Utilitarianism

Definition

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that holds the view that the morally right course of action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people. It focuses on the consequences of our actions, seeking to promote the greatest good for the greatest number.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Utilitarianism is concerned with promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of people, rather than focusing on individual rights or duties.
2. Utilitarianism judges the morality of an action based on its consequences, rather than the inherent rightness or wrongness of the action itself.
3. Utilitarianism can be applied to business ethics by considering the impact of business decisions on the well-being of stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the community.
4. Utilitarianism can come into conflict with other ethical frameworks, such as deontology, which focuses on the inherent rights and duties of individuals.
5. Critiques of utilitarianism include the difficulty of quantifying and comparing different types of happiness or well-being, as well as the potential for utilitarian reasoning to justify actions that violate individual rights.

Review Questions

• Explain how the principle of utilitarianism can be applied in the context of being a professional of integrity.
  • As a professional of integrity, one could apply the utilitarian principle by considering how their actions and decisions would impact the overall well-being and happiness of their stakeholders, including clients, colleagues, and the broader community. A utilitarian approach would seek to maximize the positive outcomes and minimize the negative consequences of professional conduct, with the goal of promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of people affected by the professional's work.
• Discuss how the utilitarian framework could be used to evaluate the ethics and profitability of business decisions.
  • From a utilitarian perspective, business decisions should be evaluated based on their impact on the overall well-being and happiness of stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the broader community. This could involve considering factors such as the impact on job creation, product affordability, environmental sustainability, and community development. While profitability is important, a utilitarian approach would seek to balance financial considerations with the promotion of the greatest good for the greatest number of people affected by the business.
• Analyze how the utilitarian principle of the 'greatest good for the greatest number' compares to the virtue ethics frameworks of East and West, and how this comparison could inform ethical decision-making in the business context.
  • Utilitarianism's focus on maximizing overall happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people contrasts with the virtue ethics frameworks of East and West, which emphasize the cultivation of moral character and the adherence to virtuous principles. While utilitarianism is concerned with the consequences of actions, virtue ethics is more focused on the inherent rightness or wrongness of the actions themselves. In the business context, a balanced approach that considers both the utilitarian and virtue ethics perspectives could lead to more holistic and ethical decision-making. For example, a business decision that maximizes profits but harms the environment or exploits workers would be difficult to justify from a utilitarian standpoint, even if it aligns with certain Western or Eastern virtues.

Related terms

Consequentialism:

The ethical theory that the consequences of one's actions are the ultimate basis for judgments about the morality of those actions.

Hedonism:

The view that pleasure is the only intrinsic good and that the morally right action is the one that produces the greatest amount of pleasure.

Egoism:

The ethical theory that an individual should act to maximize their own self-interest, even at the expense of others.