...Utilitarianism is a normative system of ethics which features a consequentialist, created in the 18th century by Jeremy Bentham, teleological approach to moral decision making. This means that an act is good based on whether or not the outcome is good (i.e. Its extrinsic value) and there is a focus on the end or purpose of an act. Another key feature of utilitarianism is the principle of utility which aims to provide the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people because its main focus is bringing about hedonism. Util is a universal hedonistic theory which means that the majority of people can apply it to their lives; happiness is available to all. In addition, util features social reform due to dealing with social concerns during the industrial revolution period, such as women and worker’s rights. Bentham was a supporter of the Great Reform Act of 1832 as well as the Factory Acts of 1833 and 1847. GM Trevelyan said that the factory system had been made into an instrument to “level up the average material conditions under which labor is carried”. This means that overtime the factory system has improved to benefit the working people which is what utilitarianism aims to do. In his book “An Introduction to the Principle of Morals and Legislation” Bentham wrote that “nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure”. By this he meant that the choices we make are governed by pleasure and pain (aka the two sovereign masters), so...
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...Key Features of utilitarianism and its weaknesses. The Theory of Utilitarianism comes from its name from the Latin word ‘Utilis’, meaning ‘useful’. It was first developed by Jeremy Bentham, Philosopher and legal theorist of the 18th century. Bentham produced a modern approach of morality which would suit the changing world of the industrial age. This was also the era of enlightenment. Utilitarianism can be regarded as a consequentialist and teleological system of ethics, providing no strict moral rules but judging an action by its consequence or end result. Bentham believed in Francis Hutcheson’s belief which is known as the utility principle (the greatest good for the greatest number)and argued that one should maximise happiness for the majority and that happiness is equated with moral goodness. This identified Bentham as a ‘Hedonist’, sing he look ed at humans as being primarily motivated by pleasure and avoidance of pain. Bentham put forward what he regarded as a scientific and empical process for making moral decisions, known as the ‘hedonic calculus’ which he brought reason and evidence to the field of ethics. This consisted of sever key ccriteria which a person must consider when making a moral choice: - intensity - duration - certainty - propquity - fecundity - purity - extent ( on how people feel) Later in the 19th century, John Stuart mill modified his theory. Mill was a leading politician and philosopher of his day. He advocated radical causes such...
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...(i) Examine the key features of utilitarianism (21) (ii) To what extent are the concepts undermined by relevant criticisms (9) Utilitarianism was founded by the scholar Jeremy Bentham in the time in which both enlightenment (the point at which people were starting to turn to science over religion) and the industrial revolution ( when an influx of people flocked to the cities to find work- this caused extreme poverty, poor living conditions and an outbreak of disease and death. Bentham’s theory is teleological and focuses mainly on the end goal. Similarly it is consequentialist, therefore its main focus is not on the process but on the outcome. The theory is also secular and is therefore non-religious (hence the link to enlightenment) and it is relativist, making it flexible as there are no fixed rules. The principle of utility and the key to Bentham’s utilitarianism, also known as act utilitarianism is that it seeks the greatest good for the greatest number. This means that in a circumstance where there is a lot of people to think about you would do the thing which caused pleasure or benefitted the majority, e.g torturing a terrorist to find out where they had planted a bomb so that more lives could be saved. The famous principle of utilitarianism was coined by Sir Francis Hutchson. Another important feature of Act Utilitarianism is that it is hedonistic and therefore tries to seek out the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people....
