Evaluating utilitarianism “The priority of moral theories should be to treat every individual equally and fairly.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Be ready to justify your answer. If you disagree, what do you think the priority of moral theories should be?

Strengths of utilitarianism It’s reasonable to link morality with the pursuit of happiness and the avoidance of pain and misery; a popular notion. 2. It’s natural to consider the consequences of our action when deciding what to do. 3. It offers a balanced democratic morality that promotes general happiness and opposes individual pursuits which are at the expense of the majority. 4. It’s a common-sense system which is practically applicable to real-life situations and doesn’t require special wisdom. 5. It is a working morality that can be applied in the organisational, rather than just individual matters. E.g hospital’s budget used to help alleviate the suffering of many

Weaknesses of utilitarianism It relies of knowledge of consequences, but predictions may be mistaken or not apparent until years into the future. 2. It’s difficult to quantify pleasure. The hedonic calculus’ criteria seems easy to use, but there is an imbalance of measure. Can the pleasure of seeing a child grow into an adult be compared with eating a chocolate bar? 3. Some pain is good for us and some pleasure may be bad. When we hurt ourselves, pain is a reminder we have the injury and to take care. 4. The problem of justice: it doesn’t set out how that pleasure is distributed. The most people receive pleasure, but what of the minorities? Should the one boy who is tortured by five bullies have his pleasure sacrificed for the greater benefit of theirs? 5. It fails to consider different views on what happiness is. There is common agreement about what brings pleasure and pain. Yet, people have different tastes in art, music & literature. What of people who get pleasure from experiencing pain?

Conclusion: Despite the weaknesses, utilitarianism has proved popular and useful in the centuries since its original formation. Modern developments of the theory by scholars like Peter Singer have modified utilitarianism by suggestion our ethical decisions should benefit the best interests of those affected, rather than simply pleasure, and that no individual’s interests can be considered more valuable than another’s interests. The modern variations of the theory do not address all the criticisms. Justice and minority issues with human rights abuses raise grave concerns with adopting a utilitarian stance. However, utilitarianism will remain a persuasive ethical theory with its practical application, providing organisations with clear-cut systems for making moral-decisions.