Read Chapter 2 and watch Week
3 Lectures. Choose a contemporary moral issue in our society (see below) and
apply the ethical principle of Utilitarianism to approve
this moral issue. You must pick a moral issue that you strongly
support and apply the utilitarian claims (see below) to back up your
arguments. The paper must be done in MLA/APA format with a minimum of 500 words
(quotes are not included in the word count).
*You must apply the Four major points of Utilitarianism (week 3
Lecture) apply Bentham’s Felicific Calculus 9 (see below) and apply the
utilitarian claims.
List of Contemporary Moral Issues
Euthanasia
Gun Control
Infanticide
Child Labor
Gay Marriage
Capital Punishment
Stem Cells
Genocide
War, Terrorism, and
Counterterrorism
Race and Ethnicity
Gender
Transgender using Public
Bathrooms
World Hunger and Poverty
Environmental Ethics
Animal Rights
Animal Testing
Sexual Harassment
Abortion (as a result of
rape, incest, or mother/baby health at risk)
Drug Legalization
Media/Entertainment
Voluntary Prostitution
Forced Prostitution
Health Care Costs
Education Cost
Utilitarian Claims
Utilitarianism: is the ethical doctrine that the moral worth
of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall utility.
It is thus a
form of consequentialism, meaning that the morality of an action is determined
by its outcome
*the ends justify the means.
*Utility: the
good to be maximized
Peter Singer defines it as the satisfaction of
preferences.
* an action may be considered right if it produces the
greatest amount of net benefit and the least loss/cost of any available
alternative action.
* the consequences of a particular action form the
basis for any valid moral judgment about that action.
*morally right action is one that produces a good
outcome, or consequence.
* the good is whatever brings the greatest happiness
to the greatest number of people.
* “the greatest good for the greatest number of
people.
* calculate the utility of an action by adding up all
of the pleasure produced and subtracting from that any pain that might also be
produced by the action.
Utilitarianism approach to morality quantitative and
reductionistic
Utilitarianism can be contrasted with deontological
ethics – focuses on the action itself rather than its consequences
In general use the term utilitarian often refers to a
somewhat narrow economic or pragmatic viewpoint.
Bentham’s Felicific Calculus 9