Utilitarianism strives to acquire an alternative/answer to the question, “what should a man do?” it mainly guides an individual to act according to the best scenario which will bring a positive outcome. In this scenario, faced with a double dilemma, my actions would be justifiable. According to this theory, an action is right if the end results lead to happiness. In this case my actions led to the general good of everyone despite the unscrupulous means to achieve the desired end. It differs from ordinary ethical theories in that the wrongness or rightness of an act depends solely on the motive of the individual; for, it is possible for a right decision to come out of a bad motive.
The only thing that would have been wrong was for me to fail the paper in the impression that I was doing the “right thing”. This is because, it suggests that when we make decisions we should balance economic welfare, social equity and health. This should be taken into account not only in the present, but in the future long run. This is because the future is increasingly becoming complex day by day for us to not worry over. Our actions are supposed to first consider the other human being. Mill continues to argue that:
shall be a feeling of duty; on the contrary, ninety-nine hundredths of all our
Actions are done from other motives, and rightly so the motive has nothing to do with the morality of the action the great majority of good actions are
Intended not for the benefit of the world, but for that of individuals, of which
The good of the world is made up.” (quoted in utilitarianism, www.csu.edu)
I agree, the wide spread action of lying would have dire consequences that would cause untrustworthiness and a decrease in standards in most professions, but an occasional lie to avoid missing an opportunity to avoid poverty and suffering would not create happiness in the end. In addition, the units of pleasure achieved by the action were overly good as compared to the damage that the pain units would affect everyone. Furthermore, it is permitted for a particular act on a specific occasion that a rule be judged as wrong or right depending on the general practice.
It is also a golden rule that the value of a life is more valuable than the balance between pleasure and pain. Another also states that, the ending of suffering should come first over any other act that may seem fit to be carried out. In conclusion, the central most important perception of utilitarianism is an individual ought to encourage pleasure and prevent suffering when the situation presents itself, because, it is in our genetics and moral standing to eliminate displeasure. It does not matter whether what we do is morally right or in some cases abides with the law.
