Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Strengths and Weaknesses of Utilitarianism Essay The prominant criticism of Utilitarianism is that it is extremely hard to predict the results of an action. The outcomes of all situations are hard to predict, so how can we possibly apply the rule of the greatest happiness for the greatest number if we do not know who will benefit most? It is also difficult to decide whether an outcome is morally good or bad. People have contrasting opinions on what they think is right or wrong and it depends on the individual who is making the decision. This causes problems because a thing that is good to one person may at the same time be bad to another, One mans happiness is another mans pain. Without an absolute definition of happiness, it is hard to arrive at a right decision. Another problem of Utilitarianism is the concept of time. Is long term or short term pleasure more valuable? For example, when deciding whether to take an ecstasy tablet at a club. Taking the pill may give you a lot of short-term pleasure, but in the long term, it may cause more harm than good. Not taking the tablet would involve fewer risks and would avoid potential pain. Even here, you cannot predict the results of your decision, as there is no way of telling the effect the ecstasy has on you until you have tried it. Not only is it hard to tell what will be the consequences in the long run, but it is hard to define the time period of the long run to begin with. A particular problem with Utilitarianism stands out to me that totally immoral acts can be justified if they are seen to benefit the greatest number of people. For example In the early 1800s in South America, slave labour took place because it was seen to produce the most amount of good for the most amount of people. Slavery was an efficient way for Southern farmers to produce goods at a cheap price and these goods brought a lot of pleasure to a great amount of people. On the other hand, the slaves suffered terribly and had to endure vast amounts of pain and torture. Nevertheless the most amount of good was produced and enjoyed by the most amount of people through slavery therefore satisfying the principle of Utility. This example clearly shows how utilitarianism can cause injustice and the denial of human rights. The theory disregards motivation and goodwill, says that the majority is always right and Does not protect the innocent minorities. John Rawls agreed with this weakness. He argued that utilitarianism is too impersonal. In its pursuit of the greater good, it disregards the rights of individuals. He said that Utilitarianism could therefore be used to promote a dictatorship, in which decisions were made to over-ride the interests of the individual in favour of the greater good of society. Despite all the arguments against Utilitarianism, there are some valid points for the theory. It is widely accepted throughout the world as many countries run by means of democracy. Our political leaders are elected through the ballot box, the majority overriding the minority. This however does not automatically mean that they are the most suited people for the job. Utilitarianism also allows people to contemplate the situation before making the decision. This time prevents people from making hasty, unethical decisions, as it encourages thought before action. The aim of the theory is to produce happiness and pleasure. These are two desirable things as Utilitarianism says that pleasure is the sole good and pain is the sole evil, Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters-pleasure and pain. Supporters of the theory would argue that promoting pleasure must be a good thing as most people see pleasure as desirable over pain. They would also say that the intention of Utilitarianism was not to create immorality but to please to maximum number of people possible Surely it is better for a hundred people to be happy than five? Another good aspect of Utilitarianism is that it has one simple absolute, which can be applied to all situations with a positive outcome. In times of difficulty, it eases people out of difficult situations, as they cannot be blamed for making the wrong decision if they claim it was for the happiness of the majority. Any prejudices the decision maker may hold are eradicated in Utilitarianism, as they have to stick to the main rule. There is also some flexibility for emotions in moral decision making according to Rule Utilitarianism. This part of the theory allows respect for the rules that are created to better our society although even these rules do not have to be kept all the time if you are a weak utilitarian which poses problems over what the theory really is. Utilitarianism is a theory that Christians can relate to. Mill brought it closer to the Christian church by introducing Rule Utilitarianism. This would be closer to the principals Jesus lived by. For example, it was against the Jewish law to work on the Sabbath but when people were in need, Jesus bent this rule and healed them. The largest connection Christianity has with Utilitarianism is the death of Jesus. He was crucified and died for the sins of mankind, sacrificing himself for the majority. However, Utilitarianism does accept evil where Christianity most certainly does not.

