James Rachels – The Debate over Utilitarianism
February 26, 2010
ayamiz
Tags: debate over utilitarianism
Quote: “Happiness is not something that is recognized as good and sought for its own sake, with other things appreciated only as means of bringing it about. Instead, happiness is a response we have to the attainment of things that we recognize as goods, independently and in their own right.”
What I expect to learn: I expect to learn the factors why utilitarianism is subjected to debates.
Review:
The theory of utilitarianism focuses on happiness as being desirable and according to Rachels, it can be divided into to three parts to further summarize this. First, actions are judged based on the virtue of their consequences, whether it is right or wrong. Those who results from the best consequence can be considered as the right one. Second, the amount of happiness or unhappiness is what really matters in assessing consequences. He also said that the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness is the right action. Lastly, in measuring one’s happiness or unhappiness is no more important than the other person’s happiness. There are many flaws with utilitarianism, which some I see is incorporating morality with it. According to utilitarian’s view that what is good is one thing only and that is happiness. Whenever we have something that we value the most, such as friends, achievements and talents, we became happy. Having friends with you, who you know you can trust the most, and who are really true makes you happy. Good is equals to happiness and you are happy, because you know that they are good, contrary to what hedonistic believes that you are think that they are good because they make you happy. Hedonistic view of happiness is contrary to what happiness is really is. Happiness is achieved when we attained goods and everything around is in their own right. Happiness have many forms and whether you are young or old, no matter what your race is, you recognize happiness for what you see it.
What I learned:
- Happiness is something wherein people recognize the importance of something for what it is.
- Hedonistic view
- There are many factors wherein you can say something is good or bad.
Integrative Questions:
- Why is utilitarianism debated?
- When can you say something as good or bad in utilitarianism’s point of view?
- What are some of the flaws of utilitarianism?
- How can happiness be measured?
- Should utilitarianism be abolished? Why or why not?
Entry Filed under: Contemporary Moral Problems
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