Ethics: Utilitarianism Essay

The theory layab come in utilitarianism is that ones actions are right if it heightens happiness or recreation and wrong if it does not promote happiness or pastime. The main blot to this theory is the principle of utility that states according to which actions should be chosen that consume about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of great deal. (Palmer) Jeremy Bentham gave fundamentally utilitarianism its name and brought more attention to it than those before him.Bentham came up with a fly the coop named the calculus of felicity that included seven categories for choosing among different possible activities to promote ones happiness or pleasures. John Stuart mill, also an utilitarian, added to Benthams calculus because he did not fully agree with everything it stood for. Bernard Williams argued that utilitarianism is not a good moral theory and that it violates moral integrity. In this paper I will explain Benthams calculus of felicity, Mills increa se 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 in all likelihood to be. The second is duration. Duration refers to the question of how long the pleasures are to last. The 3rd is certainty. The question of certainty is how certain are the pleasures. The fourth is propinquity which refers to how presently will the pleasures be available. Number five on the calculus is fecundity. birth rate wants one to think about how many more pleasures will engage in their wake. Number six is purity.Purity wants one to question how imp everyplaceished from pain are the pleasures. Lastly, number seven is extent. Extent questions how many people will receive pleasure and be affected by your acts. mill understood Benthams theory to be quantitative with a mathematical analysis. Mills preferred to think of utilitarianism as a qualitative analysis. Mills believed in different type s of pleasures. Pleasures of the body and pleasures of the principal. Mills considered the quantitative analysis to effectuate the lower desires, or the basic human desires. The higher desires are the ones transaction with quality.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 sense than that of pleasing our bodies. An example of this is giving someone a choice 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 reduction in beer over Shakespeare. This would not be Mills choice and he would think this as humans satisfying his or her lower quality pleasures.Williams believes that utilitarianism closes are not based on any kind of moral ground and looks out for ones self interest only. Williams believes in a deeper content to things based on morals for not only oneself but of otherwises also. Williams gives a story in his writing of a man named George. George has been offered a business line in a laboratory in which the investigate is in chemic and biological warfare. George refuses the job because he is opposed to biological nd chemic warfare. The man offering the job doesnt understand Georges decision because George has a wife and kids at home to support.The utilitarianist would agree 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 devotion which for some others makes a difference to what they feel about such cases a consideration involving the idea, as we might first and very simply mold it, that each of us is specially r esponsible 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 pulverize 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 give the sack appreciate the views of Bentham, Mills and Williams theories, but I personally agree 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 dismantle how much pleasure, for how long, and so on does not take into consideration the chemical element 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.