Utilitarianism | Ethics Defined

Summary

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory emphasizing the greatest good for the greatest number, making it a consequentialist approach to morality. It's often used in business for cost-benefit analysis and can justify military force. However, its inability to predict outcomes and challenges with values like justice and individual rights, such as the hypothetical organ transplant dilemma, highlight its limitations as a solely reason-based ethical framework.

Takeaways

• 📚 Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that judges actions based on their outcomes, aiming for the greatest good for the greatest number.
• 🔍 It is a form of consequentialism, where the consequences of an action determine its moral value.
• 🏆 Utilitarianism is often used to justify actions like military force or war, as it can be argued that these actions may produce the greatest good.
• 💼 It is also common in business for moral reasoning, especially in evaluating costs and benefits.
• 🔮 One limitation of utilitarianism is the difficulty in predicting the exact consequences of actions, which introduces uncertainty in moral judgments.
• 🤔 Utilitarianism struggles with incorporating values such as justice and individual rights, which may not always align with the greatest good for the greatest number.
• 🏥 A hypothetical scenario in the script involves a hospital with organ transplant needs, illustrating the conflict between utilitarian ethics and individual rights.
• 🚫 The script suggests that utilitarianism might justify harvesting organs from a healthy individual to save multiple lives, an action that many would find ethically unacceptable.
• 🤝 Despite its limitations, utilitarianism is considered a reason-based approach to ethics, focusing on outcomes rather than intentions or rules.
• 📉 The theory's challenges highlight the complexity of ethical decision-making and the need to consider multiple perspectives when evaluating the rightness or wrongness of actions.
• 🔄 The script concludes that while utilitarianism has its merits, it is not without its flaws and requires careful consideration of its implications.

Q & A

What is Utilitarianism?

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions based on their outcomes, aiming to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

How is Utilitarianism related to consequentialism?

Utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism, which means it focuses on the consequences of actions to determine their moral value.

What does Utilitarianism propose as the most ethical choice?

Utilitarianism posits that the most ethical choice is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being for the largest number of people.

Why is Utilitarianism considered a justifiable framework for military force or war?

Utilitarianism can justify military force or war if it is deemed that such actions will result in a greater good, such as preventing larger scale conflicts or protecting a larger population.

How is Utilitarianism commonly applied in business?

In business, Utilitarianism is often used to weigh the costs and benefits of decisions, aiming to maximize profits and positive outcomes for stakeholders.

What is a major limitation of Utilitarianism when predicting outcomes?

A major limitation of Utilitarianism is the difficulty in predicting the future consequences of actions with certainty, which can affect the ethical assessment of those actions.

How does Utilitarianism handle values such as justice and individual rights?

Utilitarianism may struggle to account for values like justice and individual rights, as it prioritizes the overall good over individual interests or rights.

Can you provide an example from the script that illustrates a conflict with Utilitarianism?

The script provides an example of a hospital scenario where harvesting organs from a healthy person to save four others could be seen as maximizing good, but raises ethical concerns about individual rights and justice.

What is the ethical dilemma presented in the hospital scenario?

The ethical dilemma is whether it is morally acceptable to sacrifice one life to save four by harvesting their organs, which would be considered the greatest good under Utilitarianism but conflicts with the value of individual rights.

How does the hospital scenario challenge the Utilitarian approach?

The hospital scenario challenges Utilitarianism by showing that maximizing overall good does not always align with common moral intuitions about the sanctity of individual life and rights.

What does the script suggest about the limitations of Utilitarianism?

The script suggests that while Utilitarianism is a reason-based approach to ethics, it has limitations in accounting for unpredictable outcomes and certain moral values like justice and individual rights.