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...What are the key features of the design argument for the existence of God? (10 marks) (b) Identify the strengths of this argument. To what extent are these strengths more convincing than its weaknesses? (10 marks) 2. (a) Describe the main strengths and weaknesses of the cosmological argument for the existence of God. (14 marks) (b) To what extent do the weaknesses of this argument limit its effectiveness? (6 marks) 3. (a) Examine the characteristics of BOTH a religious and a scientific interpretation of the origins of the universe. (14 marks) (b) Comment on the view that the differences between these interpretations rule out any major disagreement between them. (6 marks) 4. (a) What do religious believers mean by the ‘problem of suffering’? (5 marks) (b) Select any TWO theodicies and consider how far they offer solutions to this problem. (15 marks) 5. (a) Examine TWO philosophical reasons for belief in miracles. (6 marks) (b) Outline at least TWO problems with belief in miracles. (8 marks) (c) Consider the claim that there are no acceptable solutions to these problems. (6 marks) 2002 1. (a) Outline the design argument for the existence of God. (7 marks) (b) ‘The design argument fails because of its weaknesses.’ Examine and comment on this claim. (13 marks) 2. (a) What are the key ideas of the...
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...Clarify the key features of a deontological theory of ethics. To what extent if any do the weaknesses outweigh the strengths of this theory? Deontology literally translates as the science of duty. It is an approach to making decisions in ethics which relies on duties or rules to determine how you should act. Thus it is very different from consequential theories of ethics like Utilitarianism where results matter more than obligations (oughts). One of the most notable examples of a deontological theory of ethics is Kantian Ethics. Kant rejected using results as a good way to guide actions. A notable feature is that, unlike Utilitarianism, he thought empirical evidence was an unreliable guide and that how we experience things came from the mind (a priori). ‘It is impossible to conceive of anything in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good without qualification, except good will’. A notable point is that, Kant took an absolute approach to morality and dismissed the idea of choices or consequences to solve a moral dilemma. A significant feature is that, Kant thought that the idea of moral oughts must come from within which he called ‘reason’. Since Kant believed reason is shared by all humans and is inherent in the universe, then logically we should come to the same conclusions about how to live using their reason. Additionally, with our reason, Kant identified that there were ‘prima facia’ duties- duties that are supreme to others. Another key characteristic...
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...Explain the main features of the theory of Utilitarianism The theory of Utilitarianism takes its name from the Latin word Utilis, meaning ‘useful’. It was first developed by Jeremy Bentham, a philosopher and legal theorist of the 18th century. Bentham sought to produce a modern and rational approach to morality which would suit the changing society of the industrial age. Utilitarianism may be regarded as a relativist and teleological system of ethics, prescribing no fixed moral rules and judging an action by its consequences or end result (Greek: telos). Bentham argued that one should maximise happiness for the majority, ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ a view which is known as the ‘Utility Principle’. Happiness was thus equated with moral goodness. Good is seen by Bentham as the maximisation of pleasure and minimisation of pain or Happiness=pleasure-pain. This idea further identifies Bentham as a ‘psychological hedonist’, since he regarded humans as being primarily motivated by pleasure and the avoidance of pain. A contented society would be a good society. In assessing the consequences of actions, Utilitarianism relies upon a theory of intrinsic value: something is held to be good in itself, apart from further consequences, and all other values are believed to derive their worth from their relation to this intrinsic good as a means to an end. Bentham and Mill analysed happiness as a balance of pleasure over pain and believed that these feelings alone are...
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...theories. These types include the virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological. Ethical theory deals with how one should behave in relation to someone else. Virtue According to IEP, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories that emphasize the role of character and virtues in moral philosophy.” Most virtue ethics take their inspiration from Aristotle. He stated that a virtuous person is one that has ideal character traits. A virtuous person is one that is kind across many situations over their lifetime because that is their character. They do not do this because they want to maximize their utility or gain anything from their actions. Virtue ethics doesn't aim primarily to identify universal principles but deals with wider questions. Some examples of these questions include “How should I live?” and “What is the good life?” (Athanassoulis, N.) There are some common objections to virtue ethics. It does not sufficiently consider the extent to how our actions affect other people because it provides a self-centered conception of ethics due to the fact that human flourishing is seen as an end and not itself. This theory doesn't provide guidance on hoe we should act. Finally the ability to cultivate the right virtues can and will be affected by a number of factors that are beyond a persons control due to education, society and friends and family. (Athanassoulis, N.) Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is one of well known and the most influential...
