Principle of Utility
The principle of utility represents behaviors or actions that are either approved or discredited as per the degree of their benefit. It is one of the major theological principles related to hedonism. The author John Stuart Mill developed this phenomenon back in the 19th century, in the era of philosophical changes (White, 2011). His works were aimed at those who anticipated to maximize felicity and make global changes. In other words, this tenet assumes that actions are right to the extent that they bring happiness and pleasure and wrong if they lead to pain and suffering.
Considering the abovementioned, people are morally obliged to act off benevolent intentions in order for the principle to work positively. It means that the utilitarian would perform any action based on the benefit they bring to mankind. The major advantage is that it promotes impartiality and claims that any person’s happiness is crucial (White, 2011). By stating this, the principle eliminates any social, racial, cultural, and other differences. Utilitarianism and its tenets relate to maximizing social goods, yet they do not deny wrongdoings. It does not impose any moral limits on a human; however, it prioritizes beneficial actions and states their positive influence on society.
Higher and Lower Pleasures
Pleasure is a feeling of joy and contentment from pleasant sensations or experiences. Philosophers tend to differentiate between higher and lower pleasures, but while some immense state differences, others claim them identical phenomena. Higher ones can be attributed to spiritual ones; for instance, these are the experience of a certain kind of freedom, self-sufficiency, and immortality (White, 2011). They are chosen among other pleasures even if one has a concurring feeling of discomfort. An intelligent individual would always select a higher quality of pleasure over bodily impulses. Only sagacious humans can have access to spiritual pleasures for they time and finance consuming. Thus, such a choice makes educated people suffer more in life than those who are guided by lower pleasures.
On the other hand, lower pleasures are the result of physical desires. They make a person related to representatives of the animal world. Feeling of satiety, beauty, health, strength, and procreation are among them. A human with low moral standards sticks to the physical pleasures and barely takes into account the spiritual ones, thereby limiting their perspective on life (White, 2011). Some individuals can hardly make ends meet, forcing them to fulfill only their bodily needs, and they do not have access to higher pleasures. However, the philosophers claimed them to be uneducated due to poor inclinations and unwillingness to act differently. Yet, both phenomena presume the idea of contentment which makes them similar.
Mill’s Empirical Method
Empirical research is targeted directly at the object of science since it is given through observation and experiment. In other word, it is a study based on practical interventions that allow for qualitative or quantitative description of a phenomenon. Mill’s method can be considered empirical, for he claims the information can only be obtained by observation. He also emphasized that all his principles are based on observations, which makes him a representative of radical empiricists.
The method of agreement, one of the most prominent methods of Mill, is based on observational techniques. For instance, when students get three A’s and one C, they tend to focus more on the positive grades and consider the results rather satisfactory. Thus, observing how two or more benevolent phenomena obscure less favorable ones, Mill developed his method (White, 2011). Mill’s casual reasoning is also attributed to the empirical methods because he studied how one action is dependent on another. For example, the flor has just been washed and a man slipped breaking a leg; broken leg becomes the consequence of wet floor.
The golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth
The golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth incorporates ethical tenets of utility. Jesus advised humans to love a neighbor just as one loves themselves. Meanwhile, the utilitarianists promoted the idea of living peacefully within a society where everyone attempts to maximize positive intentions for the common good (White, 2011). Jesus’ statement is vividly represented in utilitarianism as its major principle of utility calls for benefiting one another. Both assumptions aim to increase the common good by doing mutual favor.
Nonetheless, utilitarianists do not reject the adverse outcomes of one’s actions and do not consider theological dogmas. Once a person commits a crime, they could be incarcerated or executed according to utilitarian principles. However, as per the golden rule, one would have to bear responsibility and beg God for forgiveness. In general, the moral dilemmas both assumptions solve is the one related to how people lead their lives and what they expect to receive.
Discrimination in the workplace
Discrimination in the workplace is one of the most acute ethical dilemmas in numerous countries. People of opposing sexes, races, and socioeconomic statuses tend to be disregarded and even harassed at work due to human’s inability to accept one having different features. As per the utilitarian principles, a company would have to emphasize the importance of each worker regardless of sex, age, race, social status, and other determinants. It presumes that an organization should allocate positions equally among the specified groups in order to reach equality. In addition, it must develop campaigns aimed at fighting inequity to express its impartial perspective. Caring for others is a major tenet of utilitarian ethics which makes people more susceptible to the others’ issues. It implies that colleagues should support each other and recognize if someone is discriminated against. These simple steps can help maintain a trustful relationship within the company and boost its reputation.
Reference
White, J. (2011). Contemporary moral problems. Cengage Learning.