What are your thoughts about these?

Choose one 1 of the following questions and give your best effort in answering.

1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of a utilitarian moral approach?

2. How can we improve on Mill's argument for the greatest happiness principle?

3. Is torturing a terrorist to elicit information that would save millions of lives morally justified?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a utilitarian moral approach?

Utilitarianism is a moral theory that has been around for centuries that argues that the best
action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure. This concept can be applied to a variety
of ethical questions, such as medical decision-making or public policy. When implementing utilitarianism,
it is important to consider the consequences of actions and choose the one that results in the greatest
benefit for the most people.

Since the concepts are appropriate and necessary, they only make logical sense and are thus
applicable to everyday life, where they impact today's society. Its core principles suggest that the best
action in any given situation is the one that provides the greatest overall good for the greatest number of
individuals. This can be applied to many different scenarios, including ethical dilemmas in the workplace
or larger societal issues such as environmental protection. By considering the consequences of actions
on a larger scale, utilitarianism offers a framework for decision-making that takes into account the well-
being of all involved parties. Utilitarianism places a greater emphasis on the democratic system for
forward movement, incorporating universal ethics and allowing people to determine their moral values.

Although utilitarianism is often praised for its ability to create a society that benefits all of its
members, there are several weaknesses to this theory. First of all, it disregards other principles that
assist a minority group in society. Second, it only values happiness in a limited sense; it ignores many of
our life experiences and gives society an unrealistic viewpoint. Further, this theory might be criticized as
it promotes swine ethics, the idea that unacceptable and socially undesirable actions can be justified as
good deeds if they are carried out by the majority. The assumption that what benefits people is ethically
acceptable is likewise unreasonable since proponents do not present evidence to support this claim.
Thus, we see it as an assumption that cannot be applied in all instances.

Utilitarianism holds that the things that make a greater percentage of people happy are what are
good. This theory has both advantages and disadvantages, but the disadvantages outweigh the
advantages because it does not adequately explain most occurrences and leaves numerous open-ended
problems. Furthermore, it gives little thought to how members of minority groups fit into that society
given that they must persuade others to be content or allow themselves to be compromised for the
greater good.