Act and Rule Utilitarianism Wu Allan PDF

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Name: Allan Wu Date: October 2, 2020 Act Utilitarianism and Rule Utilitarianism Name of Philosophy: Act Utilitarianism The etymology of the word ‘utility’ comes from Latin and old French meaning “the fact of being useful” (Harper). In act-utilitarianism, we are required to promote those acts which will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. The consequences of the act of giving money to charity would be considered right in actutilitarianism, because the money increases the happiness of many people, rather than just yourself (Prevos). Several characterizations of utilitarianism endorse the direct utilitarian claim that an action’s moral status is a function of its utility. Utilitarians are “those who stand up for utility as the test of right and wrong”. Utilitarianism holds “that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness”. It requires that “utility or happiness [be] considered as the directive rule of human conduct” Act utilitarianism is a “standard of what is right in conduct” and utilitarianism is “the doctrine that utility or happiness is the criterion of right and wrong” (Brink). [A] Person's act is morally right if and only if it produces at least as much happiness as any other act that the person could perform at that time (Computernerd and vimaior). Example 1: Masks distributed in response to poor air quality in Portland, Oregon A few weeks ago, a national news channel showed the poor air quality as a result of many forest fires that occurred in States along the West Coast of the United States. In particular, Portland, a city in the State of Oregon had one of the worst air qualities in the world with smog, dust and ash suspended in the air. To facilitate better breathing, health and comfort and perhaps happiness, the government of Oregon took decisive action by distributing many N95 masks to its citizens. Example 2: Honolulu Mayor Acts to Combat the Spread of COVID-19 A few weeks ago, Mayor Kirk Caldwell instituted a 14-day mandatory quarantine for incoming visitors and returning residents as well as a stay-at-home order for existing residents. He did this because he and his administration believed that this strict mandate was in the best interests of public health and safety from the coronavirus. For some individuals with existing health conditions and higher risk factors like advancing age, this decision may prove to be very utilitarian for them because it might save their lives or save a larger number of lives versus if he did not act to declare any mandatory social restrictions. Your opinion on the philosophy I agree with the Act Utilitarianism. Much of my behavior reflects the choices I make throughout the day. Leaders and decision makers from all levels of governance, boards and commissions tend to spend a fair amount of time calculating the results of their act utilitarian decisions. I believe Act Utilitarianism does have a significant influence on the current decision-making processes in U.S. and other Western civilizations. Name of Philosophy 2: Rule Utilitarianism The principle of utility in rule-utilitarianism is to follow those rules which will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Utilitarianism holds that whatever produces the greatest utility (pleasure or any other such value as defined and justified by the utilitarian) is good and that which produces the greatest nett utility, is considered right through rules (Prevos). Action is right as it conforms to a rule that leads to the greatest good, or that "the rightness or wrongness of a particular action is a function of the correctness of the rule of which it is an instance" (Computernerd and vimaior). Rather than looking at the consequences of a particular act, ruleutilitarianism determines the rightness of an act by a different method. First, the best rule of conduct is found. This

is done by finding the value of the consequences of following a particular rule. The rule the following of which has the best overall consequences is the best rule (Rule). Example 1: Declaration of Independence In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson added a very well known and recanted phrase that we have the rights as citizens to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” It really shows what was on the minds of our country’s founders when the document was drafted. From the beginning to this day, the Declaration of Independence has been preserved, influenced and guides the United States of America as a utilitarian society. We value happiness and are taught to equate it to the personal accumulation of wealth and/or land. Example 2: Salvation Rules in the Bible For a particular religious person: “According to Romans {3:23}, “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {3:24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {3:25} Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” In Ephesians {2:8} Paul of Tarsus stated: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast” (The Holy Bible). These verses are a set of utilitarian biblical rules and compliance to them means a person at the moment he or she believes receives grace by faith justified only by way of Jesus’ works of redemption (Jesus’ death on the cross and blood sacrifice) and God accepts this in lieu of payment for the sins of all persons including my own. Your opinion on the philosophy I agree with Rule Utilitarianism. Generally, the rules and laws of my society are setup that they attempt to provide the most good or benefit to the greatest amount of people while minimizing the disadvantages to society as a unified group. This is primarily the realm of lawyers and law makers and they generally create laws and repeal or strike down laws based on utilitarianism. There is a constant review of laws and policies and government has a way of monitoring the performance of these laws and rules after the establishment to make adjustments as necessary and eventually find the best rules that results in the best social outcomes and greater good. Works Cited Brink, David. “Mill’s Moral and Political Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 21 August 2018. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/#ActUti Computernerd and vimaior. “What is the difference between Rule Utilitarianism and Act Utilitarianism?” Philosophy. 2014. Stack Exchange. https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/10496/what-is-thedifference-between-rule-utilitarianism-and-act-utilitarianism Harper, Douglas. “Utility.” Online Etymological Dictionary. 2020. https://www.etymonline.com/word/utility Prevos, Peter. “Philosophical Ethics: Rule and Act Utilitarianism.” Lumen. 1 November 2004. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-epcc-introethics-1/chapter/act-and-rule-utilitarianism/ Rule-Utilitarianism. BLTC Research. https://www.utilitarianism.com/ruleutil.htm...