The Growth of American Government from the End of Reconstruction and th

In the past, the nation’s government took the â€Å"laissez-faire† approach to dealing with the economy and/or free market affairs. The government intervened as little as possible, asserting the belief felt that if left alone, economic problems would be resolved without government interference. However, this approach was not guaranteed, and at times, the government had to put aside the â€Å"laissez-faire† approach of the past. The government had no other choice but to intervene in these instances to return balance to the economy and protect its citizens it served. The government changed both its approach and its size through programs initiated by the Industrial Revolution, New Deal programs during and following the Great Depression, and World War II, forever changing the relationship between Americans and their Government. During the Industrial Revolution with the massive railroad production across the country, the railroad executives were clever, strong-minded, mostly dishonest men who bribed congressmen, and conducted crooked financial deals who became known as â€Å"robber barons†. 1 As railroads expanded transportation across the country, it opened up a vast market for competition and over production of farm products. The railroad executives took advantage of the fact that the railroad was the only transportation that some farmers had to ship their products. Since the railroads had formed monopolies, they were free to charge whatever rates they saw fit and took full advantage of this by price discrimination. They offered discounts and rebates to big corporations with large loads which the individual farmer did not have. Nor did farmers have the political influence to fight the railroads on these matters.2 Therefore, in 1877, t... ... 11. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 book pg 1086-87 12. HI 1073 United States History 1877-Present Discussion Manual Spring 2011 CH 5 – The Interwar Years, 58. Social Security Act (1935). 13. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 book Page 1197 14. HI 1073 United States History 1877-Present Discussion Manual Spring 2011 CH 6 – World War II, 70. The GI Bill of Rights (1944). 15. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 pg 1209 16. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 page 1218

Prelude no 15 in Db major by Chopin

The song Prelude no.15 by Chopin, also known as the raindrop prelude is written in ternary form, which means it's an ABA structure. It's structure unlike many other preludes has a very clear Ternary form structure with a coda at the end to finish the piece nicely. Section A is written in Db, while section B is written enharmonically in C# minor. Although it is in Ternary form the piece can be split into 4 parts. The Coda, A, B, and A again. Melody and Rhythm Just like the name of the piece, Raindrop, throughout the piece sustained notes are used to act as the continuous raindrops falling. During the piece such as in the first bar, Chopin uses descending notes and arpeggio's to represent falling raindrops. He also uses septuplets and turns to create similar effects. He changes to the relative minor and dominant keys to create variation within the melody. Tonality The Raindrop Prelude is written in Db major with 5 flats. Bb, Eb, Ab, Db and Gb. The piece is generally tonal and uses many different relative keys to create variation throughout the piece. Texture. Although the Raindrop Prelude is written and played on one piano the texture is generally quite thick throughout. Chopin, in the B section, uses a technique called doubling to create a powerful and a build up of the texture. This is where a note is played in octaves in both hands creating a more emotional feeling as well, as a feature of romantic music. The texture could be described as both polyphonic and homophonic as the melody above the pedaled notes is more complex but fits in with many of the sustained notes. Use of Piano. Because Prelude no. 15 is written for piano Chopin uses the abilities of the piano very well to create variation among sections. For example, in section B the melody is played in the Left hand rather than the Right which created a low forceful and powerful sound. Also by using pedaled notes in both the harmony and melody the sound of the piano created the feel of raindrops. Chopin also wrote Prelude no. 15 because many pieces of music were created for the piano in the Romantic era as the instrument was developed and made bigger which enables it to create Cantabile sounds and sustained slurs with pedals. Also piano's were now able to make larger ranges of dynamics, articulation and pitches because of the use of hammers on strings and the extension of octaves.

Adolescence And Its Effects On Adult Behavior Essay

Adolescence is a turbulent time in every individual’s life, containing marked behavioral and biological changes as the brain rapidly develops into its mature form. This period overlaps with puberty, the process of attaining sexual maturation, and throughout its progression intricate differences between the two sexes are revealed that were not previously apparent. (Spear, 2000; TEXTBOOK) It is thought that adolescence is a necessary process, a period of transition through which individuals prepare for living independently in adulthood. Adolescents begin to emulate adult behaviors and seek novelty, with an inhibited regard for danger, as they accumulate the skills needed to provide for themselves. (Spear, 2000) There are several characteristics of adolescence that seem to make an individual more prone to experimenting with addictive drug use, to his or her potential detriment. These include: an increase in taking species-specific risks, an overall rise in novelty seeking, and a particularly relevant phenomenon of finding peer interactions more socially rewarding than those conducted with an adult caretaker. (Spear, 2000) Partaking in illicit drugs is a clear form of risky behavior in human adolescents; children in developed countries are educated about the potential consequences of such misconduct, particularly those of abusing alcohol and/or tobacco. However, animal studies that compare drug use during development versus in adulthood provide evidence that adults willShow MoreRelatedAdolescence Is The Most Important Stages Of Human Development1282 Words   |  6 Pagesduring human development; adolescence is one of the most important stages because it is the period that follows humans’ development from child to adult. According to Clause (2013), adolescence is broken up into biological, cognitive, and emotional stages. 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In this article, the key research questions and hypothesis proposed are: 1) does the family acceptance and supportive behavior predicts show a difference in †¦self-esteem, social support, general health status, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and behaviors (cite?) and can be influential to the health