blog




  • Essay / Criticism of rule and action utilitarianism - 1170

    “Utilitarianism is the view that the supreme principle of morality is to act in such a way as to produce as much happiness as possible, with each person counting also” (Mill, 114). By “happiness” it includes anything pleasant and free from pain. Simply put, utilitarianism is the theory that an action is right, as long as it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people (Peetush). The central point of this theory is that one must consider all the consequences before doing anything. There are two classic forms of utilitarianism; the utilitarianism of rules and the utilitarianism of actions. “Rule utilitarianism is the idea according to which an act is right if and only if it is required by a rule which is itself a member of a set of rules whose acceptance would lead to greater utility for the society than any available alternative” (Pojman, 127). Take for example stopping at a red light. According to rule utilitarianism, stopping at a red light is an act required by a rule, in this case the law, which would also lead to greater utility for society because it avoids accidents and waiting in traffic jams, delays, etc. On the other hand, act utilitarianism assumes “that an act is right if and only if it produces as much good as any available alternative” (Pojman, 126). Rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism have been criticized from several different aspects. It has been said that “the rule of act utilitarianism, which is to perform the act that maximizes utility, is too general for most purposes” (Pojman, 127). At the same time, “an often debated question in ethics is whether rule utilitarianism is a coherent version of utilitarianism” (Pojman, 127). The aim of this article will be to demonstrate how arguments for utilitarianism are not...... middle of article ...... patible because utilitarians then view grossly unjust acts as morally right, which is not the case. In conclusion, after considering the objections and examining each point of the utilitarian methodology, it is safe to say that the arguments in favor of it are not very strong. “[Utilitarianism] follows from the preceding considerations that there is in reality nothing desired except happiness” (Mill, 115). However, it is difficult to define happiness, which makes the approach even more difficult to follow. In total, the main reasons for rejecting utilitarianism are as follows: utilitarianism is not always feasible, it only takes into account final goals, conflicts with the integrity of the individual and is incompatible with justice. For these reasons, individuals should urge utilitarians to reject the idea that all actions are good as long as they are for the common good..