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Philosophy Of Utilitarianism

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Initially, when one thinks about ethics, they think about what’s right and wrong. Little do they know the field of ethics is much more vast than simply stating rights and wrongs. Today, there are three schools of thought (or of ethics); Utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Each school has their own “rules” and beliefs and each are intriguing. Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of one’s actions. Therefore, utilitarianism asks one to beg the question; Will the action lead to happiness, pleasure, or something horrible? Above all, will the action you choose do the greatest good for the greatest amount of people? Not only are consequences considered, one’s duty is considered as well, The school of thought that focuses on completing …show more content…

The theory that I relate to the most is virtue ethics. I like that it focuses on simply being a good person. However, I do not like the fact that it does not ask the question of what one should do. Although it encompasses doing the right thing out of being a virtuous person, refuting this question seems inconsistent. Since I prefer this school of ethics, I have very few dislikes. The next school I will address is Utilitarianism. I do like the fact that it asks one to think of the consequences of their actions. What I do not like is one of the theorists of this school. I do not like Bentum’s idea of pleasure, such as gorging oneself with food and then purging to continue to gorge oneself. I do believe that life is short and you should live in the moment, but not to that extent. On the other hand, I do like Mill’s idea of choosing actions that are most likely to produce the most happiness. The last school I will address is deontology. I do like how it addresses that we should not treat others like a means to an end. I think we should never lose sight that everyone is human and should be treated as such. What I do not like is that the main concept is doing one’s duty. I believe that a lot of actions should not be made from duty alone. A lot of situations are much more abstract and should be given more thought about what to do, not simply acting on one’s

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