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...model is based on these theories of ethics, * Utilitarianism * Virtue Ethics * Deontology * Natural Law Utilitarianism: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are the most important utilitarians. Their theory has had an important impact on philosophical work in moral theory and on approaches to economic, political and social policy Utilitarianism is one of the best known and most influential moral theories. Like other form of Consequentialism, it core idea is that whether actions are morally right or wrong depends on their effects. More, specifically, the only effects of actions that are relevant are the good and bad results that they produce. A key point in utilitarianism concerns the distinction between individual actions and types of actions. Utilitarianism believe that the purpose of morality is to make life better by increasing the amount of good things, (such as pleasure and happiness) in the world and decreasing the amount of bad things (such as pain and unhappiness). Utilitarianism thinks that what makes a morality be true or justifiable is its positive contribution to human. The difference between Act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism is that the Act utilitarianism stresses the specific context and the many individual feathers of the situations that pose moral problems, and it presents a single method for dealing with these individual cases. Rule utilitarianism stresses the recurrent features of human life and the ways in which similar needs...
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...As we all know technology is evolving every single time we move towards the future. Information technology has become a major industry in every organization and also in personal life at a daily level. There are different industries like banking, consulting, business solutions, logistics and many more which run all these system on the latest applications and data maintenance tools and for the smooth run of their business they have strong dedicated Information technology department. When we work as an I.T. professional we are not just solving problems but instead we are helping our fellow neighbors and this is not just help it is a call from God to help others and form a bridge. An I.T. professional should be committed towards his work and the duties assigned to him to solve problems but also follow the process of vocation. As we take a look at the ethics and moral values we see that the study of ethics is not just involvement of basic instrumental values but also refers to the complete domain of moral philosophy and morality. The terms moral is derived from a Latin word “mores” and the word ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos”. We see the real idea and meaning of these words directly or indirectly refers to the actual belief and practices of people like their way of living, their culture and customs. “We as people are confronted with the difficult task of justifying ethical policies about the novel applications of computer technology even within a community because computer...
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...AS Philosophy & Ethics Course Handbook 2013 to 2014 [pic] OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gce/hss/rs/index.aspx OCR AS Level Religious Studies (H172) You are studying Philosophy of Religion and Religious Ethics and will be awarded an OCR AS Level in Religious Studies. The modules and their weightings are: |AS: |Unit Code |Unit Title |% of AS |(% of A Level) | | |G571 |AS Philosophy of Religion |50% |(25%) | | |G572 |AS Religious Ethics |50% |(25%) | If you decide to study for the full A Level you will have to study the following modules at A2: |A2: |Unit Code |Unit Title |(% of A Level) | | |G581 |A2 Philosophy of Religion |(25%) | | |G582 |A2 Religious Ethics |(25%) | Grading | ...
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...Business Ethics: A Discourse on Rights: Moral, Legal, and Human Myriad optimistic forecasts, of what comprises the core of business ethics, have permeated numerous discussions on management and commerce practices in the marketplace today. Global economics and trading across borders nearly demands it. In fact, ‘ethics’ in business has come to represent one of the key buzzwords of our decade, along with ‘sustainability’ and the ideological concept of global warming – seemingly shoved down the throats of people. But what is business ethics anyway, and why does it matter? The discourse herein hopefully highlights a cogent and logically based compilation of answers as required from the rubric of Assignments Four. While this paper is written in essay format, for the sake of clarity and precision for the reader, each section shall appropriately and clearly display the topical area or question being addressed. (1) – Define a right, a legal right, a moral right, and a human right explaining how they are related. The philosophical idea of what constitutes a ‘right’ is an age-old concept that many men of God and theorists have confronted from ancient times. One things seems clear. A ‘right’ cannot be discussed without dividing the premise from a ‘privilege.’ According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a right is simply defined as “being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper” as in conduct (“Right,” 2015). Judge Napolitano defined a right as “a gift from God that extends...
