Utilitiarianism Essay
This is a short sample from our Ethics Notes collection which contains 31 pages of notes in total. If you find this useful you might like to consider purchasing our Ethics Notes.
| Pages In Full Document | 6 |
| Category: | Philosophy Notes |
| Original Document File Type: | Word (Docx) (Conversion to PDF is available post purchase if required) |
| Price: | Part of a package Ethics Notes containing 5 other documents which retails for £24.99. |
The original file is a 'Word (Docx)' whilst this sample is a 'PDF' representation of said file. This means that the formatting here may have errors. The original document you'll receive on purchase should have more polished formatting.
Utilitiarianism Essay Revision
The following is a plain text extract of the PDF sample above, taken from our Ethics Notes. This text version has had its formatting removed so pay attention to its contents alone rather than its presentation. The version you download will have its original formatting intact and so will be much prettier to look at.1
Week 3 Ethics essay: How telling is the integrity objection to Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism, broadly defined, is the belief that the most moral action or rule to follow is that which will cause the outcome with the greatest good (though 'good' may be understood in different ways). For its proponents, utilitarianism is a solid ethical system because it most accurately correlates with our intuition that what is moral is that which increases the total good in the world. For its critics, utilitarianism is fundamentally flawed because it conflicts with our moral motivations. This essay considers one of the strongest objections to utilitarianism, called the 'integrity objection,' and will conclude that the objection ultimately fails, but is telling in its illustration of how philosophers have sought to rationalise their unwillingness to come to terms with the demands of utilitarianism.
The integrity objection can be expressed as follows:
1. All people have 'ground projects'; things that shape and give meaning to their lives.
(Williams, 1, p5) 2. Knowingly undermining or ignoring these 'ground projects' requires people to violate their
own integrity, and compromise the essence of their humanity. 3. Utilitarianism (at least in its most common forms) is so demanding that it would force
people to ignore their 'ground projects', and violate their integrity. (Williams, 1, p14) 4. A moral system that forces people to violate their integrity should not be accepted.
Therefore Utilitarianism (at least in its most common forms) should not be accepted.
By examining each of the premises upon which this argument is built, I will explore its strengths and weaknesses. The first premise requires explanation - what even is a ground project?
Williams, the chief proponent of the integrity objection, defines it very loosely, and it is worth quoting at length:
''the obvious kinds of desires for things for oneself, one's family, one's friends, including
the basic necesstieis of life, and in more relaxed circumstances, objects of taste. Or there
may be pursuits and interests of an intellectual, cultural or creative character... Beyond
****************************End Of Sample*****************************
Buy the full version of these notes and essays alongside much more in our Ethics Notes.