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Utilitarianism: Principle Based and Virtue Ethics

            We are all born in this world with what can be described as an intuitive sense of what's considered 'right' and 'wrong' however philosophers have much to offer about the nature of these two divisions. There are many proposed theories that provide a basis, explanation and possible guide for our ethical reasoning. Utilitarianism and Kant's philosophy of principle, duty-based ethics and virtue ethics represent three different interpretations and theories however virtue ethics offers more as a basis for living a good ethical life. Utilitarianism, a conception of morality developed primarily by Jeremy Bentham, James Mill and his son John Stuart Mill attempts to bring back personal inclinations and interests into moral consideration. 1 It is based upon a form of hedonism, an ethical doctrine implying that the ultimate good is pleasure and what has pleasurable consequences and that the pursuit of pleasure in itself is what can be considered the 'highest good' and proper aim for human life. While traditional hedonism is concerned only with one's personal pleasure, utilitarianism is concerned with pleasure in general- both one's own pleasure and the pleasure of other people.2 The phrase "the greatest good for the greatest number" is used to summarise the utilitarian theory revolving around a desire to return morality to the search for a individually satisfying or pleasurable life while often sacrificing short term pleasures for more lasting or "greater" pleasures. Jeremy Bentham, father of the utilitarianism ethical position developed the 'principle of utility' to reinforce the central theme for utilitarianism which says that any individual should act to ultimately produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Although pleasure seeking and acting in the interests of others is a nice concept, utilitarianism has many downfalls.
            
            
            
            


Essays Related to Utilitarianism: Principle Based and Virtue Ethics

1. Logic, Ethics and Philosophy

... believes that for every action there is a consequence whether it be good or bad. Two consequentialist theories are important and they are ethical egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism asks to consider the consequences of actions for one person whereas utilitarianism considers the consequences for everybody meaning that if one person gets in trouble then everybody is in trouble. Psychological egoism ... that we only should help people if we are getting something out of it. Utilitarianism states that everyone ought to act so as to bring about the greatest possibilities of intrinsic good over ...

  • Word Count: 2506
  • Approx Pages: 10

2. Logic, Ethics and Philosophy

... believes that for every action there is a consequence whether it be good or bad. Two consequentialist theories are important and they are ethical egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism asks to consider the consequences of actions for one person whereas utilitarianism considers the consequences for everybody meaning that if one person gets in trouble then everybody is in trouble. Psychological egoism ... that we only should help people if we are getting something out of it. Utilitarianism states that everyone ought to act so as to bring about the greatest possibilities of intrinsic good over ...

  • Word Count: 2506
  • Approx Pages: 10

3. Ethical Theories of Plato, Kant, and Mill

The three philosophers, Plato, Kant, and Mill, have very contrastive theories of ethics that they follow. First, the ethical theory of Plato, which is a virtue-based eudaemonistic conception of ethics, is a very high aim of both moral thought and action. In this ethical theory, the soul is not attached to the pleasures of the body. With this being said, Plato's primary concern was to develop a way ... principle of morality, which was referred to as the categorical imperative. This categorical imperative determines what our moral duties are. Kant has a say in the moral worth of persons as well....

  • Word Count: 897
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4. Outline the main features of Utilitarianism

... Bentham describes the principle of utility as being "The greatest good for the greatest number," believing this would create happiness, an intrinsic key to life. Therefore Bentham views utilitarianism in terms of individuals and how certain actions affect that individual. This concept is based on freedom of actions as Bentham rejected deontological theories such as the ethics of Immanuel Kant ... an elitist statement but, nevertheless, a valid one. In conclusion, Mill believed that on the whole, intellectual ability created happiness. Preference Utilitarianism was developed by R.M.Hare, w...

  • Word Count: 1909
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. Law and Ethics in Healthcare

... absolute power to decide about their care. The purpose of this essay is to critically evaluate the role of healthcare professionals in relation to decision-making process from different ethical and legal perspectives, and discuss virtue ethics theory and principles that applies in the situation of a clinical dilemma to be presented. According to the code of conduct of the Nursing ... of the treatment plan (DH, 2004, 2010, 2011). According to the theory of deontology (Hooker, 2012), healthcare practitioners are expected to act based on duty of care and respect the right of Miss Kay and f...

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6. Rene DesCartes and John Stuart Mill

... , but as he had already observed, this was absurd, as a perfect entity could not by nature be deceptive. From these premises DesCartes drew that material substance and the external world do in fact exist. Cartesian thought principle creates a whole methodology for perception analysis by contemplating whether a physical body is necessary to the essence of existence. He imagines existence without a physical body but ... unless we assign function to them. Nature has no reason to exist. It just is. We have moral and ethical framework to rest on what DesCartes calls the Devine Command theory ...

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7. The Utility Of Punishment

... with the arrival of a new ethical theory of utility. The divine law and virtue ethics use to be the standard of measurement, yet now the net utility of actions where weighted for their pleasures and usefulness. As the western mind changed from that of a power triangle, with God and nobles on top and peasants at the bottom, to an individual focus where man is the measure ... lies in his stating of objections to utilitarianism and reapplication of utility in many ethical and moral problems. Mill's work, which is known as Utilitarianism, gives the framework for the whole theory of utility. M...

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  • Approx Pages: 13
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  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Types of Unethical Conduct

... sort of arrangement, it is certainly goes contrary to John Stuart mill(1806-1873) theory of utilitarianism which argues that the rightness and the wrongness of actions is determined by the goodness and badness of their consequences" the lecturers actions are not right in proportion as they want ... some students in his or her class then such an act or a decision is unethical. The students will also be denied their principle of autonomy under virtue theories which states that individuals have right to make decisions. 2. Sexual Identity Some lecturers sexually harass students because of the...

  • Word Count: 1332
  • Approx Pages: 5
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  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

9. Ethical Reasoning

... virtues in the young. The failure to properly develop virtuous character traits will result in the person acquiring bad character traits. Aristotle's philosophy is often reduced to the "golden mean": Virtue lies at the mean between two extremes. This "mean" or middle ground will be different for everyone; if you are a police officer you are going to be expected to have ... that determined it. Saying Kant's ethics are to "decide what you want to do" can sum this up. John Stuart Mill is known for the Utility principle and said; an act's rightness is determined by its contribution to a des...

  • Word Count: 1099
  • Approx Pages: 4
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