The Utilitarian Approach
- Utilitarianism is a tradition of ethical philosophy that is associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
- Utilitarianism holds that an action is right if it tends to promote happiness and wrong if it tends to produce sadness.
- Utilitarianism promotes “the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.”
- Utilitarian ethics aims for the betterment of society as a whole.
- Utilitarianism is a reason-based approach to determining right and wrong, but it has limitations.
- Utilitarianism does not account for things like feelings and emotions, culture, or justice.
- Quantitative utilitarianism is a branch of utilitarianism that was developed out of the work of Jeremy Bentham. Quantitative utilitarians focus on utility maximization, that is, maximizing the overall happiness of everyone.
- Qualitative utilitarianism is a branch of utilitarianism that arose from the work of John Stuart Mill. Qualitative utilitarians categorize pleasures and pains depending on the level of their consequences, and disregard any quantifiable proof of their importance.
- To analyze an issue using the utilitarian approach, we first identify the various courses of action available to us. Second, we ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived from each. And third, we choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. The ethical action is the one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.
Example
- In public administration, a utilitarian approach might involve Authorities choosing to repair a deteriorating road in a densely populated area over building a park in a less populated area. The decision is based on benefiting the greatest number of people – more residents would benefit from the road repair than from the new park.
The Rights Approach
- In the ‘Rights’ approach , the rights of the people affected by our actions/behaviour are taken into consideration when determining what is ethical.
- Unlike Utilitarianism, Rights theory is focused on an individual’s rights, not the betterment of society.
- Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals; the more serious the violation, the more wrongful the action.
- If we choose not to do something because it would infringe on another person’s ‘rights’, this would be an ethical act.
- Conversely, by ignoring people’s rights and behaving in ways which are contradictory to them we are behaving unethically.
Example
- In the context of public health, a government’s decision to provide free healthcare to all citizens can be seen as an application of the Rights Approach. This policy respects and protects the individual’s right to health and life, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their financial status, has access to necessary healthcare services.
The Fairness or Justice Approach
- The fairness or justice approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said that “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.”
- We use this idea to say that ethical actions treat all human beings equally-or if unequally, then fairly based on some standard that is defensible.
- This approach looks at the problem from the point of view of the people who will be affected by the decision.
Types of justice
- Distributive justice: It deals with determining the distribution of resources.
- Procedural justice : Procedural justice is an approach to justice that emphasizes that a fair and unbiased procedure must be followed when serving justice to perpetrators.
- Retributive justice: It deals with looking at the wellbeing of society by implementing punishments for wrongdoings.
- Restorative justice :It deals with restoring relations based on rightness.
Example
- A government’s policy to provide equal educational opportunities to all children, regardless of their socio-economic background, can be seen as an application of the Justice Approach. This policy ensures that every child, irrespective of their family’s financial status or social standing, has access to quality education.
The Common Good Approach
- This approach to ethics assumes a society comprising individuals whose own good is inextricably linked to the good of the community.
- In this approach, we focus on ensuring that the social policies, social systems, institutions, and environments on which we depend are beneficial to all.
- Examples of goods common to all include affordable health care, effective public safety, peace among nations, a just legal system, and an unpolluted environment.
- Here, “What is ethical is what advances the common good”
Example
- Laws and regulations that protect the environment, such as restrictions on pollution or initiatives for conservation of natural resources, benefit everyone by ensuring a sustainable and livable world.
The Virtue Approach
- The virtue approach to ethics assumes that there are certain ideals that provide for the full development of our humanity,toward which we should strive.
- Virtues are attitudes or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop our highest potential.
- Virtues are like habits; that is, once acquired, they become characteristic of a person.
- A person who has developed virtues will be naturally disposed to act in ways consistent with moral principles. The virtuous person is the ethical person.
Example
- Consider a public official who is responsible for awarding a government contract. Several companies have submitted bids, and one of them is owned by the official’s close friend. The official might be tempted to award the contract to their friend’s company.However, if the official adheres to the virtue approach, he/she would prioritize virtues such as honesty, fairness, and integrity.This means they would objectively evaluate all bids and award the contract based on merit, rather than personal relationships.
Reference
- Lexicon
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/utilitarianism.asp#toc-the-limitations-of-utilitarianism
- https://ethicallyphilosophical.wordpress.com/2018/05/03/five-basic-approaches-to-ethical-decision-making/
Previous Year Question
What do you understand by utilitarianism? Illustrate with examples the grounds on which it has been criticized.