What is utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism, also referred to as the greatest happiness principle, is defined as the principle that human beings should base their actions depending on the consequences of those actions. The consequence-oriented variety theory claims that people should perform acts that make them happier, or make them less unhappy. People at different ages have varying rules. The weight of every action is determined by the nature of consequence and the mounting pressure it impacts to the society. Utilitarianism falls under two categories, the classic utilitarianism and the rule utilitarianism. The classic utilitarianism defines a right act as the one that maximizes the utility for most of society members. This type seeks to find the best alternative giving each a score based on the utility an act can produce. The rule utilitarianism argues that there is s difference between pleasures. Nobody has the right to violate a human right even if it makes the whole society happy and maximizes utility (Scarre 48-50).
The ethical principles of utilitarianism
The greatest principle of utilitarianism is the principle of happiness which suggests that an action is ethical if it maximizes the general utility. Each individual’s happiness plays a vital role in everyday life. This principle ensures people have pleasure in absence of pain and suffering.
The second ethical principle of utilitarianism is Bentham’s principle of Utility that recognizes the essential role of pleasure and pain in people’s life. In addition, this theory approves of disapproves an action on the basis of the amount of pain or happiness it brings to a person. Mentham equates pleasure with good and pain with evil while analyzing the level of happiness on people. He measures pain and pleasure in terms of intensity, certainty, and duration (Bentham & Laurence 33). The ethical principle of utilitarianism applies to either particular actions or general rules. These are the two categories of utilitarianism discussed above.
Cited work
Bentham, Jeremy, and Laurence J. Lafleur. An introduction to the principles of morals and
Legislation; New York: Hafner Pub. Co., 1948. Print.
Scarre, G. Utalitarianism. Routledge, 2002.
