Ethics: Utilitarianism Essay

The theory behind utilitarianism is that ones actions argon mediocreifiedly if it promotes happiness or pleasure and wrong if it does not promote happiness or pleasure. The main height to this theory is the principle of utility that states according to which actions should be chosen that bring ab bring out the greatest come of happiness for the greatest number of people. (Palmer) Jeremy Bentham gave essentially utilitarianism its name and brought more attention to it than those before him.Bentham came up with a guide named the calculus of gladness that included seven categories for choosing among different possible activities to promote ones happiness or pleasures. John Stuart mill about, also an utilitarian, added to Benthams calculus because he did not fully mark with everything it stood for. Bernard Williams argued that utilitarianism is not a good moral theory and that it violates moral single. In this paper I pass on explain Benthams calculus of felicity, Mills additio n to the calculus, and Williams thoughts against utilitarianism.The first category of the calculus of felicity is intensity which asked how intense are the pleasures likely to be. The second is duration. Duration refers to the question of how long the pleasures are to last. The one-third is certainty. The question of certainty is how certain are the pleasures. The fourth is propinquity which refers to how soon volition the pleasures be available. derive five on the calculus is fecundity. Fecundity wants one to think about how many more pleasures will follow in their wake. Number six is purity.Purity wants one to question how free from pain are the pleasures. Lastly, number seven is extent. Extent questions how many people will receive pleasure and be modify by your acts. mill about understood Benthams theory to be quantitative with a numerical analysis. mill around preferred to think of utilitarianism as a qualitative analysis. Mills believed in different types of pleasures. P leasures of the body and pleasures of the mind. Mills considered the quantitative analysis to fulfill the lower desires, or the basic human desires. The higher desires are the ones traffic with fictitious character.Mills theory suggests that the lower quality pleasures are those of the body and the pleasures of the mind are the higher quality pleasures. Mills thought higher of the pleasures of intellect than that of pleasing our bodies. An example of this is giving someone a prime(a) of having the price of beer reduced or continue paying to keep teachings of Shakespeare in schools. I believe Mills concern was that some people would most likely choose taking a price decrease in beer over Shakespeare. This would not be Mills choice and he would think this as man satisfying his or her lower quality pleasures.Williams believes that utilitarianism decisions are not based on any loving of moral ground and looks out for ones self interest only. Williams believes in a deeper moment t o things based on morals for not only oneself but of others also. Williams gives a story in his piece of writing of a man named George. George has been offered a job in a laboratory in which the research is in chemical and biological warfare. George refuses the job because he is opposed to biological nd chemical warfare. The man offer the job doesnt under get up Georges decision because George has a wife and kids at home to support.The utilitarianist would chequer that George should take the job. I believe Williams problem with this is the bigger picture that George is opposed to what the company stands for and the research he would be doing could ultimately affect a whole country. As Williams states in his writing, A feature of utilitarianism is that it cuts out a kind of consideration which for some others makes a difference to what they feel about such cases a consideration involving the sentiment, as we might first and very simply put it, that each of us is particularly res ponsible for what he does, rather than for what other people do. (Williams) Integrity is compromised in the utilitarianism choice because it does not stand on a deep moral ideal. The choice to take the job would destroy Georges integrity by holding him responsible for something that he does not do about his opposing feelings and threatening the idea of his boundaries. I can appreciate the views of Bentham, Mills and Williams theories, but I personally play off with Williams concepts the most.I agree with Williams that we as humans should take the whole situation, who it involves currently, and who it will potentially affect in the future. We should not just seek self pleasure. To dissect how much pleasure, for how long, and so on does not take into consideration the calculate of long term effects. As for Mills conclusion that intellectual pleasure is best, that is just his opinion on expanding the mind. It does not give answers to everyday dilemmas.