This section contains 923 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
Bernard Williams and Utilitarianism
Summary: This essay identifies the ideals of utilitarianism and discusses the problems that a certain philosopher finds with utilitarian ethics.
The utilitarian faces many problems because he loses any ability to live a personal life. By this is meant that in making decisions the utilitarian must consider the steps which lead to the highest level of goodness in society. The utilitarian reaches for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Two main aspects dominate the light of utilitarian beliefs. The consequentialist principle explains that in determining the rightness or wrongness of an act one must examine the results that will follow. The utility principle is that you can only deem something to be good if it in itself will bring upon a specific desired state, such as happiness or fulfillment. There are two types of utilitarians: Act utilitarians and Rule utilitarians. An act utilitarian believes that a person must think things through before making a decision. The only exception to this idea applies with rules of...
This section contains 923 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |