviously, retaliates with ever more repressive measures to crush the minority by force. At this point a Utilitarian will surely have something to say. If a universal law says "do not cheat," then under no . However, the other citizens, who make up the majority, have prejudices against this minority, and consider its presence very disagreeable, and proposals are put forward to remove this minority.82 Williams is not clear on what would be involved in removing the minority. We call this theory consequentialism. Secondly, Utilitarians emphasize that agents are to be neutral in making their decisions. Adopting rule-utilitarianism as a way to respond to these objections seems not only ad-hoc, but also inconsistent with the Utilitarian maxim of increasing the consequences. by which to judge an action. How to Write a Discursive Essay . . Consequentialism is the view that morality is all about producing the right kinds of overall consequences. Let us first begin with the strengths of the theory. To begin, consider the case of George. For this reason justice denies that the loss of freedom for some is made right by a greater good shared by others. Consequentialism. And it is a failing of Utilitarianism that it does not recognize the moral value of labeling these as morally bad actions. Limited to numbers and figures. For example, imagine I am hiding a Jewish family in my attic when the SS officers knock on my door. Articles. There are two types of utilitarianism: Act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. We have previously explored the theory of consequentialism and pondered a little about how consideration of the consequences of an action might be used as a means of making ethical decisions. Advantages: (1) Focuses on the development of habits that promote human excellence & happiness; (2) Recognizes how rational behavior requires being sensitive to the social & personal dimensions of life; (3) Rational" actions are not based on abstract principles but on moderation; (4) provides moral motivation rooted in disposition of The diversity of these cultures cannot be said to be correct or incorrect. First, Utilitarians are focused on states of affairs, which means that Utilitarianism is concerned with the result, or consequences, of ones actions, and disregards other features like ones motives or reasons for acting. Consequentialism is based on two principles: Whether an act is right or wrong depends only on the results of that act; The more good consequences an act produces, the better or more right that act (if any). This, together with the remarks that follow, should not necessarily be taken to represent his settled views. For instance, most people would agree that lying is wrong. The Hyperloop proposes to transport humans at faster speeds than ever accomplished before and history on our planet. Benthams views are most closely aligned withact utilitarianism. A person should choose the act that does the least amount of harm to the greatest number of people. Because it counted every persons pleasure or pain as the same, regardless of age, wealth, race, etc. The Advantages & Disadvantages of Ethical Reasoning. For example Brenda Grey has asked for the asthma specialist to visit her weekly, and to decide if this is necessary the professionals involved have to look at how it would affect her wellbeing. When making a decision, one is to take a Gods eye view of things, and consider everyone equally. In some cases, following Utilitarianism will force us to disregard those who are close to us. It also detracts from the value of individuals and their own interests and projects, other than when those are in line with the interests of the group. Moreover, there is no universal truth in ethics, only various cultural codes instead. Great consequentialism t-shirt (zazzle.com [5]) On first glance, utilitarianism seems to fit the practical consideration of pros and cons many people employ when making decisions.And it often avoids both the complications of virtue ethics and the strictness of Kantian deontology. %PDF-1.3 Answer 2: 1) Consequentialism, it says that an action can be judged as ethical or unethical based on the consequences it creates, practices which bring in a person cannot predict consequences beforehand, an art which could be gained with experience. There are generally two branches of Consequentialism: Hedonism, which tells us that the consequences we should pursue should be . Utilitarianism will tell us that George should disregard their interests and feelings and perform that action that will increase the consequences. 3. However, in support of consequentialism it might be argued that many of the things listed above do influence the good or bad consequences of an act, particularly when formulating ethical rules, and so they become incorporated in consequentialist ethical thinking; but only through the back door, not directly. Consequentialism and deontology form part of the common approaches to moral thought. In so doing, a Utilitarian switches the focus from a version of Utilitarianism that is focused on acts, to one that is focused on rules. One might have good motives or reasons for performing a certain action, but an action is only considered morally good for a Utilitarian if it maximizes the consequences, or happiness, of a given situation. thing, by the rules of consequentialism, to murder that person and for this article. An action that brings about more benefit than harm is good, while an action that causes more harm than benefit is not. The disadvantage of this theory is that it makes it not possible . ), Fontana, 3rd impression, 1965.). 11 In the discussion following a paper read to Queen's University Philosophical Society in 1977. Wooldridge) is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Noah Levin (NGE Far Press) . Consequentialism has its types to evaluate . The decisions taken by AI in every step is decided by information previously gathered and a certain set of algorithms. belief is that it does little to inform the person acting on what Particularly in Italy, where the death toll and strain on hospitals has reached a critical point, there is a policy now to prioritise treating younger patients and healthcare workers. A particular action may be good for a business but not good for society or ones health. Ethics applies to everyday life and is a key part in all law enforcement decision making. Sooner or later, after all diplomatic and political channels are exhausted to reach a solution, they begin to take up arms against the oppressor. Deontologists need their own, non-consequentialist model of rationality, one that is a viable alternative to the intuitively plausible "act-to-produce-the-best-consequences" model of rationality that motivates consequentialist theories. The Terri Schiavo case was a huge start of the Right to Die movement, the underlying cause of Schiavos collapse was never given a diagnosis. Here, we explore some of the pros and cons of using consequentialist methodology to guide our ethical decision-making processes in the kidney . We have previously explored the theory of consequentialism and pondered a little about how consideration of the consequences of an action might be used as a means of making ethical . In this example: A hospital has limited capacity to deal with Covid-19 patients and is having to decide between admitting a 20 year old patient, who is fit and well, and a 75 year old patient, who has a history of heart disease, to their last available ventilator. For what its worth, Georges wife is not against chemical and biological warfare. (ed.) Therefore, the content of any specific moral action has no meaning. Get the latest inspiration, intelligence, events & more. The interests, feelings, and desires of Georges family should matter more than the interests, feelings, and desires of complete strangers, simply because these people are closer to George. In this case, his action will lead to good consequences, albeit indirectly. What are the strengths and weaknesses of consequentialism? Neither, of course, agrees with everything which it contains. Act consequentialism is flexible and can take account of any set of circumstances, however exceptional. 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