Utilitarianism is one of many moral theories that many use to guide their decision-making process. It can answer moral quandaries that are posed in many pieces of entertainment, as well as real life. Whether it be choosing a degree to major in or to send money to a charity, utilitarianism has an answer. It finds it's foundation in the works of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Over the years since its inception, it has become a cornerstone moral theory of modern philosophy. Utilitarianism produces the most good for the most people at the expense of personal morality, and the ferry scene in The Dark Knight provides an excellent scenario to analyze using it.
The essential idea of utilitarianism is taking the general happiness of …show more content…
Utilitarianism also requires one to only look at the consequences of the actions taken, and not the motive or the act that was committed to bring about those consequences (MacKinnon 93). So an action is only considered to be right if the consequences of that action made more people either happier or less unhappy (MacKinnon 96). Another principle of utilitarianism is that all happiness is weighed equally, so no single person's happiness can carry more importance than another's (MacKinnon 96). Utilitarianism can be broken down into two subcategories called act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. According to act utilitarianism, each action that will produce either happiness or unhappiness should be decided on an individual basis, and not on what would happen if that were to be committed on a larger scale. Conversely, according to …show more content…
Crafted by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, utilitarianism has come to be one of the most influential moral theories in modern philosophy. With a basis in equality and fairness for all sentient beings, it is plain to see why so many flock to it. Whether one is on a ship rigged to explode or is thinking about donating to charity, there is a utilitarian point of view for every situation. That point of view will always produce the most good for the most beings, but it may come at the expense of personal gain or
The essential idea of utilitarianism is taking the general happiness of …show more content…
Utilitarianism also requires one to only look at the consequences of the actions taken, and not the motive or the act that was committed to bring about those consequences (MacKinnon 93). So an action is only considered to be right if the consequences of that action made more people either happier or less unhappy (MacKinnon 96). Another principle of utilitarianism is that all happiness is weighed equally, so no single person's happiness can carry more importance than another's (MacKinnon 96). Utilitarianism can be broken down into two subcategories called act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. According to act utilitarianism, each action that will produce either happiness or unhappiness should be decided on an individual basis, and not on what would happen if that were to be committed on a larger scale. Conversely, according to …show more content…
Crafted by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, utilitarianism has come to be one of the most influential moral theories in modern philosophy. With a basis in equality and fairness for all sentient beings, it is plain to see why so many flock to it. Whether one is on a ship rigged to explode or is thinking about donating to charity, there is a utilitarian point of view for every situation. That point of view will always produce the most good for the most beings, but it may come at the expense of personal gain or