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...CHAPTER SUMMARY – CHAPTER 1 – ETHICS IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS Frequently, the ethically correct course of action is clear, and people in business act accordingly. Exceptions occur when there is uncertainty about ethical obligations in particular situations or when considerations of ethics come into conflict with the practical demands of business. In deciding on an ethical course of action, we can rely to some extent on the rules of right conduct that we employ in everyday life. However, business activity also has some features that might limit the applicability of our ordinary ethical views. One distinguishing feature of business is its economic character which can be summarized as the conduct of buyers and seller and employers and employees. A second distinguishing feature of business is that it typically takes place in organizations which is a hierarchical system of functionally defined positions designed to achieve some goal or set of goals. Because business involves economic relations and transactions that take place in markets and also in organizations, it raises ethical issues for which the ethics of everyday life has not prepared us. Decisions making occurs on several distinct levels: the level of the individual, the organization, and the business system. The level of the individual represents situations that confront them in the workplace and require them to make a decision about their own well-being. The level of the organization can be identified...
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...different ethnic, religious, or political backgrounds within one society SOCIOLOGY social policy and theory: the policy or theory that minority groups within a society should maintain cultural differences, but share overall political and economic power Tyranny- A government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Absolutism – political system: a political system in which the power of a ruler is unchecked and absolute theory of objective values: a philosophical theory in which values such as truth or morality are absolute and not conditional upon human perception something absolute: a standard, principle, or theory that is absolute Utilitarianism: ethical doctrine of greatest good: the ethical doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the criterion of the virtue of action doctrine based on value of usefulness: the doctrine that the value of an action or an object lies in usefulness utilitarian quality: the quality of being designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty Libertarianism: advocate of individual responsibility: somebody who believes in the doctrine of free will advocate of individual freedom: somebody who believes in the principle that people should have complete freedom of thought and action Categorical Imperative: Kantian moral law: according to the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, an unconditional moral law applying...
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...internal consistency as a virtue. One may judge that others “have integrity” to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they clam to hold. As Williams explains, the principal of utility undermines personal integrity. Utilitarianism focuses primarily on describing morally correct action, not necessarily virtue and character. Williams criticizes how utilitarianism specifies more than what it is for an action to be morally correct by specifying how an individual should think about moral decision. For example, individuals should think about which of the actions available would maximize general well-being and decide to act accordingly. Williams explains that utilitarianism recognizes no personal commitments, causes, or any other such related activities and any individual who tried to live as an utilitarian would not be able to live with integrity (Williams 1973). A utilitarian might argue that his identity-conferring commitments, which Williams argues would undermine his personal integrity, would have compliance with utilitarian principals. So, there would be no conflict between his integrity and utilitarianism because the latter would include the former. Ashford believes that a virtue of utilitarianism is that it highlights the threats to our objective integrity given our world of extreme poverty and suffering (Ashford 2000). Any view which...
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...Moral Philosophies Consequentialist theories. The morality (right vs wrong) of an action is judged entirely by its on consequences. Right and wrong are determined by the outcome of an action. “The end justifies the means” -Egoism -Utilitarianism Non consequentialist theories Based on inputs and intentions Actions are intrinsically good or bad by themselves. The right or wrong of these actions is not determined by their consequences. Utilitarianism Actions are judged by how much they benefit the majority. The greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is ethical to make the minority unhappy or suffer to create the greatest good The various ways of defining the greatest good should be taken into consideration. Promulgated by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham Act Utilitarianism Every act has an individual moral obligation. Rule Utilitarianism Apply utilitarianism to a set of rules that will benefit the majority. Kantian Ethics Intention based The categorical Imperative contains three maxims. Universality: You should only do something if you think it would be ok if everyone did it all the time. E.g. cheating in business, if everyone did it the economy would collapse. Every human should be treated as an end not a means to an end: So you can’t manipulate people to achieve an end. Contrasts to consequentialism which is based on ‘the greater good’. Means you cannot lie, (example about com101 being fav class) Act as if you were...
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