Essays24.com - Term Papers and Free Essays
Search

Philosophy Case

Essay by   •  November 21, 2011  •  876 Words (4 Pages)  •  1,052 Views

Essay Preview: Philosophy Case

Report this essay
Page 1 of 4

Name:

Course:

Instructor:

Date:

Philosophy

Question 1

The "Greatest happiness principle" according to John Stuart Mills asserts that, actions are right in proportion as they be liable to uphold happiness; wrong as they tend to create the contradictory of happiness. By happiness are anticipated pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the deprivation of pleasure (Mills 7). This principle can be used to set rules by being used as a system of ethics of choosing one best option for the best interest of an individual or community. This is because, the theory is of the view that certain pleasures have an essential worth which renders them greater to others. On this, it can be used to decide between conflicting rules. The statement "its better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied" means that, there are some human beings who would quit human for degrading pleasures. This is despite the fact that a being of higher faculties requires a lot to make him contented, is possibly more prone to pain than one of interior type. On other fronts, he can never desire to descend into what he feels to be of small position of survival. The statement that people have to be like "disinterested and benevolent spectators to happiness" means that, they should be impartial between their own happiness and that of others (Mills 18). Internal sanctions, comes from one's principles; these consist of feelings in one's mind that generate uneasiness when one violates obligation. These feelings can sway actions; if one's moral character has been adequately refined.

Question 2

Mills version of utilitarianism is that, the morality of actions depends on the consequences which they tend to produce. It directs people to be fretful for the good of the whole, and to recognize their welfare with the good of the whole. It leads people to discover the full variety of penalties of actions and encourages them that the tough trade-offs amid diverse kinds of value can be gently achieved. Act utilitarianism" controls the deliberating means to evaluate the penalty simply of the person act in question. "Rule utilitarianism" controls the cause to act according to system such that, if everybody acted on them, contentment would be increased. The common dilemma with rule utilitarianism is that it ostensibly collapses into act utilitarianism, so there is no eventual difference between the two. Mill would in this case not agree with the law that punishes people for smoking because the principle of utility should be used to validate midway rules which in turn are used to ethically assess people's actions (Mills 24).

Question 3

Utilitarianism approach to morality depicts that, no moral action like stealing or a rule is inherently bad or good. The correctness or injustice of a rule or action is exclusively a subject of generally non moral good fashioned in the consequences of performing or following that rule. Morality in this case is a means to an end and not an end to itself. Deontological principles assert that, duty should be performed for duty's sake. The length to which an act or rule is wrong or right is, at least in component,

...

...

Download as:   txt (5.2 Kb)   pdf (79.4 Kb)   docx (10.6 Kb)  
Continue for 3 more pages »
Only available on Essays24.com